No News and Good Preaching

I had hoped to report on the first Mens' Group meeting this morning, but I was unable to attend. My wife went into the hospital Tuesday for a little back surgery, a pretty common operation after which the patient usually goes home the same day. But she developed a lot of pain in her legs afterward so they did not release her until last evening. Following a spill from which she needed help to get back up, it was clear I needed to stay home.

I will probably miss Palm Sunday too. But I have no doubt that if I ask Fr. Daniel will e-mail me a copy of his sermon -- and I will look forward to it, because (in my humble opinion) he is developing into quite the preacher.

I'd never really understood until recently the "evangelical" focus on preaching, perhaps because the preaching I've heard until now rarely connected so well. It's hard to define just what it is, but Fr. Daniel has been hitting that perfect note a lot lately. He's neither the thundering preacher, the pedantic teacher nor the ethereal beseecher -- but his delivery is direct, well-paced and thoughtful, fitting well with his thought-provoking sermons. I find a lot of similarity between his sermons and those posted online by Fr. Samuel Edwards, which are frequently re-posted on Prydain.

I should note that Deacon Ed has also proven to be quite the preacher too, with a style quite different from Fr. Daniel's: forceful without overdoing the thunder, and excellent teaching also. Both get my attention and hold it; a key element in good preaching, I would guess.

Two good preachers in one church; we are very blessed.