The Day After...:)

I have officially preached one sermon at DCC. Everything went really well, and the Holy Spirit definitely gave me courage and confidence to preach the word in spite of my nervousness. It is always nice to hear people tell you that you didn't look nervous when you felt like it was obvious!

While it was definitely not the best sermon delivery ever, overall I felt comfortable. This was one of my first times preaching to a congregation and not a class at seminary, so it is always interesting to hear what people say afterwards. It is so scary to stand up there and watch people's faces. Next Sunday at church, think about the expression on your face as you listen to your pastor. People make some interesting expressions as they listen and I am never sure if they are good...or bad...

I was uplifted yesterday after the service. People in this congregation have a way of really giving helpful, encouraging feedback which I truly appreciate. They do not say things like 'it was good.' One wonderful man told me that I have a 'gift for teaching' that I need to continue using and I firmly believe that God gave me that comment to keep me going. I have been struggling to know where my call in ministry lies and people like this man are the voice of God in my life quite often.

Yet there is always criticism. Most of it constructive, which is helpful and good. But how does one not dwell on this criticism? I know there will always be people who disagree with me, people who don't like me, or people who just do not understand what I say. And that is okay. Ministry does not happen to please people, it happens to please God. No matter how true this is, I still manage to dwell on the 'bad' instead of the good. Hopefully this year will be a chance to grow in the knowledge that I can only do so much, by the grace of God, and I need to be able to release the rest. Thank you for your prayers!