Summer Reruns
You
either love them or hate them. You get to see the ones you
missed or you get to miss the one you missed the first
time. You can try and watch a series that you heard your
friends all rave about but you seemed to always miss.
I read of a pastor who took the summer
off by offering reruns. He would list the sermons he had
preached over the last nine months and offer the best or the
ones most voted for. He had the idea that if TV can survive
and thrive with reruns why not in the church. Besides if
you missed the Sunday on which a sermon was preached and
folks told you it was good then you could arrange to be
there on that Sunday.
I toyed with the idea of doing that here
at Kennesaw UMC. I have been told that most folks do not
remember what the pastor said the Friday after the Sunday
the message was preached, so if I asked folks may say “did
he really preach that sermon this past year?’ and not vote.
Jenny, our associate pastor, and I work
very hard praying and asking God for a fresh word from for
this congregation each week. Of course after 41 years of
preaching there are some illustration, stories and biblical
background that is readily available for me to use, but
still I ask God for a fresh word for this congregation.
Jenny and I can really use your help.
First, continue to pray for your pastors. With over 1600
members and I know all of them are not active, but we have
oversight for each one, it is difficult for us to carve out
time to prepare as we always should. Your prayers are a
constant source of strength for us. Second, let us know of
your spiritual needs. The message ought to be addressing
the needs of the church, as well as the world. Third, if
you are reading material that Jenny and I will not have
access to bring the stories, humor, life situations and your
own testimony of God at work in your life to us. Of course
giving us permission to use all the above.
If you will do that, we will steer clear
of the dreaded Summer Reruns. We hope if you are not a
regular at KUMC and are looking for a church home, you will
come see us knowing you will not get a rerun from a past
Sunday. See you here at the church of the first Runs.
Wallace
