Preaching Engagements Make Me Daydream

I consider myself a sort-of-kind-0f-semi-normal guy, but there is one thing I do that may be--O.K., it is--strange.

In order to be transparent, I feel compelled to tell you a secret. Please don't tell anyone, but...well,...I sometimes sit at my desk and, frequently, preach to an invisible congregation. O.K., now I feel better. Furthermore, I zone out while shaving before a mirror and preach to myself. At these times I am oblivious to the world.

Candidly, I do catch myself preaching, even whispering my major points out loud and gesturing wildly for emphasis in empty rooms and even while driving.

My wife and oldest daughter have "caught" me in this "checked-out" preacher mode at times. It's kind of embarrassing, but I do feel it's a good thing in one aspect. For me, this confirms I enjoy what I feel called by God to do.

When you love someone, you will daydream about them. When you long to do something, you envision the activity. You "check out" and daydream. I love God and I daydream about telling everyone about my commitment to Jesus Christ. While I must not just practice telling others about my faith, the excitement of having a special opportunity to preach is exhilarating.

For example, tonight I am going to preach for a local congregation, Pine Level Baptist Church. The pastor of the church, Jeff Byrd, called me on Sunday and asked me to pick a Wednesday Night in January to preach as part of a special Wednesday Night Series of Revival Services. Since I had already asked someone to lead a devotion here at First Baptist on this Wednesday night, I asked him if I could preach tonight. While he was planning to preach himself, He was surprised that I would commit on such a short notice. However, I was thrilled by the opportunity. (This turns out to be good for Jeff, because I talked to him today and he has a terrible cold.)

Since the invitation to preach at Pine Level, I have been excited to no end. I can already see myself preaching to the congregation. As I rehearse my sermon, I pray that God will be pleased with every facet of my delivery. It is a blessing to enjoy what you do--to wake up thrilled to be in the ministry.

While I'll continue to try to keep my unique sermon preparation exercises concealed, I'm not ready to give them up yet.

Now, remember, this is a secret. So, don't tell anyone.