Preaching: A Feast Spread by God

140 years ago today, Francis James Grimké was ordained and installed as pastor of Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., a congregation he would serve during two stints for most of the next five decades.

His Meditations on Preaching begin with this observation:

“Every preaching service on the Sabbath is a feast spread by God, and to it all are invited. But not a great many come, and the excuses given are various. Even professing Christians are found dodging behind excuses of one kind or another, of which they ought to be ashamed – excuses that would not keep them away from business, or pleasure, or anything they really want to do.”