Some weeks, I simply have writer’s block.

This was one of those weeks … until Thursday afternoon. I got home a little early from the office, and turned on CNN during coverage of the dramatic plane crash in the Hudson River. I was mesmerized by the story, particularly by the reports of the passengers themselves.

One of them said that the last thing the pilot said before they hit the water was, “Brace for impact!” That got me to thinking … and voila! A sermon!

I’ve named the sermon, “Brace for Impact,” and it will be about how we deal with life’s difficulties as they loom just ahead of us. What do we do when we fear what tomorrow brings — for good reason!? Where is God when we’re about to go down?

The best source of instruction is the Book of Psalms, because the Psalmist frequently wrote from the perspective of someone who was headed for disaster. Once, he even calls out, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!” I’m going to be drawing from several different Psalms in the sermon, but a few of them particularly strike me. If you want to do a little pre-service prep, then check out Psalms 55, 91, and 130.

And if you want me to address a particular subject in this sermon, let me know. I’ll be writing this sermon right up to the beginning of the service!