Photo, Square photo | Comments Off on Pastor welcomes birth of second sermon illustration Posted by joelkilpatrick on Sep 30, 2013 in 2013

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Pastor Darren Parker of Covenant Church welcomed his second sermon illustration on Thursday, a baby girl named Allie May who weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and promises to provide years of funny anecdotes for her father’s weekly messages.

“I am so overjoyed at little Allie May’s arrival and can’t wait to use every detail of her life in stories I tell from the pulpit,” says Parker sitting next to his wife’s bed. “What an awesome privilege.”

As with their first daughter Lauren, whatever Allie does or says will now provide a rich resource for Parker’s ministry. The Parkers even chose the name “Allie May” because it flows so well off the tongue.

“I’m especially looking forward to those precious toddler years which are so full of new experiences and potential illustrations,” says Parker. “Those are always special times for me.”

He fondly recalls older daughter Lauren’s early years when he reaped several dozen amusing examples from her learning to ride a tricycle, not to mention the funny and insightful things she said during family prayer time.

Parker often brings along a scratch pad to take notes on each of his children’s actions and utterances which might support a point in his messages. He then delves into the meaning of even the most minute word or gesture. Recently, while out to ice cream with Lauren, Parker jotted extensive observations about her decision-making.

“She was conflicted about ordering orange sherbet or rocky road, and she stood there pondering the choice for quite some time,” he says. “In the end she chose rocky road not for the flavor but because there’s ‘more stuff in it.’ What a powerful lesson for all of us.”

Even Allie May’s birthing process was fruitful for him.

“I got a month’s worth of illustrations in the birthing room alone,” he says, referring to his note pad. His favorite moment was when “Allie May came out of the womb and paused just a moment, as if surveying the room and taking us all in before letting out her first cry. There’s something so meaningful in that.”

Having a second child, he believes, will open up a major new supply of much-needed anecdotes.

“I’m already looking forward to teaching her to climb a tree and the profound things I know she’ll say as she meets life’s challenges,” he says.

His first Allie May-based sermon will draw on her birth itself. The title: “Embracing New Pathways.” •