I need my coffee!

One of the problems of being a preacher is that you have to follow your own words. It would be terrible for me to preach on the evils of alcohol, and then buy a six pack of bud light on my way home. On Sunday, I challenged my congregation to give up three things for Lent. The first is a food or beverage that they know is harmful to their body, the second is a food or beverage that is their favorite and the third is a habit that they know is bad for them either spiritually or physically. In my sermon I told everybody that their choices were to be between them and God, but I did reveal that my choice of "favorite" is coffee...and I am already regretting that. I have thought about going home and brewing a pot, or getting out of my uniform and into my jeans and donning a false nose and moustache and doing a Starbucks run. I have thought about justifying my drinking a cup for medicinal purposes...but I can't think of a good medicinal purpose so all I can say is, roll on Easter.

In the meantime I will be thinking about coffee and, while I do, I will be praying. The idea is that, when we think about the things we've given up, we should pray, and our primary prayer is that of our dependence on God. As we wean ourselves off the things we think we need, we are encouraged to search God, whom we truly need. We should offer a simple prayer, a prayer prayed by former New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson at a fellowship of Christian Athletes event which says simply this. "Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."

Over the next few weeks my weight may come down a little, my breath will not constantly smell like French roast and I will become a little more disciplined. But my ultimate hope, both for me and my congregation, is that I will become more dependent upon God and that His will is done in my life.