Back in the saddle

I know, I know it has been a week since my last post. I've just been kind of sluggish all week. I also had two opera rehearsals this week. This week I have two opera rehearsals. I'm going to the opera with my friend Alan. I'm hanging out at my friend Laine's house tomorrow night as it is her husbands first night back teaching since they had their second child. So all in all it is going to be a busy week. Then next week is production week for the Opera. So it is opera every night except for Thursday. Holy Crap!!!

Today was my first day back preaching since before my sabbatical. I had the four months off and then the last two months I've had different members of the congregation sharing. So today was the first day back. I personally thought the sermon was not very good. But as is often the case I got a lot of "very moving sermon;" "that was really what I needed to hear." I want to say that I am my own worst critic and that it probably was a better sermon than I thought it was--but in reality, I know that is only slightly the case. It probably was better than I thought, but I also know that it wasn't very good. But I also know that quality of sermon doesn't always matter when it comes to what people hear. So I'm grateful that something greater than me was at work today.

I will say the best part was that I got to quote from my favorite new musical, Title of Show. The song in the show is Die Vampire Die and it is about all the voices that try and squelch the creative process. Here is the quote:
...mother of all vampires the vampire of despair. The vampire who will wake you up at 4 am to say things like.
Who do you think you are kidding?
You look like a fool.
No matter how hard you try you’ll never be good enough.
Why is it that if some dude walked up to me on the subway platform and said these things to me I’d think he was a mentally ill asshole but if the vampire inside my head says it it is the voice of reason.

I love that quote. I also got in a bit of a political jab, saying that in the beloved community community organizers wouldn't be ridiculed but instead would be seen as agents of change helping to usher in God's kingdom. It probably didn't fit all that well in the sermon, but I couldn't help it. And it wasn't a lie.

Alright, well I have to eat dinner--don't have any idea what that will be though.