Today
I have found one of those “round tuits.”
When
Judy and I retired in 2012 we also downsized. That required finding a way to
consolidate three filing cabinets into one-and-a-half. That meant culling many
folders and either pitching the contents or creating easily packable and
storable heaps. Among the victims to be heaped were my sermons. Now, at last,
as a part of my growing writing discipline, I begin the process of
re-organizing the stack of message notes which reach back over fifty years.
I
smile at the transition from standard type (remember typewriters?) to IBM Selectric type to DOS print styles to
Microsoft Word to non-hardcopy notes stored on my “Study” flashdrive. There are
even handwritten notes (remember handwriting?).
Psalm143:5 speaks of remembering the days of old. It refers to Israel’s glory days
as a nation led by God. However, if a person has remembered his Creator in the turbulent years since the days of his youth, it is not out of the ballpark to look back to
see how he and God have walked together as revealed in the contents of messages
preached.
I
look forward to this trip down memory lane. Already I discover thoughts which
can be brought forward again and tailored to future sermons or devotional
thoughts. I look forward to re-acquaintance with things forgotten. Occasionally
I lift notes from the pile and hold my breath. How many messages will I find
over which I will shake my head and hope nobody remembered them within five
minutes after they were preached?
Of
special interest is the development of my study and preaching style. As the
years progressed I found my own voice and lost the tone of commentaries.
It
has been a good adventure so far (three hours), and the review is both humbling and invigorating.
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