Leroy's Sermon

Hello,

Leroy preached to a smallish crowd on New Year’s Day. He had also preached the same sermon on New Year’s Eve. He had not felt so good about this sermon as it was on a rather hard subject of the killing of the children by King Harod trying to insure that he killed Jesus. Certainly it is not a nice comforting subject. When he got home Saturday night I asked, “How did the sermon go?”

“Well, no one threw rotten tomatoes.” he replied.

I wondered if I should wear a veil to church so no one would know me, but I bravely wore just my normal things. I did not think it was perhaps Leroy’s best sermon, but certainly not his worst. One thing that I noticed was that it was incredibly quiet almost as if no one stirred as people seemed to be listening closely.

Later one of the church staff, told Leroy, “Even though I was out of town, I heard at the staff meeting (which Leroy did not attend because he was not feeling well) that I missed a very good sermon.”

I told Leroy, “That is high praise when they say good things about you behind your back.”

Always before Sunday, the sermon is taped. Leroy told me that he changed the sermon some from that taping time because he was not pleased with it. However a week later at the staff Christmas party the person who did something with that tape, told him, “That was a good sermon.” I thought remembering to say that more than a week later was also an amazing compliment.

Yesterday after church, a woman stopped me and said, “Tell Leroy that my husband and I both thought that sermon was so very good. We needed to hear that.” I find that awesome that she would remember to talk about it a week later.

God works in mysterious ways even when we think it is not the best thing we are doing. It can be used and speak to others.

Paula