Preaching, a continuation

After History of Christian Life and Thought class today, I've realized I need to carry my thoughts from my last posting to a fuller extent. Two things to note: "the muse" is God working on me through the Spirit; the pipeline is myself attempting to appropriate the power of God to my own ends. This is why when I employ the pipeline, I am doing something for my own ends and not for God's. Even should I be fooling people, I am not fooling either myself or God. Consequently, my warning about using it; to do something of your own will against the will of God causes problems. This is not to say that I have not used it in the past or continue to use it today to clear up little problems or make my way easier, because I have and I do. However, this is only seemingly making things easier, complicating my life much more in the end and constitutes a sin.

AKMA said that "people should use every capacity at their disposal to the glory of God and on behalf of God's people" and to that end I should strive. So, every ability of mine which God has given me is to be used to the glory of God and on behalf of God's people, including my speaking ability and my ability to persuade. When I do this for my own gain, I do not give glory to God, and thus, have fallen away from the straight and narrow path. When "the muse", as I have called it, or the Spirit of God settles upon me, I am to preach the Word employing every skill and talent which has been lent to my command. I am to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in whatever manner best fits me at that time, be my medium poetry, sermon, conversation, or prayer. Whether I speak plainly, moderately, or grandly, I am to do so to God's glory. According to Augustine, I am a means to God's end, as are we all. When God so deems me worthy by bestowing upon me his grace, made manifest in my ability to speak eloquently, I am to return that grace to him by freely being his means for the propagation of his glory!

-R