The Last Drop

One of my favourite preachers at the Festival of Homiletics both of the years I have attended has been The Reverend Dr. Anna Carter Florence. Her first degree was in theatre, so how could I not love her immediately? Her style is open, natural, vibrant, and Alive. Her theology is very similar to my own, which never hurts when listening to a sermon, and she is by all accounts simply a lovely woman.

At the Festival this year, I was not at my best. I did make it to Dr. Carter Florence's sermon and lecture and wouldn't have missed it for anything. She's a gem. My only criticism this year was that her sermon was clearly preached from her own academic bubble. When she says that the preacher "must die and rise again every week, with every text" (I'm paraphrasing)- well, I struggle with that. If Sunday were the only pastoral event of the week, then I would be happy to die and rise again for that occasion. But when you add in dying and rising at two funerals, and dying and rising at three sick beds, and dying and rising at a family crisis at home - well, that's a lot of resurrection for one week. I'm not sure I'm up for that.

Sorry, off topic there....

In any case, my dear friend who has also recently become my chauffeur picked up a copy of Anna Carter Florence's sermon on Day 1 while we were at the Festival of Homies because I did not have the energy to stand in the line to get one. BLess her. I've listened to Anna's sermon "Filling Station" at least ten times since we returned. It's on Surely my faithful iPod.

"Filling Station" is about how much spiritual "oil" we carry with us. It is a sermon based on the parable in Matthew's gospel about the bridesmaids who run out of oil and the others who won't share theirs. It's a nightmare of a text. Frankly, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. It's such a nasty text that the creators of the lectionary didn't include it in the three year cycle, thanks be to God. It's a text that makes Christians look really bad. But Anna took it on and let it fly.

Maybe that's why I love her. It takes a very brave preacher to say hard words about hard texts and say them with love and even humour. She did that.

Her sermon is about making sure that your own soul is filled and nurtured so that you can look after the souls of others. It's about the instructions on the airplane: If we should lose cabin pressure during flight, put the mask on your own face before assisting others.

Yes, I've heard Wonderful Therapist say it a thousand times. Yes, I get it intellectually. No, my heart does not believe it yet. Time, people, I need time. Or a spiritual two by four, one or the other.

I left work because my last drop of oil had been burned and my lamp had gone out. The first time I listened to the Day 1 CD of Anna's sermon, I pulled into a parking lot and cried while she affirmed that I was worthy of gathering in and carrying the care support and love that I need in order to do my ministry. It was the first time in months that I felt like a preacher, or at least like someone who might one day be a preacher again.

When I have enough oil in my lamp.