During November I was working:  three sermons and a funeral.  Sounds like a bad movie title, doesn’t it?  October was a month of staying home (mostly) and recovering from my surgery.  November has offered all kinds of opportunities to preach and be out in the world.  In fact, with three sermons and a funeral in one month, it almost felt like I was working again.

Sunday, November 2 I preached at Lewis Center United Methodist Church.  Usually, when I preach at Lewis Center, one of the pastors of the church is present.  This time both of them were out of town.  Not only out of town, out of the country.  Pastor Jessica was in Turkey studying Paul and Pastor Phil was in St. Thomas on an anniversary trip with his wife.

I preached on Ephesians 5:9-10, living as children of light.  I also did the pastoral prayer and administered communion.  This was less than a month after my hip replacement surgery, so I didn’t move around as much as I usually do during worship.  I asked the communion servers to come up the steps to me instead of going down the steps to them.

Sunday, November 23, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I preached at Lexington Church of the Cross United Methodist Church.  This is my home church – where I grew up – and I know a lot of people there.  Mom and Dad love it when I come to preach.  Pastor Edna invites me frequently but I have to say no more often than I say yes.  I preached on the Thankful Four – four ways that we can increase our thankfulness.

Tomorrow is the last of the three sermons this month.  I am preaching at Lewis Center again.  Pastor Jessica had to have surgery on her foot and is off work for all of Advent.  Pastor Phil is more than capable of handling things but he asked me to fill in on the first Sunday of Advent.  It gives him a little space to handle other things.  I am glad to do it.

I love to preach and I find that people are very generous in their responses to my sermons.  I have always been thankful that lay people are so good at listening to messages.  They are much better at listening to sermons than I am!  Although I am improving in my retirement.

The funeral was for the mother of my dear friend, Sherrilyn Wilson.  I have written about Sherrilyn many times.  Her mom had dementia for the last five years of her life and didn’t really get to know the pastors at her church.  So the family asked me to do the service since I knew Mrs. Richter (Sherrilyn’s mom) in the days before she got sick.  I met with the family, did the funeral and graveside services, and then enjoyed a delicious funeral dinner at the church that Mrs. Richter and her husband attended, Chapel Hill United Methodist Church.

Sherrilyn and her family were grateful and it was good to visit with them.  I was glad to be able to do this for my friend.

November was full with the three sermons and a funeral.  I enjoyed preaching and being of service again, but I will be glad to be done for a little while.  Advent is here and Christmas, with all its preparations, is looming!