Salute to Preachers

Words!
Short ones.
Long ones.
Simple.
Strange.
Common.
Odd.
Beautiful.
Ugly.
Hateful,
Kind.

Which ones to use.
Choose.
Consider.
Weigh.
Decide.
Try it aloud.
Sounds okay?
Might just work.

Assemble.
First.
Last.
What's in between.
Holding them together.
End of thought.
Period!
Maybe a semi-colon.
Or the teasing ellipsis ...

Beating around the bush, sometimes.
Getting right to the point, mostly.
Making the difficult easy to swallow.
Expanding the simple into reality.
For nothing is ever simple.

But complexity isn't the proof of value.
Clarity is.
Clarity can be complex.
So is beauty.
And love.
Not to mention.
Faith and hope.

And then the paragraphs.
Enough sentences.
We have paragraphs.
Three, four pages worth.
Maybe five or six.
Or more.
More comes easily.
Less demands discipline.

Depends on font size.
But size doesn't matter.
Small or large.
It's meaning.
The meaning counts.
The sequence.
Flow.
Purpose.
Going somewhere?
We can always hope.

And then the speaking.
It has to be spoken, finally.
Sunday morning.
Some other time.
High pulpits.
Tiny podiums.
People galore or just a few.

Preaching.
Tone.
Inflection.
Loud.
Soft.
Whisper.

Gestures.
Sweep of the hand.
The glance at the choir.
A dramatic pause.
Tapping the pulpit.
Waiting.
For the Spirit.
For thoughts to take shape.

Face.
Grimace.
Smile.
Serious.
Calm.
Sweet.
Eyes wide.
Brow furrowed.

A voice of one crying
In the Wilderness.
Make the crooked straight.
Clear away the debris.
A good road.
For God to travel upon.
To meet us.
In the holy moment of
Encounter.

When the heart is open.
The mind is eager.
For a blinding moment.
All is light.

Glory to God.
Amen and Amen.

Greetings at the door.
"Thank you pastor."
Thank YOU!

Oh, the car looks good.
Close the door.
Start engine.
Head on home.
A nap?
A drink?
A little TV?
Evening comes.
It's been a good day.
Or a hard day.
Or a terrible day.
Or a little of all of it.
G'night Dear.

Monday morning.
Thinking about yesterday.
Maybe some regret.
What didn't get said.
Or was said poorly.
Did I really say that?
Or maybe it was gold.
Solid gold.
Important.
Truth spoken.
I'm satisfied.
Or maybe not.

Oh well.
Get on with it.
Thank God for another Sunday.
Try again.

Words.
Paragraphs.
How to say it again, anew.
The inexpressible.
The glory.
The hope.

Amen and Amen!