Psalm 139,1-6; Romans 8.12-25
The success of a sermon relies upon the preacher in the pulpit, and the people in the pew …
The success of a sermon requires a great deal of me … preparing a sermon is a high-demand task … it’s been a life-time challenge.
It’s my job to speak as well as I can.
It all began in my childhood … I was blessed with ministers of distinction … they preached with passion, compassion, intelligence, and wisdom.
And, yes, it was all men, of course … thankfully, that has changed … not entirely where we need to be, but we’re far ahead of where we were 50 years ago, and for that progress, I give thanks - we’re a better denomination for giving voice to everyone who gives evidence of God’s call to ministry.
With that aside, I give thanks for the ministers who graced their pulpits with the best they could bring … they’ve been my guide, my motivation, my inspiration …
In a 9th grade speech class, Brookfield, Wisconsin, the teacher said to me, “You should be a preacher!”
I had already given it some thought … my brother, 9 years older, was a minster … throughout high school, the thought remained … not that I was particularly pious - I wasn’t - but the call to ministry was always there.
In college, the idea remained, along with photo journalism, cars, and music, model railroading, pizza and beer … and my beloved Donna.
Nearing graduation, I interviewed at the seminary, and that day, decided to enroll … in the summer of 1966, I took what was called “summer Greek,” in preparation for the fall term.
The ordination requirements included the biblical languages, Hebrew and Greek, a lot of other things … a whole lot of growing, and a whole lot of growing up.
Over the years, I’ve added to my education - seminars and conferences, and 4 years of study and a thesis for my Doctor of Ministry degree ….
I read theology, I read commentaries, and I still work hard at the art of writing.
The success of a sermon relies upon the diligence of the preacher.
In the course of time, when Westminster looks for a minister, look for someone who takes the task of preaching seriously … and then be sure to give that minister the time and encouragement to fulfill that calling … expect the best … you won’t always get it, but expect the best.
In the day-to-day stuff of ministry, there are times, plenty of times, when there’s little time left for sermon preparation - I know; I’ve been there …
Maybe the preacher subscribes to sermons on-line … grabs a few stories, some poetry, an illustration or two, and patches it all together like a poorly made quilt … sermons become lackluster, predictable, shallow … maybe even entertaining, but lacking depth and purpose …
If you want entertainment - go to your local theater.
If you want to feel good - visit your pharmacy.
If you want peace of mind - take a hike in the mountains.
Jesus didn’t entertain the crowds; he called them to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus didn’t make people feel good … he was interested in helping them be good.
Jesus didn’t offer peace of mind … Jesus offered the cross.
The success of a sermon relies upon what you bring to the church …
If you bring too much of yourself, you may well have problems making sense of the sermon … if you bring too little, it’ll be hard to connect …
Good sermons tease, probe, and even prove troubling.
I worked with a fine preacher who was kicked out of his Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, in the 60s, because he dared to preach on integration and the evils of segregation.
The congregation wanted none of it.
They wanted “spirituality” they said, peace of mind, not politics …
My friend was a man of conscience and compassion …
he saw the handwriting on the wall -
his Southern culture needed to face the evils of racism, the ugly history of enslavement, and now was the time to face it, to undo it, and now was the time to redo a society, fair and just, for all of God’s people.
The congregation said “No!” and sent him and his family packing.
Things to remember …
Be patient … some sermons may well leave you flat, others will lift you up … some may be exactly what you need to hear … other sermons will be what others need to hear … but always bring your heart, your mind, your soul, to church.
it’s your job to listen as well as you can …
focus yourself … mental/spiritual discipline … none of us do it all that well … at conferences and such, my mind can drift off to worlds unknown … my mind can be filled with old memories, fears of the future, and so on … but a little discipline goes a long way when it comes to paying attention.
ask yourself,
“what is the preacher trying to say?
Does it make any sense?
How am I reacting?
What am I feeling?
Am I bored?
Am I intrigued?
Am I uneasy.
Am I encouraged?
Am I confused?
Do I just wanna get home and watch some TV?
No matter how humble the garden may be, you’ll find a rose therein …
Bible reading is also part of the program …
The Bible’s a daunting read - it’s a “big fat book,” full of strange stuff and lots of “begats,” laws and regulations, strange ideas and even stranger characters …
but it’s our book …
I encourage you to read your Bibles, not for understanding, but for familiarity … open them up anywhere, start reading, just a few verses.
stay with it - underline things that catch your attention,
put a question mark in the margin by the strange and mystifying stuff …
put a heart where something touches you deeply and gives you hope …
just read … read a lot … a few verses every day, every few days, it all adds up.
If Bible reading isn’t your cup of tea, God may well use other avenues for your soul …
big novels by gifted writers,
good movies by gifted directors …
history or political essays by respected commentators …
maybe a book club, or TED talk …
a stroll in the mountains, a trip to the desert.
A garden and some cucumbers.
A piece of cherry wood made into a table.
Water colors and brushes, and a gold fish painted.
So, good friends, here we are this morning - pulpit and pew, preacher and people, an agreement, a covenant, a contract … my work, your work … and we will find, more than likely, God at work.
Amen and Amen!
