Doin' work...

Back at it today.

'Cause of this verse (and my wife, but more on that later)...

"Even so, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel..."
                                                                          -1 Cor 9:14 (NKJV)

I stumbled on that verse a couple weeks back in my daily reading and it jumped off the page at me, as if written just for me.

"Get back to work Todd..."

See, we merged THE WELL (a small church we planted in Burlington 2009) with another Church in the area in April of this year and that merge ended up being a short-lived affair with me ending up church-less and pulpit-less as of June.

Not good, if you're a preacher.

Last time this happened to me (I retired from my first church plant in 2007) I ended up having a very bad couple of years that my wife still refers to every time I get that 'dark look' around my eyes.

"You're not going to pull a 2007 on my, are you?" she'll ask, and I'll get the point.

No Ma'am.

So, I spent the summer thinking and waiting, expecting to get some kind of 'direction' as to what I was supposed to do next work-wise. I was still producing television (and that's going quite well these days) but the loss of a pulpit coupled with the loss of the income that had been coming from preaching was a significant issue that was going to need fixing as soon as possible.

It's hard, in those moments, to 'stand still and see the salvation of God...' when everything in you (or at least in me) wants to rush out and fix things yourself.

Anyway, I was in the midst of waiting (and busy resurrecting my devotional life--which goes through ups and downs) when the above passage in 1 Corinthians grabbed me by the throat.

The message is clear. Paul is saying that, if you're a 'professional preacher' (ie: called of God to preach as evidenced by years in the pulpit and fruitful ministry over the long term) you ought to earn your living from being a preacher.

With, or without a church.

That said, thank God for the internet and for the fact that I'm a TV producer.

So, last week I sat down like I always do (same routine, same system, same music in the earphones) and wrote a new sermon which I shot today on white at my office with some of my TV gear. We'll piece it together this week and post it online in time for this Sunday.

And, so begins another chapter.

As long as someone watches, that is.

The fear attached to that (worrying no one will care to watch) kept me from shooting the sermon all of last week and the first part of this. I was procrastinating because I was afraid. Afraid of failure and rejection. Seems you never unlearn some things.

My wife helped me, as she usually does.

"So, you preached your new sermon yet? I told (so and so) about you posting new sermons and her eyes lit up, for whatever that's worth..."

Sweet wife--knew just what to say.

"No, not yet, I've been scared. I'll do it today though..."

Wonderful woman.

So I did. Shot it. Today.

You'll see it Sunday.

Two points from this:

1) Do what you've been made to do, even if people or circumstances get in your way.
2) Never let fear freeze you forever.

And, shower with your wife. That's where we were when she asked the question that turned the tide.

:)

See you on Sunday!

T