One of the first times I preached, I was in my first year of seminary and working part time at congregation doing youth ministry. I had read over my sermon like 70 times and made Jesse read through it a bunch. I got to church like two hours early and I was my-stomach-in-knots-and-heart-racing kind of nervous. One of the members came up to me and said something like, "are you ready?" and I said "yes, but I AM SO NERVOUS." He said the best advice: "No one is hoping you fail. We are all want you to do well and we are all cheering you on."
Part of the nerves is like all the made up contempt we are worried about from people (WHAT IF THEY HATE THIS? WHAT IF I GET ALL TONGUE TIED AND THEN THEY WILL THINK I'M NOT GOOD AT THIS? WHAT IF THEY ALL LAUGH ABOUT IT ON THEIR WAY HOME?). Like, most of the time, people aren't rooting for you to fail. Most of the time people who love you are supportive? Most of the time people who are loving are not also big ol' meanie jerks waiting to bash you after you do something vulnerable. Everytime my brain gets all carried away and kind of mean I remember that people are generally hoping for the best from each other. At least in contexts like this one. The verdict's still out for politicians and stuff.
No one wants you to fail. For sure I don't.
No comments:
Post a Comment