Necessary Edification

Two post-sermon comments are lodged in my memory. The first: “Your sermons have meant so much to my husband since he developed dementia.” The second; “Every sermon you preach is better than the next one.” How does one respond to such comments? Anger would be inappropriate. Laughter would be insensitive. Silence would be unacceptable. Correction would be needed but how? Paul must have had a few such responses to his messages. In Ephesians 4:29, he wrote, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” What is, “necessary edification”? One translation reads, “talk . . .as fits the occasion.” Another reads, “talk . . .as meeting the need of the moment.” One commentary says, “edifying; according as the occasion and present needs of the hearers require, now censure, at another time consolation. Even words good in themselves must be introduced seasonably. Not vague generalities, which would suit a thousand other cases equally well, and probably equally ill: our words should be as nails fastened in a sure place.” Nails? That’s so tempting, especially as I now remember a third post-sermon response, this one from a rough, uneducated, redneck, from deep East Texas: “When they introduced you as a Seminary professor and all, I thought we was in trouble, but after hearin’ you, well, you jus like us.” “Necessary edification!”

Join me this week in praying for the following global concerns:
• Join with missionaries and national leaders who will gather on Saturday in Kharkov for a day of prayer for Ukraine.
• A new law is being considered in Catalonia (Spain) that will limit religious liberty. If passed, approval from the city government will be required in order to open or run a place of worship. Leaders are organizing a peaceful protest on Nov. 5.
• Rejoice with Salt and Susan Jones for 18 baptisms in the last 30 days where they serve in Canada.
• Pray for Rich Carruthers, who is facing open heart surgery in Vancouver, Canada on Thursday, Nov. 3.