Sermons

For several summers I was a salesperson for a Memphis Ace Hardware store.  In some ways, the job was easy.  We had a slow trickle of customers each day and at least two salespersons to handle their requests.  Most days at Ace were slow.  In other ways, however, the job was challenging.  Why?  It was challenging because I knew nothing about hardware.  Imagine getting a job fixing computers and you don’t know anything about computers.  That’s what it was like for me working at Ace.  I was in graduate school studying theology at the time.  My part-time ministry job as a campus ministry intern was put on pause each summer because most of the college students we worked with returned home for the summer.  Thus, I needed a way to earn money in June and July.  A friend at the graduate school worked at Ace and asked Ben, the owner, if he’d hire me for the summers.  I met with Ben, told him that I didn’t know anything about hardware, but that I was honest and a hard worker.  He hired me.  For five days a week during two months each year, I spent 8 hours a day telling customers, “I don’t know.  Let me go ask Ben.”  They’d want to know which wasp spray was best.  I didn’t know.  So I’d go ask Ben.  They’d want to know which rubber washer would fit their leaking faucet.  I didn’t know.  So I’d go ask Ben.  And on days when Ben wasn’t available, I was useless.  I depended completely on the ability to go to Ben and listen to his guidance in order to do my job.  I couldn’t do my job if I couldn’t listen to Ben.Read More »Listen Up: Hearing God Through Scripture