And I caught myself at a discount book rack today, purchasing a title that caught my eye but which I have no intention of reading any time soon, simply because the price was right, I knew it would be hard to find later, and I knew that It would "preach" -- that is to say, that if I ever found myself caught late in the week without a good idea for Sunday morning, I could spend a few hours with this book and come up with SOMETHING to say for twenty minutes that would not be either a waste of my time or the time of those good people who had come to church that week in the hopes of feeling inspired by something I had to say.
A lot of preachers I know jump on books like this when we find them; but the point that I am trying to make is that I don't HAVE TO any more. Those days are over for me...at least for now, and as far into the foreseeable future as anyone can look. And while it makes me feel a little sad, it also gives me a great deal of relief knowing that the stress of meeting those deadlines is now behind me as well, and that the only person whose time I need to worry about wasting really is my own. And it feels pretty good, actually. So good I'm a little ashamed to admit how good it feels. Amen, and Blessed Be.
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4 comments:
The best human condition is to make connections between ideas that you see, patterns that you can interpret for other people. Your focus is changing, but your instincts pull you to the Sermon model.
Just remember the impact of your library on others.
While discussing a collection of music...sheet music, piano, voice, left to my Mother by a dear friend, a touring soloist, I asked, "Mom, what am I to do with this?"
She said to me, gently, and with a twinkle in her eye, "That's not my problem!" And indeed, she had bigger fish to fry...gracefully playing out the obbligato of her life, figuratively and literally.
Take the obbligato seriously, build and teach the patterns and structures you can. As your breath shortens, your horizon can surround you either by embracing you or terrorizing you. Mom's phrase for it was, "This is ridiculous," but you want to make the tonal resolution one of your own choosing...end the piece humming and smiling, and don't waste your breath.
I agree with Zabeth69's advice. One thought - consider shedding what you don't need and what might be appreciated by those you love. Find a new home for each book. Your collection will provide inspiration to those who receive a volume. :)
Knowing Tim's library as I do, perhaps, Tim, you should gift/give the books in small collections. There is no time-guarantee in giving them away one at a time! [LOL]
How about becoming my ghostwriter? As a volunteer position, of course.
;-)
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