Pre-emptive Stress

It is in moments like these that I have not-so-fond memories of my final Finals week at Princeton Seminary. I had four 20-ish page papers to write and I got so anxious about whether or not I'd get them all done, that I started skipping classes 3 weeks before the quarter was over to spend time reading and writing. The utter ridiculousness of my stress was highlighted by the fact that we also had a reading week stuck in there, so in all truth, I started working on my finals an entire month in advance. And not just working, but STRESSING. I was "sure" that I wouldn't be able to get them all done in time. And then. in the end, I ended up getting all my papers completed 2 days early. All that stress, all that worry, and then POOF! Done!

Even though I can look back and laugh at my crazy, stress-case self now, I'm feeling some of those same anxieties tonight. Next Sunday, I'm preaching again... on the Trinity. Just a little 20 minute sermon on one of the most debated and misunderstood, and yet vitally important doctrines of the Christian faith. No biggie.

In my head, I know that I'll get it done between now and then. But as I try to lay my head on my pillow to sleep, my heart starts racing and my brain won't stop running. Can I use words like "perichoresis" and "homeostasis" in a sermon? What kind of hook story could I tell to really reel 'em in? Why does our upstairs neighbor insist of playing her thumping bass music right over our bedroom at 11:00 at night? (Different matter, but certainly a contributing factor to my lack of sleep.)

I kind of want to work on the sermon a little bit right now. Crazy? Probably. Pre-emptive. Definitely. That's just how I roll.