As I've already said, I was away in London over the weekend, so inevitably there was cover preaching at church.  One of the great things about my church is the willingness to allow novice preachers an opportunity to exercise their gifts.

On Sunday a young woman (I assume she was young based on her voice!) preached on Hannah's Prayer.  I have just listened to her online, and she was good.  No, she was great.  Well prepared.  Well rooted in her passage (not so much of that in London this weekend).  Honest, appropriately tentative melded with profound faith.  Prayer is tricky topic to preach on, and it was handled so well.

Ministers often lose the ability to listen to sermons - because we blab on for 20 minutes (or more) every week we unlearn the ability to listen.  There is a phase most ministerial students go through, when they become sermon critics - spotting every bit of dodgy exegesis, every instance of eisegesis, identifying 'better' directions or 'holes' in arguments.  Thankfully we move past that, rediscover our need for something to ponder, something to 'feed' our inner needs.  One phrase that struck me (among many) was "the beautiful gift of prayer".  I think often we (I) have too mechanistic or functional view of prayer; to see it as beautiful is to add something special.

A very honest sermon, acknowledging the mystery of how prayer may not be answered as we would like, but recognising how the answers may be more wonderful than we would ever imagine (my interpretation of what was said).

Thank you E.  I pray that you will be enabled to employ your considerable gifts to the glory of God.