Sunday, January 31, 2010

THE DOORMAN CAN PREACH!


Doorman-Priest posted an excellent sermon based on I Corinthians 13, Paul's famous words on love. DP begins:

1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous passages in all of scripture, equal to the 23rd Psalm as a much loved text etched in the memory of Christians. In it we get some of the most beautiful language found anywhere on love. Paul writes: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

The only problem with these words is that they don’t really ring true. The beauty of 1 Corinthians 13 masks a different reality: love is very hard. Who can live up to this? Aren’t we all sometimes impatient, sometimes unkind? Don’t we all have limits to what we can endure? Which of us is perfect in this love, even when described in Paul’s humble way?

I urge you to read the rest at DP's blog. I read the sermon yesterday and left these words in the comments:

Jack, this sermon is one of your very best. One might even say that it's inspired. I had chills as I read, and I felt the life of the Spirit stirring in my heart.

Today, after church, I went to read the sermon again. As I said over there, the sermon is still excellent.

7 comments:

  1. I love a good sermon. I am going to read this right away.

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  2. I read it and cried for all those who use the word love as one of hate and judgment. Sadly many today have turned it into a word for war against so many groups.

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  3. Ciss, I copied the sermon and saved it. It's so good.

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  4. Truly excellent. But then we knew, didn't we ;=)

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  5. Göran, we knew.

    Margaret, Amelia, Göran and I have both heard Jack preach. Here's what I said about DP's sermon in my blog post about my visit to St. Luke's"

    DP preached that Sunday, and a lovely sermon it was. You can find it at his blog, The World of Doorman-Priest. I thought it was so good that I wanted to applaud, but I didn't, being a visitor and all. I expect that he'll make a wonderful priest.

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