Random thoughts #something+1

A dark, damp, dreary Monday morning. It must be November. Stuff that's on my mind...

• Yesterday I played guitar and sang again at our morning worship gathering. There were some songs I wanted to do that we can't really do with just piano. Plus I felt a little guilty about not being there last week. Man, it wore me out though. And my voice was shot. I am torn because I know there are people that want the guitar, but it makes such a difference in how I feel during the sermon. I just couldn't muster any energy.
  
• It probably didn't help that I thought I was going to have to call in sick for the first Sunday in 9+ years. I woke up during the night with a terrible stomach ache, and when I got up at 5 I thought I was gonna puke. A little coffee and oatmeal made it tolerable, and I finally took some sudafed. That usually cures a lot of my ailments. I think it was kind of a sinus drainage allergy stress thing. Once I got my motor warmed up I was ok.
• Had a college student talk in church yesterday. He's taking a speech class and he wrote one about our church. I thought that was interesting and I was curious as to what he had to say. I also thought it would be good for the church to hear the perspective of a teenager. So I asked if he would read it. I was quite impressed. And... I didn't tell him this, but I actually had a vision many years ago - when he was just a little nipper - that he might someday become a preacher. I don't put a lot of stock in my visions, but... I had it. There are several people in my church I've thought this about. I never know if I should tell them or not. Kind of a lot of pressure. Plus, you know, what do I know. But he did awesome and he looked real comfortable speaking in front of everyone.
• Last night we had a community thanksgiving service. It was at Tom's church (who sometimes comments here). He asked me to play guitar with his band. It was oddly fun. I only knew about half the songs, but I had a good time. It was nice to not have to be in charge.
• The person that said they were going to leave the church because I voted for Obama has been here every Sunday but the first one after (which is probably more than they usually attend), and they've been to Bible Study every Wednesday night. And they haven't said A WORD about the fact that they told me they were leaving. Not one word! I don't know what I'm supposed to do with stuff like this. Nothing, I suppose. But part of me wants to say, "Hey, you said you were leaving, so get out!" But there is a compassionate side of me that understands they were probably scared and hurting and I'm glad they've stuck it out. They hang around with a bunch of end-times sensationalists so I guess it was only natural for them to react the way they did.
  
• In the sermon yesterday I talked a little about when I became a Christian. It was twenty years ago this month. I was twenty six.
• I just realized last week that I will only be preaching one out of the four Sundays of Advent. That's weird. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes.
• This Sunday we have a southern gospel singing group doing the service. This was not my idea. And it's not so much that I can't stand southern gospel music. It just has such a ... I don't know ... the whole aura, or something. The clothes, the hair, the smiles, the jokes... Whatever. I guess it won't kill me.
  
• The following Sunday I will be gone so we can celebrate Christmas at my parents. It's the only time in the whole month we can make a trip back home. Such is the life of me having to work Sundays and Jane having a new job where she works the other six days.
• This is a hat day. And I should probably go to the nursing home.