Right now I'm sitting in a coffee shop, with my laptop, Bible, moleskin journal, a pen, and some books I've been reading. I've only been a preacher for 4 months and I'm already a cliche. I've been in ministry since 1996. I've spoken countless messages over the years (mostly to adolescents) and I was reminded of something today that maybe I've always known and always practiced, but hasn't been at the forefront of my mind lately. I don't just preach to the smiling mom in the front or the sleeping grandpa in the back or the talking teenager to my right. I'm also preaching to myself. When I spoke for years in youth ministry I would take the things that I learned in my own life and try to speak that wisdom to my students. This is why I think it is so important for youth ministers to have a healthy spiritual life and take time for themselves.
There is this tension I've been feeling every week when I preach. How can I inspire or encourage a congregation to something bigger, something better, something more divine, if I myself have that same struggle? Honestly, I've decided that I need to hear my own sermons. I hope and I pray that taking that perspective won't create some kind of hypocritical stance, but rather this solidarity with the church. I long to glean things from scripture and the word. Let's face it, I will never be perfect enough in any area to preach as if they need it and I don't. We need it. So I will preach to myself and to my church for the sake of God and His kingdom.
I've been reading Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley. Most of what I'm thinking is because of this book. So here are some things I'm thinking about as I put together my sermon each week.
1. How is this text/topic affecting me? -am I living this way and what questions is it churning inside me?
2. How will this text reach my audience? -What questions are we as people asking about this text/topic and about life in general?
3. What can I share with the audience that can give us direction and help change lives? This is truly a Holy Spirit movement of the sermon and the preparation of the sermon. This is where the covering of prayer becomes crucial
We are moving together as a community of faith! The entire worship service should be forming us into a type of community that is moving along the journey, joining God in the work he is already doing.
May God bless this cliche and the preaching of His word.
There is this tension I've been feeling every week when I preach. How can I inspire or encourage a congregation to something bigger, something better, something more divine, if I myself have that same struggle? Honestly, I've decided that I need to hear my own sermons. I hope and I pray that taking that perspective won't create some kind of hypocritical stance, but rather this solidarity with the church. I long to glean things from scripture and the word. Let's face it, I will never be perfect enough in any area to preach as if they need it and I don't. We need it. So I will preach to myself and to my church for the sake of God and His kingdom.
I've been reading Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley. Most of what I'm thinking is because of this book. So here are some things I'm thinking about as I put together my sermon each week.
1. How is this text/topic affecting me? -am I living this way and what questions is it churning inside me?
2. How will this text reach my audience? -What questions are we as people asking about this text/topic and about life in general?
3. What can I share with the audience that can give us direction and help change lives? This is truly a Holy Spirit movement of the sermon and the preparation of the sermon. This is where the covering of prayer becomes crucial
We are moving together as a community of faith! The entire worship service should be forming us into a type of community that is moving along the journey, joining God in the work he is already doing.
May God bless this cliche and the preaching of His word.
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