Rev Bill

I finished writing my sermon for tomorrow this morning. I have created a "sermon blog" where I will post my sermons. I will give little bits of them on this — my main blog — and link to the sermon post on my sermon blog.

Many thanks to my nephew Rob for helping me with most of the technical things on this blog — and suggesting having a seperate blog to post sermons — then linking to that blog from this one! I am so glad he is a Williams — he and his Dad are so good at computers and other technical things — us Hayes’ are not good at this stuff at all. My sister Olivia (who, by the way, has a birthday coming up on March 30) did real well when she married Bob! (I think his birthday is soon, too! )

Tomorrow’s sermon — based on Jeremiah 31:1-6, Colossians 3:1-4, and John 20:1-18 focuses on Mary’s message to the disciples: "I have seen the Lord!" — and asks the question — Can You See The Lord?

One illustration is use is from Dr. Paul Willis of The Cathedral Of His Glory in Greensboro, NC.:

Paul Willis, pastor of The Cathedral Of His Glory in Greensboro, tells a story of sailing with his grandfather off the coast of North Carolina when he was a young boy. One day as they were sailing the wind stopped — the sea became a dead calm — and their sailboat began floating aimlessly in the water. Try as they might, they couldn’t get the ship to head in the direction of home — and it was getting dark. Young Paul panicked — and did not know what to do. He knew they couldn’t swim to shore — they were much too far out.

What were they going to do?

His grandfather knew that all they could do was wait — and — being an experienced sailor and fisherman — he knew the wind would begin blowing again.

Darkness fell — and still no wind.

Young Paul knew they were doomed.

Grandfather knew that the wind would come back in time.

Finally — late into the night — grandfather woke Paul and told him to trim the sails. Paul did not understand why — the wind was still not blowing — but off in the distance he heard a faint sound. The sound became stronger and stronger until finally he could feel the wind. With the sails trimmed, the boat made its way home.

Willis likens the unexpected — to him — wind to the new life God offers us.

Just when we think things are at their worst –
there is the wind — the Spirit — of God — giving us new life –
new hope — for our lives.

Read the sermon here.

Until next time — Peace! Bill

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