Sunday was such an interesting day. In the morning I preached in both of our services at church during our youth sunday and it was a blast. Good times, and I was so proud of our students and the leadership they provided in the service. Later that night I preached at IGNITION 2008 for over 700 students. So I preached for 2000+ people yesterday, crazy. I have done this many times before in fact my record for one day is over 3000 but it still amazes me that a person like me gets to do that. If you would have told me as say an 18yr old that I would stand and talk in front of that many people about God I would have told you that you were hitting the tequila too hard!
Preaching is weird to me. There you are standing in front of all these people telling them how to live life, and what God is looking for from us, all the while you are trying to figure it out just like they are and you know how screwed up you are. It is weird. It is a strange calling.
So how do I even get on the stage with any sense of integrity? Well, I do it because I believe everything I am saying from God's word is true and it doesn't matter how flawed I am as the messenger. That doesn't excuse my own sin but it does mean that the TRUTH is bigger than me. I also just try to be real, authentic and genuine about my failures and flaws. Now obviously I can't reveal my deepest darkest sins in front of thousands but I can preach from a place of authenticity and humbleness.
So preaching is weird, but I love it.
That, preaching, as in speaking to Christians about the Bible and God and stuff, is one thing that I haven't done, but hope that I will soon, albeit note where or in the time that I thought that I would. I'll let you know when I get to speak to my crowd of under 30 or so people.
However, as far as being a truth teller and being a source of good counsel, the funny part about how God works is that it doesn't always happen or have to happen in a church.
At the present time, and a couple years ago, one thing that I've been involved in is Student Government, and in the main meeting, there is an Open Forum to talk about just about anything, and I have taken that time to give my opinion on the matters of the day facing the assembly and my thoughts on how they are doing. I praise and criticize, hoping to make them better as student leaders in their jobs, and to help positively influence their decisions (to make good ones), and I know that I'm well listened to, because of my approach to it.
It's not preaching, per se, but in my opinion, the principles, but not the subject matter, as the same. I am speaking the truth in love and speaking confidently. If I hadn't the desire to speak, preach, whatever, and had the open opportunity to, then maybe SG makes some bad decisions that I could have helped... another way of how God has a fun sense of humor and has robbed me of any thought that a sense of entitlement exists for me.
For me, my SG talks are my selfless way of giving to the school that I was educated at, and at the same time, when I do get the chance to talk for a bananas amount of time about God and his goodness, it's not like I haven't spoken in front of a room of people about something that I'm passionate about.
Who says Religion and Politics don't have a place together, just ask William Wilberforce (if he wasn't dead).
Keep preaching the great new Mark, while I do my best to reach as many people, in my own way, before I breath my last, get burnt to a crisp (Cremated) with my remains to be placed wherever my next of kin decides to put me (because, quite frankly, I'll be dead, so what do I care... I'll be too busy doing whatever they do in heaven).
Whatever's cheap, because I'd rather not be a burden on anyone... how much fun is it to remember someone when it costs too much to get rid of their dead self? That's my take. Go take that saved money and throw a party in my honor, and remember it for the fun you had!
Posted by: Alexander Wilhelmsen | September 25, 2008 at 02:22 AM
By the way, on my speaking, I do it with confidence of the material I have backing what I have to say, even if I don't have it figured out.
Preaching is just another way of speaking the truth in love. The difference is that you're having what is mostly a one-way conversation with a lot of your best friends who decided to spend their time listen to you... what's weird shouldn't be talking about God while you don't have it figured out, because all Christian deal with that, but I'd say it could be crazy being stared at.
Eh, what do I know?
Posted by: Alexander Wilhelmsen | September 25, 2008 at 02:25 AM