03/09/2026
When I Don’t Get To Give My Benediction
Yesterday’s sermon talked about how we are in the thrall of self-centeredness—caught in a system that rewards those who climb to the top, even when you have to climb on the back of others. I talked about a famous sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King, saying this in the sermon:
“The whole conversation started by James and John and joined by all the other disciples illustrates how much self-centeredness has got its clutches on our hearts. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a powerful sermon on this very passage. It was entitled, ‘The Drum Major Instinct.’ King notes that Jesus doesn’t reject or condemn James and John for their question. How could he? Since it is part and parcel of the human condition. King describes it like this: “deep down within all of us is an instinct. It’s a kind of drum major instinct—a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first…We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead in life’s parade.”
I had intended to use the following as a benediction but only got to reference it in contemporary worship. I’m including it here for the majority of you who missed it. I pick up again on King’s Drum Major Instinct:
Dr. King closed that sermon by imagining his own funeral—not knowing that two months later he would be killed. Thinking of the day of his funeral, King reflects—
I'd like somebody to mention on that day that Martin Luther King, Jr.,
tried to give his life serving others.
I'd like for somebody to say on that day that Martin Luther King, Jr.,
tried to love somebody.
I want you to be able to say on that day that I
did try to feed the hungry.
And I want you to be able to say on that day that
I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.
I want you to say on that day that I
did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.
I want you to say that I
tried to love and serve humanity.
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major,
then say that I was a drum major for justice.
Archived Posts
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...
So many quips and quotes...
So little time to preach
I wonder what Mary and Martha’s phones might look like:
* Martha = the open browser with 27 tabs
* Mary = the single window that matters
* Psalm 46 = God saying, “Close the tabs.”
Quotable Outtakes That Didn’t Make the Sermon This Week
“When you try to control everything, you don’t just exhaust yourself—you quietly replace trust in God with trust in you.” & more
There is a challenge when it comes to preaching the Word of God.
Preachers are called to open up and interpret the word—inspired and written down thousands of years ago—and make it relevant to a very different world. On top of that there’s a degree of persuasion that goes along with the process.
What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…
When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog. I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it.
Jesus Keeps On Ruining Funerals!
I didn’t have anything this last week that didn’t end up in the sermon. No catchy illustrations that didn’t make the cut. No theological insights that slowed down the main point. No one can ruin a funeral like Jesus. Told as I saw it and that was it. So I did some quick research and I thought I’d share just a reminder of what Easter is all about.