I was raised in a church in a small rural community. The pastor was a red-faced Irishman who preached with passion. I knew he loved God and he loved me but I was sure he didn't like me much. Later, I realized this was probably only because he didn't have the capacity to communicate feelings to people he loved.
He wasn't a college grad so his messages were simple and included a lot of "you had better listen to God" themes. (I'm not mocking, just trying to give a picture of what church was like for a kid in rural NW Louisiana.) I'm actually grateful for some of that respect for God that he conveyed although I can't remember one illustration or sermon title.
The comments I distinctly remember from years of listening are few. But one sticks in my head. He talked about his calling and hope for us. In that context he said, "Today, I crawled around the border of this sanctuary, praying for you all." I never forgot that.
Which do you remember? Do you remember full messages? An explanation of a phrase of Scripture? A title? An illustration? Or just a feeling?
