February 24, 2015
Eavesdropping
I’ve attended a few worship services
where pastors had prepared sermons; however, they took sermonette side
trips saying, “I hadn’t planned this, but there is someone here today who needs
to hear what I’m about to say.” The implication is that the Spirit has just given
the pastor words of wisdom or encouragement to convey to one particular person
in the audience. The pastor states that the intended recipient is someone struggling
with depression, is in need healing, or feels spiritually lost. Certainly I won’t
deny the Spirit’s leading of the pastor. However, when I hear that the message
is intended for only one person in the room, I have to wonder if the rest of
the worshippers are expected to try to find something applicable to their
lives, or are they simply eavesdropping.
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I can imagine a particular part of a sermon reminding a preacher of someone he’s been counseling, or some situation he knows about. I wouldn’t think his excursion for their hearing needs any particular announcement, though, unless it deviates from the sermon line. But people are funny in this way. How many times have you seen someone, sitting with a few others maybe watching TV or chit-chatting, get up and announce, “I need a glass of water,” as he goes to do what he needs to do. People do this even when there isn’t any repercussion to anyone else in what they need to do. It’s almost like there’s some irresistible inner drive to explain themselves.
-----As social beings, we know little minds all around us are knitting and weaving our actions and words into the ongoing dialogues of their own inner thoughts. My stirring from the norm of the moment will attract attention, however minute, and that attention does lace a few stitches of thought in every mind attracted. We don’t want any misgivings thought about us, so we offer our sanity, “I’m after water!” The really gifted at social slicking will add, “Can I bring anybody else some?”
-----If the sermonette is not so far off the sermon’s normal trail of thought, the deviation really wouldn’t need introduction. But this sort of thing has become habit in most people. It’s hard to avoid without conscious effort. On the other hand, if the preacher knows someone really needs to listen to what he’s about to say, the announcement may be just a devious way of making sure those ears perk up, especially when what he says following doesn’t really stray noticeably from the sermon line. Listen to what he says. If it is a sensible extension of his line of thought, he just needs to be sure someone he knows needs to hear it hears it. If it does deviate, he really did need to introduce the sidetrack so the congregation doesn’t start searching for lost marbles.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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