Creatures of Habit

I have spotted this egret at the same spot, same time-frame, each day now for two weeks.  In fact, I have a picture of him in my files from last year, same spot, same time-frame (near sundown).  With a whole ocean, and miles and miles of seashore, this bird keeps coming back to the same spot each evening in search of food.  As I have taken note of his pattern, I have been reminded that we are all creatures of habit, and even our spiritual diets are shaped by our routines.

A few years back, I had gotten into a "preaching rut."  It was not that I was preaching the same sermon repeatedly, or even from the same book of the Bible.  Basically, I was preaching from topics that had struck me either positively or negatively.  With a topic in mind, I would go to the Scriptures seeking Biblical support.  I never realized what a narrow approach this was until a Methodist friend introduced me to the Lectionary.  With the Lectionary, a whole ocean of texts that  I had never given serious attention to came to life.

Not only has the Lectionary forced me to deal with texts that I had never considered for sermon fodder, it has put me in touch with the Christian Calendar and the Christian Year.   Thirty years ago, seminary taught me much about the "Baptist Calendar:"  Cooperative Program Day, Season of Prayer for Lottie Moon. Season of Prayer for Annie Armstrong, Baptist Men's Sunday, State Mission Emphasis, Race Relations Sunday, etc., etc.  But it was not until recent years that I really got in tune with the Season of Lent, Advent,  Ascension Sunday, Day of Pentecost, Christ the King Sunday, etc., etc.

I have heard it argued that those churches which follow the Lectionary are too formal, lack a dependence  on the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and tend to rob Scripture of its proper role in worship.  My experience has proven this argument to be wrong.  I recently had the opportunity to visit a couple of  different churches during my summer Sabbatical.   The first church I visited was non-denominational, and the congregation would tout itself as being a conservative, biblically focused fellowship.  However, in the worship service which I attended, not one verse was read from the Scripture!  The pastor did make reference to a chapter in the Old Testament, and he did refer to a few "proof texts" to make a point in his sermon, but the Scripture was never read.  The pastor's sermon was basically a personal appeal for the support of modern-day Israel.

The second church I visited was affiliated with a main-line denomination.  The service was much more traditional, yet not stuffy.  I visited on Pentecost Sunday, and the whole worship--hymns, litany,  prayers, children's sermon--centered around the theme of Pentecost.  The pastor read all the Lectionary Readings for Pentecost Sunday--a lesson from the Psalms, the Old Testament, and the New Testament.  And the pastor's sermon was literally an exposition of Acts 2!  When the pastor opened the altar for prayer, one young man came forward for prayer and requested that the congregation pray for him as he seeks to be a witness to his friends.

I pray that unlike my egret friend, I'll never return to the rut of spiritually feeding in the same old place week after week and year after year.  God has given us a whole ocean to glean from in His Word.

Blessings,
Jimmy