Sermon illustrations

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration.  Jesus went up a mountain with Peter, James and John, and Jesus was transfigured before them.  They saw him for who he was for that moment, in the company of Moses and Elijah, they saw him for who he was... in all his glory.   For years I preached every week, or almost every week.  I mainly served in solo parish positions.  It is a gift to be able to preach Jesus and celebrate the Eucharist.   Now I preach and celebrate in different ways.  Usually there are others in the pulpit or behind the altar.  Now I write every day and don*t worry about something being the quintessential sermon illustration, or being a sermon illustration at all.  Today, on the Feast of the Transfiguration, I stand with Peter and James and John and watch Jesus transfigured before me.  I am blinded in his glory, and walk blinded down the mountain to anchor my toes in the valley dirt. I hope to release what I have seen, and move on from there.

When life became

One good sermon illustration

After another,

I figured it was time

To stop preaching,

Time

To stop the search

For exactly the right profound thing

To say,

Dig my toes in the dirt,

Give it up

For Jesus.

It was time

To stand on the mountain

Bask in glory

Blinding glory

Hope to catch a spark to carry back,

Release it to the valley below.

When life became full of sermon illustrations

I knew it was time

To give it up for Jesus.