It started one winter day in Worthington, Ohio. A young man by the name of Lyle drove up to the church and parked and waited after a brief amount of time another arrived and he left the car and entered the church building. As time passed he would find himself once more preparing the communion elements. He would find himself attending the adult Sunday school class and then worshiping in the sanctuary with others. After the service it was back to the fellowship hall for a potluck. As this community shared a meal together around came a sign up sheet to try and fill out the worship schedule for the next two months. Lyle was encouraged to place his name down to speak and so he wrote his name down as speaker for the 4th day of March 2007, the last day of the series “A People who dare to dream” that this congregation was engaging.
So that is where and when, or rather how the journey of this sermon started. I can not truly say that is where and when for like all things is tied into the past and to the future. So perhaps that is how the journey of this particular sermon came to be. In the days and weeks that followed that Sunday, I have reflected and worked toward that sermon which is yet to be. At first I looked with anticipation and excitement to have the opportunity to preach this sermon in the Kirtland portion of the Temple a place so dear and sacred to me. My J-Term class, which was a two week intensive on Worship and Music, began and as it did I kept this sermon and this service in mind. A service planed to be held in Kirtland as part of a trip for this congregation. As I wrote prayers for class most were with an eye towards this service. When I started to write the mystiglogical sermon on the Eucharist exploring the understanding of this sacramental meal in my tradition and the congregations I was part of, it was natural to reflect upon this upcoming sermon I was scheduled for as it was to be on Communion Sunday. I knew that as I wrote the words I wrote were not going to be the sermon I would give, but would at least be reflective of that sermon. I turned in the sermon and the next day turned in an order of worship based once again on this service which included this sermon and took advantage of the historical sacred space that we would be worshiping in.
I would continue to reflect upon the sermon, would purchase a chalice, pitcher and patten for use and least symbolically in the service and then to donate to the Kirtland Temple Spiritual Formation and Visitor’s center for future use.
Then I would learn that the congregational trip would be postponed until May. Thus the sermon started a new branch on its journey. While the key aspects, the focus…. remained the same it gained new shape and life. New insights and thoughts, and the sermon written for class now placed in my files for perhaps another day. The sermon kept evolving and developing, then one night just a week or two ago I awoke at about three and ran through the sermon in my mind and it was nearing completion. This past Sunday after attending another congregation I stopped by briefly as Worthington shared together in a common meal to check on some things regarding the service and the sermon. In those brief minutes I was there the sermon evolved a bit to include projected images of the sacred space it was originally planed for. Thus perhaps restraining its flexibility, as such projected images are somewhat restricted to a set flow. However, I feel there will still be the freedom needed, and if necessary the images just won’t be used. The first draft of those slides with images include also the scriptures I am going to be reading, and that perhaps is where the restriction lies, however once again if need they can go away.
It is a different experience for me, as I typically do not have any visual stimuli beyond perhaps my own movements and the worships setting itself. However this time projected images will be an aspect of it for better or worse, hopefully for better or neutral. I hope to receive a copy of the order of worship today or tomorrow morning, and then tomorrow afternoon head over to Red Robin, with copies of the Hymns, the scriptures, various notes and perhaps drafts of the sermon and work through it some more. Keying in on what is needed and not. Then perhaps heading to Westerville to work through and give the sermon a few more times. (or perhaps to that Saturday.) Why, Westerville? I have a key to the Community of Christ congregation there and don’t for Worthington. I have briefly gone through it in the preaching chapel at school, and in my living room, and meditation/prayer room each time it evolved and changed and was of different lengths. I would like to run through it in the space where it is to be finalized (that is shared in and with a worshiping community), but without a key I am unable to do so and thus must run through it elsewhere.
Come Sunday I will get up early, shower and all those other morning things, drive to the store, pick up a round loaf of bread and grape juice, drive to Worthington, wait until another arrives and then enter into the church building, prepare the communion table and the items I brought. Then perhaps aiding to preparing the rest of the emblems. Walk thru quickly in my mind the sermon, and pray, and pray. perhaps sitting in on the class, but most likely sitting in the sanctuary and reflecting, meditating, and praying in hopes that the words that escape my mouth may be the right words at that time and place for that community and for at least one among those present, even if that one is me, to aid them, challenge them, inspire them, or… in their journey on the path of discipleship. The the service will start, I will worship in community, I will pray a bit more and share the words of this sermon, and then perhaps the sermon’s journey is at an end, or perhaps it is just then that it gains life and starts its journey…
Peace,
— Lyle II