Monday night saw my return to the pulpit, first time since this second surgery. A dear friend completed coursework, state and denominational requirements to become a trained, certified and rostered teacher in my church body -- and she'd honored me with an invitation to preach at her installation into the teaching office.
I'd only ever preached at one other installation before, for a fellow a few years behind me in seminary who had graduated and been Called to serve as pastor of a local congregation. This was actually, to the best of my recollection, the first time I'd even attended a teacher installation.
Strange how nervous I'd been all week leading up to it. Wrote and restructured and re-wrote... I suppose one always worries to some extent about returning to duties after having been laid up like this.
Last time I'd preached, a couple of weeks before this recent surgery, things did NOT go well. Barely made it through the first of two consecutive services still standing. Folks could tell I wasn't doing too well by the end of service -- not good. Second service my pacing and concentration were off. The last thing people in church want to be wondering about is, "Gee, that preacher gonna fall over and collapse?"
Everything went very well Monday night, though I paid for it just a bit today. Forced quite a lot of voice through the pipes, after all. I'm always surprised lately at the role sinuses play with the voice and projection. But things were 'right' again, at last. That perpetually distracting pain above, between and below my eyes this last many months was gone.
I could think clearly -- and well ahead of where I was speaking. I could once again notice where I was at in mid sermon, where I was going next, and interactively select among gestures, intonations, volume ... all those things that race through one's mind simultaneously when engaged in active oral presentation.
It felt good to know things were working like they should. It feels great to be able to think straight again.
It felt good to be back "in the zone." Been a long, long summer.
