Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-08
Rev. Emanuel Lee Reese
My First Sermon"
~ wrote my first sermon out in full
and committed at-a practice kept
up for some time"

this | mean the hrSt one delivered AFTER nad
been licensed to preach by the church. But | am
not now able to tell when first tried to preach
sermon. From my earliest childhood l had
the belief that was to preach the gospel And
from that time up to the age OF 10 or II, fire.
quently entertained small groups OF persons with
what | at that time thought was preaching from
the Scriptures.
And now after so many years, when realize
how imperfecty | may be doing it, think must
have been given only one talent At one OF these
early exhibitions Of preaching in log barn where
about dozen men and boys had gathered from
the wheat threshing to eat their lunch a man who
was in the habit of attending REVEALS over the
country, assisting in the singing and getting con-
verted at every series of meetings, led the sing
ing on this occasion and at the conclusion OF my
sermon, went through all the symptoms OF an old
fashioned shout. | never was able to hnd out
whether he really ment it or was just putting
on vaudeville stunt, as he thought, to suit the
occasion.
But from these days on to the time was IL
censed to preach | was looking forward to the
day when was to preach my first sermon 1t
was during vacation and at my home church;
large old-fashioned country church about five
| miles from the town in which was located two
| denominational schools at that time
That country church, Mt. Washington, as it
| is called has had remarkable history in the
| way OF licensing young men to preach. For con-
! siderably more than half century this church
| has been furnishing preachers. And within a
dozen years after | was given license ten young
men from that congregation became preachers.
| / hardly think, though, that my first sermon had
| anything to do with that; for | was back there
last summer Tin West Virginia, where this church
| is located and at the conclusion OF the services
among large number OF old friends that greeted
| me was a childhood playmate who came forward
with her son, who told me he had just previously
| been given license to preach
| Almost all these young men have preached
| their first sermons at the home church and
| number of the young men from the school in
| preached their first or practiced their third or
fourth sermon to this congregation. The church
| became quite accustomed to these occasions, and
do believe, rather enjoyed them.
Then they became expert, as they thought
in giving opinions as to the outlook tor each one
future yet were ever ready to throw the mantel
| Of charity over any imperfectons or failures.
| When young man would, as they termed it.
| get into the brush" and wander around, all the
while keeping up the attention OF the congrega-
ton by series Of long sentences and big words
some brother on joining group in the church
yard after the services would be found to pull
| at his mustache and say in all seriousness, that
| he was deep thinker.
On the other hand If the young preacher
would get into deep water and loose his trend Of
thought and in his wild despair would go into
violent gestculatons and loud roaring to tide
| himself through, some one was ever ready to
say with an emphatic shake of the head and
| twinkle of the eye, "he will make an orator" Sc
| you see / had not much to fear in my hrst SER
| mon. In this church no one ever read sermon
but most of them used notes Yet do not know
| their methods of preparing their sermons.
wrote my first sermon out in full and com.
mitted it, practice which kept up as much as
| | could for some time afterward always used
brief notes as did on this occasion, and as
remember it now got along as we'll as l die
at different times afterward. But cannot say
what effect it had on the congregation, tor they
were always sympathetic and never threw any
dscouragements in the way OF the youns
preacher.
Ny text was from Isaiah 50: 1, "Arise, shine
for thy light is come and the glory OF the Lord II
| risen upon thee"
My chief thought was the overcoming anc
Transforming influence of the Christian religion
first spoke OF the Jews return to their native
land after the Babylonsh captivity But espe
cally referred to the coming of Christ as the
revelation of God to this world. | also spoke
of the influences the church had set in motion t
dispel darkness and sorrow and cause the trutf
to shine in this world and fit US for the world t.
come That was in substance what tried t
emphasize.
Now, after twenty-seven years, cannot recall
anyone in particular who was there that day, TO-
| the house was crowded as it usually was on SINH
lar occasions.
How many of our immediate family wer
there do not know, but l am certain those wht
were did not occupy conspicuous places in tn
church that day as they no doubt had their mis-
givings as to how | might get along. And from
that day to this | have never allowed myself t.
feel either nervous or sensitive because of witt
may not be in my audience. This attitude ha
kept me younger in spirit, happier and, l an
sure, more religious.
have ever since, as an ambassador for Christ
| tried to represent the cause OF Him whose
: am and whom l serve"
2saT, R.s