What Would You Preach?

Colleagues.

WWYP ... that is, "What Would You Preach?"

Many of you know that my father-in-law has been serving a church in South Carolina for the past six years or so. He resigned as pastor of the church when he hit the Big Double O on 4-23-07. His last sermon was on 4-22-07 when he was 99 years and 364 days old. When he finished the worship service, he handed out printed copies of his sermon to the congregation.

I will tell you later what the text and title of his sermon was, but this leads me to think, and I know it has been done before with the pulpiteers of the recent past: What would one preach for one's "last" sermon? What text, what topic would be chosen? What would you say, at 100 years old and after a ministry of 73 years?

Dr. Joe is not through preaching. He is simply not going to serve a church as it's pastor. He is still doing Bible studies and prayer meetings, and is busy being the unofficial chaplain of the retirement center where he lives, visiting folks and praying for them, and giving recognition to their birthdays and anniversaries, etc. He will preach on occasion as a pulpit supply. BTW, he writes all new sermons when he preaches. He does not has a barrel, since he threw all his sermons away many years ago, and does not keep his sermons as such (the "better ones" are printed up and given away) as people ask for them.

Rev. Dr. David W. Nash, FAPC
Pastor, PCUSA (retired)