In response to my last blog post about my trip to GA and preaching experience at Farmdale Baptist, I wanted to say how thankful I was for the opportunity to be there and to be welcomed for the second time. I was thankful for the kindness of my mother-in-law, especially as she was really encouraging about my being there.
In a a part of the country where few if any women are allowed in the pulpit, it was an honor to be the preacher for the service on Sunday.
However, while I was preaching and upon further reflection afterwards, I found myself asking these questions:
I wonder what folks at the door were thinking when they said "joyed it" after the service? (It is like some secret southern code-- not really sure what it means? And they almost ALL said it).
I wonder what the young teenage girl on the back row was thinking as she watched me enter the pulpit instead of the man she sees every Sunday?
I wonder what the folks were thinking as I spoke the words of my message as passionately as I could- did they hear what I was saying? Or were they wondering why I didn't have a similar style as everyone else they usually hear (aka Jesus saves, let's be excited about heaven, and get others to get on the bandwagon too)?
I wonder what the usher was thinking when he prayed for the pastor of the day and caught himself using the pronoun "him" but then corrected himself to say "her" about me?
I wonder what talk was around town after hearing that a woman preached at their church?
I wonder.
But whatever the case might be to any or all of these questions, what I do know is this- I came, I preached, and left.
I look forward to being back on Sunday morning to the supportive preaching environment I live in called Washington Plaza Baptist Church. I am one lucky woman to be in a pulpit each week that is so receptive to my approach to preaching the gospel that is based on theology, Biblical study and a big douse of life experience that tells me I haven't gotten everything figured out yet so I better leave room for more questions than answers.
I'll continue to wonder. . .
