"I've heard two of your sermons, one last year and today's and they were great!'
"Don't come next year, I've only got two sermons," was my response! Oh how we laughed!
But seriously, one of the biggest curses is the 'nice' sermon. You study the passages, consider the situation in which they were set and the underlying cultural and social background and then try to bring something sound, fresh, and most of all, relevant, to the proceedings. Then up comes someone who can only say, "That was nice!". It's about being entertained and the sermon slot filled. Wearing another hat, a member of one church told me they were moving to another congregation because the sermons were always about money or doing things! Tough, but necessary subjects, but perhaps with the wrong focus or emphasis (or perhaps just too long?).
A friend is complaining because they have a new minister who preaches for almost ten minutes each Sunday. Concerned about the content or the scholarship, the direction the sermon was intended to take them? No! Concerned about the fact that the previous incumbent never did more than five minutes and there is linch to think about (isn't that what sermons are for - meal planning?).
When I was a young Christian we all took notebooks and scribbled furiously during the sermons, especially when it was St Helen's and Dick Lucas was preaching. It was what we did. Later when I was in the Pentecostal side of life, we also took notes and had our own Bible too! We made notes and discussed what we had heard, examining the words and wondering how they might relate, or how far from the mark, the wordswere.
These days it seems that the majority carry neither notebooks or Bibles and the words pass through, like trains at a disused station, noted but rarely remembered.
Now the service in question today was a civic service and I was grateful that so many were there to hear the Gospel, especially as for many it would have been an extra service added to Christmas and (possibly)Easter. It made me realise the privileged task we have to feed those who might otherwise never come into the building and also how when they hear, they are touched and find that the words 'make sense'.
More reason we should be taking it outside to feed the hungry.
Pax
ps. Just found this - hadn't posted, got stuck as an 'edit'
5 comments:
I know I've hit a mark with one of my congregations when a particular person comes up to me the following Sunday and tells me that last week's was a "Thursday sermon" - they were still thinking about it in the middle of the week.
One of our local clergy says if he can't say it in five minutes it can't be said - guess that's a pub lunch sermon :)
Oi is so very nice when you know you've challenged them and made them think, even if it's just a little.
pax
I too used to take a note book and my bible to every service and take notes of sermons which were often an hour long. I've no idea what has happened to those notebooks or when I last read them but have some knowledge at least of large parts of the bible.
Training to preach now- I wonder whether I will inspire I certainly pray that god will use me.
I may be influanced by being in the CMA (Christian Bikers & Evangalists) but to me a good sermon / message should touch your emotions in some way. You should not be able to walk out of the church / tent etc without feeling something. A good friend says that you should be 'mad, sad or glad' following a message (and as a pentecostal pastor yes his ones do last more than five minutes - some of them have slides)
I just tend to feel that a good message should either challenge you about your lifestyle or attitudes, teach you about your faith or fill you with hope and joy in Christ. A really good one may do all three.
Hope it goes well for you Jante and that the Lord inspires you every time.
Jante,
Trust and pray your preaching training goes well.Being inspired and excited is the first step to bringing the same into the lives of others.
We need more people who will take on the task fo preaching and teaching and so not just prayers that God will use you to bless others but a 'Thank You' for doing it as well.
Pax
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