Jason Goldtrap’s thoughts on Sunday, June 29, 2008. I’ve had an absolutely amazing day! I was asked to teach the teen class at the last moment. Three teens. We read parts of Isaiah, chapters 6 and 52:13-54:13, I explained the background and the imagery. They listened as well as one could when you’re a 12 year old boy, 13 and 14 year old girl. Sweet kids.
I had worked a long while on my sermon: “Our God He Is Alive” (728b). Putting it on YouTube was a big help. I always encourage preachers to put their sermons on YouTube. It’s a great way to spread the world while you hear yourself perform over and over and over. I listened to my sermon probably 10 times, Jamie also enjoyed the sneak preview two or three times also. All of this practice can stave off disaster or at least malfunction.
I planned all points of today’s worship service: songs, order, etc., I do this so that everything can run smoothly and there’s no surprises. Well… there are always surprises. I did not realize there’s a difference in Power Point between .pps and “slide show.” I began the “slide show” and it went smoothly. When I got up to preach, the notebook computer decided to start changing slides on its own. I made an introduction, looked to the screen and noticed it was 3 slides ahead of me. Jamie jumped in, however, and saved the day. Because she was familiar with the sermon, she knew when I would need each slide. Friends, no matter what the task, there is no substitute for preparation and confidence. Preparation as in “know thyself ” as well as “thy material.” Confidence in the self actualization that any public performance is prime for the bedeviling of fate: like every wedding, one must grasp the idea that something WILL go wrong at the last minute. If you have that confidence then stumbling will not be an impediment to your goal. It took me 40 years to figure this out, hey, I’m dense sometimes. Overall, the sermon went great. The beauty of preaching God’s Word is that even if you happen to be a bad speaker you will be brilliant because of the material. As the hymnist Phillip Paul Bliss so eloquently put it in 1884, “Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty.”
After worship, Jamie and I ate at Olive Garden in nearby Winter Haven. We used two coupons we’d received from the Orlando Red Cross so our lunch was only $6! Speaking of food, yesterday we went to my favorite frozen custard place, KC’s Big Dipper in Winter Haven. I had a “Camp Fire S’mores Blizzard” chocolate frozen custard, marshmallows, chocolate pieces and graham crackers exquisitely, nobly blended. That night, I actually dreamed about eating that dessert. I’ve never dreamed about eating food. I’ve dreamed about being in a restaurant or having dinner with my family but I have recreated each individual sensation of sitting in an ice cream parlor just eating a frozen custard dish. If this is some kind of weird Freudian thing, please, don’t tell me, I’d rather not know.
Evening worship was awesome. Our church, working in conjunction with 4 other local congregations, sent the preacher, his youngest daughter and a 69 year old gentleman down to Honduras for a couple of weeks to build houses. They built 30 houses in the poor mountains surrounding the capitol, Tegucigalpa. It was so great to see my friends safe and back in a nation where they speak English… oh… wait, it’s Florida, never-mind. Anyhoo, tonight was our monthly singing service. I lead an old song I knew from my days at Madison Church of Christ. I also lead one I’d written in 1998 when we lived in Cookeville called “I’m Gonna Hug My Dear Jesus When I Get to Heaven Someday.” Everyone seemed to quickly catch on to the simple lyrics. Tune: “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Oh when I sing I have to grin
Because I’m so in love with Him
I’m gonna hug my dear Jesus when I get to Heaven someday
Oh when I pray I have to kneal
Because of all the love I feel
I’m gonna hug my dear Jesus when I get to Heaven someday
And when I read it makes me think
All of my sins really do stink. P-U!
I’m gonna hug my dear Jesus when I get to Heaven someday
