The Bullard Journal for June 16, 2019

Sunday, June 16, 2019: “A Family Story”: A God Moment? This Sunday morning when I woke up I checked my cell telephone to see if any messages had come in overnight. I do not have my ringer on while I am sleeping. Today a message had come in about three minutes earlier from the pastor of the church I attend asking if me or one other ordained minister who is member of our church might be available to preach during both worship services today.

The pastor had become sick overnight and could not preach. Knowing that time was of the essence, I responded immediately that I could. Previously the pastor had asked me to preach the Sunday before this when he was out-of-town, but I was unavailable. I was disappointed that I could not preach that Sunday as it seemed that it would be a logical follow-up to some strategic work I had been doing with this church staff.

When this Sunday – the very next Sunday – presented again the opportunity to preach, I knew the message I needed to share. It was one I had developed several weeks earlier and had thought it would be great to have the opportunity to preach this in my own church. Today it happened!

Now I am not claiming my pastor became sick so I could preach. I do not embrace that theological approach. I am suggesting that my availability may have been of God. In any case in many ways it was a God moment.

Next week my pastor can pick up on this series on wisdom and continue to lead our congregation through a revitalization process that has begun. I pray the message a staff member in our church preached last week in the pastor’s absence, the one I preached this week, and the series on wisdom our pastor is preaching will help the congregation to commit to the essential transitions and changes our congregation needs in response to God’s leading.

About the author 

Kyndra Bremer