Interactive Sermon

A Preacher On Preaching

I'm often asked about preaching.  Some ask about the mechanics of preparing and delivering a sermon.  Others ask about the experiences of preaching regularly before a congregation.  Still others ask personal questions--my opinion on preaching styles, sermon content, or my personal preferences in hearing other preachers.  I've decided to offer up some answers in a series of posts.

Now we're getting into it! What goes through my mind when I stand up before the congregation? Do you really want to know?

First things first. What goes on in my mind before I stand up?  Over the last eighteen years this has remained pretty consistent.  Before the message on Sunday mornings I am doing my very best to engage with and participate in the corporate praise, adoration and worship of our God in song, prayer, or through whatever means those leading our service have included.  In other words, I am not thinking of the sermon at all.  That's the honest truth.  I've prayed about it (and worried about it plenty) before the service begins.  Once we've come together in God's presence, I've pretty much put it aside.  My wife will tell you--to me at that point, "it is what it is!"

Perhaps in another series of posts I can share some of my worship service experiences not related to the sermon.  We'll see.

When it's time for me to stand up, a singular prayer soothes my nerves, and many times a trio of very bizarre thoughts cross my mind.  Each has a little story of their own.

Just a few years into my Christian faith, Shari and I began attending Miami Shores Presbyterian Church.  The pastor there was a great preacher and teacher--he spoke in such a radio-quality deep voice that everyone else who spoke during the service sounded like they had sucked helium.  I noticed that every Sunday (emphasize every) he ended a brief prayer before he began preaching with the words "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and Redeemer!" I thought to myself, "Poor guy, I wonder if he realizes he says the same exact thing each week."  A few years later I was preparing to preach my first sermon before a congregation.  I was scared to death.  I was reading Psalm 18 for comfort.  I read on, by accident really, through the chapter division and got to Psalm 19 verse 14.  Whoa!

I realized that these were really central aims of mine as I'd endeavor to preach--that my words would please God, and that our participation together in considering His word would please Him.  Most Sundays, I include that very phrase in my own prayer out loud.  The Sundays I don't actually say it, you can count on the fact that I'm still praying it silently.  The old preacher with the baritone voice had something.

The strange trio of thoughts?  First: Is my fly up?  No, I'm not kidding.  It crosses my mind almost every time I stand in front of a crowd for any reason.  There have been a few occasions in my lifetime where someone rose to teach or preach and their zipper was down.  You know how awkward that is.  You don't know if you should say something, pretend you don't notice, hope they'll maybe feel a breeze and take care of it, etc.  I'm pretty good about learning lessons from others' misfortune.  I admit it, I check my zipper!

Second: skirts.  It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but one of the things that crosses my mind on Sundays are women in skirts if they're sitting in the front row.  One of my standard practices during our congregation prayer time is to sit down on the steps and face the congregation as we pray together corporately. I love to do that because my back isn't towards anyone, I can hear and agree in prayer more easily as we pray. You have to understand that from that vantage point--sitting on the edge of the platform, a woman in a skirt in the front row--not a place I want to put myself.  So I have developed a habit of noticing who's in the front row and how they're dressed as I come up front.  Here's a behind the scenes tip: If, when we bow to pray together, you see me sit down in the front row with my back to you instead of on the step facing you--you'll know someone is wearing a skirt.  Let's hope it's not one of the Elders.

Third, I always look at my Bible to make sure the one I think it is.  I had a once in a lifetime--in other words, it happened to me once and I'll never let it happen again.  Early in my preaching career I planned a sermon using one of my study bibles.  I have to tell you that I was thrilled with the message.  This one was going to preach, baby!  Sunday morning came and I grabbed my preaching bible, headed to the pulpit, opened to John 5 and was roaring' to go.  I read the text out loud to the congregation--and felt the blood drain out of my face.  Where was the verse?  I turned forward and back.  Am I in the wrong chapter?  Wrong book?  It was John 5, right?  Where's the stinking verse?  Panic!  Turned out that I had planned my entire message--and it was a great one--on John 5, verse 4.  The editors of the NIV I held in my hand had removed that verse from their translation.  It was very much there in the NKJV I had used to study and prepare... which was at my house... fifteen minutes away... and there I stood.  Folks, you have no idea how quickly your mind can spin (and your stomach sour) until you're in front of a crowd to preach on a verse--that is NOT IN YOUR BIBLE!

I pray. My mind hits these three odd handles.  Then I preach.

And I've only told you so far about what goes through my mind before I start.  So, next time I'll cover what goes on in my head while I'm talking.  Be very afraid!

What's On My Mind?

You really want to know?  I'll do my best to keep it G-rated.

Nashua Telegraph ~ There is a very good reason I don't read the newpaper anymore.  Especially this piece of tabloid trash.  Hope you sold some papers today.  Shame on you.  (That's the G-rated version)

Resurrection ~ Easter is a few Sundays away, and I'm ready to celebrate the power of our risen Savior.  I'm ready to see His redemptive power at work in the lives of people I love.  Of course, I also know the plans for this year's Christ's Church Resurrection Sunday Service.  Nothing out of the ordinary... for CCA.

How He Loves Us ~ Crowder tune on his latest album and the new Passion disc... turning those lyrics over in my head.  Needed therapy for me today.

Green Beer ~ Eleventh year Shari and I will venture out with Peter and Sharon for Corned Beef, Cabbage and Green Beer.  Oh, to be Irish! 

What's on your mind?

The Story I Want To Tell

I love to write and to tell stories.  There's one story out there that I'd love to tell.  I think it would be a good one.  Trouble is, I only know half of it.  Maybe one day I'll have the opportunity to learn the rest--I bet it will be a story to tell.

There's a man who lives in LaFayette, GA.  I've never met him.  Our stories crossed in 1983. 

It was a Friday morning and I was up early.  I had breakfast with my dad--three minute poached eggs, as I recall.  Dad told me that he had the title for the '65 Mustang in his briefcase.  He planned to stop at the DMV on the way to the office to register the car.  A tag and some insurance--I was that much closer to driving.

For most of the previous two years I had rebelled against the man, and he had wrung himself out trying to understand me.  Two months earlier, however, everything had changed.  There had been great healing in our relationship.  I came to realize that I loved my dad.  More, I realized that he loved me. 

Breakfast tasted especially good that Friday.  More than the meal, we shared the time together.  As he headed out the door I said, "Have a great day."  He said, "I'll see you tonight, buddy."

That Friday morning started out like any other at Linder Industrial Machinery in Miami, Florida.  Payday. 

As I've heard the story told, one man arrived to collect his last paycheck.  He had been fired earlier in the week.  His termination report said that he was let go because he had a bad temper and had demonstrated aggressive behavior towards fellow employees.  It shouldn't have surprised anyone, then, what happened when he came to get his check.   

Witnesses told police that he barred the door to the boss's office.  Everyone heard the commotion--crashes, shouts, cries for help.  Several men struggled to break through the barrier, my dad among them.  Chaos.  Somehow they managed to subdue the angry man.  A necktie bound his hands and feet until police could arrive.  My dad stepped outside to light a cigarette.  Witnesses say it fell from his lip as he collapsed.  The coroner's report itemized broken ribs and internal bleeding, but it was a heart-attack that took my father's life outside that office.

The police and the prosecuting attorney debated for several weeks whether to charge the angry man with murder.  In the end they chose to prosecute him for the assault on the boss, the coroner's conclusion that my dad's heart was ultimately responsible for his death and not this man's actions, the deciding factor.

This man and I, our stories crossed that August day.  I faced the rest of my life without my dad.  He, quite literally, received a new lease on life.

You know how it is these days with the internet.  I located him.  LaFayette, GA, I told you. 

I wrote him a letter in August of 2008.  In fact, I had it delivered overnight so that he received it at roughly the same hour of the morning, twenty-five years to the day.  I assured him that I'm not angry and that I don't hold him responsible.  Life--and death--happens.  I told him that I wanted to meet him.  I told him that I'd like to learn his side of the story.  I told him that I'd cherish the opportunity to hear what he had done with his twenty-five years, and to tell him what I'd done with mine.

He didn't call.  He didn't reply. 

The story I want to tell is our story.  What does the aftermath look like when two stories collide?  How do such collisions and the aftermath alter life's paths?

How's life in LaFayette?  Why haven't you replied?

1 Corinthians 9

In chapter nine, Paul turns to using himself and Barnabas as examples of laying down freedoms and rights for the sake of others, and for the sake of the gospel message.  It's interesting to note that the Greek word translated "right" in verses 4 and 5 is the same word rendered "freedom" in chapter 8 verse 9.  An outline of the chapter could look like this:

v. 1-6 Paul's rights as an apostle. Notice the rhetorical questions at the top: Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?  When we get to the letter of 2 Corinthians we'll find Paul using a significant amount of space to defend his apostleship against criticisms leveled against him.  This section might give us a preview--some of that criticism may be starting to form already.  An aside note: you can have some fun with verse 5 over a cup of coffee with a devout Catholic friend.  Enough said.

v. 7-14 Illustrations from the military, industry, agriculture, the Old Testament law and the teachings of Christ are all employed to clarify--Paul has a right (or a freedom) to be sustained by the church as he ministers.  If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?

v. 15-23 A big but starts this section (echoing the big but found earlier in verse 12) demonstrating that while Paul has these rights, he has chosen to set them aside for the sake of the people he ministers to and for the sake of the gospel.  Here's that illustration.  Paul says essentially, 'Look at the choices I've made" to be clear.  But we did not use this right.  On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel. 

v. 24-27 The section closes with an analogy from the world of athletics--run (live) with purpose.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  Discipline yourself for the sake of this calling on your life.

Attention Groupies .8

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen.A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen.

We covered chapters thirteen and fourteen last weekend.  From chapter thirteen we pondered the statement, "Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors."  We discussed how that had been proven true in many of our experiences.  We also spoke about the line, "Faith does not grow in a house of certainty."  It, too, had rung true in our varied journeys.

Chapter fourteen is my personal favorite section of the book--the discussion of verbs and nouns.  We discussed the implications of verbs being neutered into nouns and how that shows up in our own lives.  We also discussed that the statement that God doesn't have any expectations or disappointment with us was likely one of the real theological stumbling blocks for folks regarding the book.

What do you think?

What's On My Mind?

A mind is a terrible thing to baste. Ribs, however...

Habakkuk ~ Bible study recollections have been stirring in my mind this week.  With Habakkuk it's been the whole "I've heard about your fame, I've heard about your deeds--renew them in my day" plea.  I studied through this book a couple summers ago and really came away changed in the way I pray.  Enjoying chewing on it again.

John 3 ~ What was Nicodemus' motive for coming to Jesus?  It's been thought provoking for me this week to ponder the answer to that question.  What do you think?

Live From New York ~ My friend Jason lent me a book about the history of Saturday Night Live.  Interesting behind the scenes interviews.  Some surprises.  Some not.  Entertaining.

Yard Work ~ The snow has thawed.  I bought a new rake.  I'm one of those guys who didn't finish my fall clean-up before the snow came and covered it all up.  So now that you can see it...  Here's the thing, thought: Psyhcologically, when you haven't been able to see your yard for several months, and then you can, there is a draw to get out and do some work.  Give me a couple of weeks and the landscaping lethargy will return.  So, I'm getting while the getting is good!

Ford F-100 ~ Thinking about all that I want to do to the old truck--but can't afford.  Still, very satisfying to daydream. 

A Preacher On Preaching

I'm often asked about preaching.  Some ask about the mechanics of preparing and delivering a sermon.  Others ask about the experiences of preaching regularly before a congregation.  Still others ask personal questions--my opinion on preaching styles, sermon content, or my personal preferences in hearing other preachers.  I've decided to offer up some answers in a series of posts. 

How do you come up with sermons?

It started with an ideal.

As I mentioned a couple of posts back, when I started preaching I heard that Charles Spurgeon read a biblical text 300 times before he preached on it.  I determined that if it worked for the Prince of Preachers it would be a part of my game plan.  I set out to read the text over and over.  You can imagine how that went. "Was that 250?  No, wait, uh 248... 249... oh crud!  The last number I actually remember was 159... maybe I should go back and start over there."

There were weeks where I knew I couldn't get 300 if my life depended on it.  A really busy schedule and I might drop my goal to 250 or even 200 perhaps.  There were weeks when the wheels fell off completely and I'd literally be on my way to the church Sunday morning reading the text across my lap as cars swerved to avoid me.

Then (and shamefully, this is true) there were times when my daughters--toddlers in those years--would toddle into my den and disrupt my reading.  I'd become so irritable that I'd scold them and Shari for having let them interrupt my "important work."  Somewhere in there I realized I was the ultimate jerk!  I look back on those occasions with such regret.

At the same time, I had a professor at Bible College who made a practice of asking me 'How are things at home?'  He drilled into me that if I was going to be an effective minister of the gospel I needed to get an 'A' at home, and that 'C's' were more than enough at school. 

I came to conclude 300 times may have worked for Spurgeon, but it wasn't going to be my path to the pulpit.

So I decided rather than starting with an ideal, I'd start with a text.

On Sunday afternoon each week I read the text I'm planning to preach the following Sunday.  Easy enough.   On Monday I read it a few more times.  Still easy.  Sunday afternoons and Mondays are my "off" time, so I don't do much with it at all.  Just enjoy the reading and ruminating... and a nap... and maybe a Coke... and maybe a football game or NASCAR race.  Real spiritual you see.

Beginning on Tuesday I get a little more serious.  I read the text a few more times, this time making some observations of the text.  I'll usually pencil a few notes, underline a few words and, of course, highlight all appearances of the word but in the text.  Wednesday and Thursday are much the same, although as I read midweek I begin to outline the passage--how would I attack this in explaining it to someone?  By this point I've read it dozens of times and put together observations, notes and a rough outline.  Late in the week I start to look at things a little more broadly.  I use tools--check definitions of certain words, look up cross references, track thoughts and ideas in various directions from the text, and so on.  By Friday I might actually put the text address into google and see what others have said about it, and I might turn to my own old sermon notes to see what I've said the last time I preached on this text, or turn to some commentaries to see what some of the greats have said--like Spurgeon... I mean, the dude read it 300 times, right?

By Saturday I feel as though I've researched it fully, so I find time to write the message--which as I described earlier, really is a manner of penciling notes into my Bible to prompt my thoughts as I stand before the congregation on Sunday morning.

Throughout the whole process I'm also scanning my memory for stories, analogies, and anecdotes that I can recount hoping to bring clarity to my thinking, and maybe a smile or a moment of levity in our study together.  That's just me.

How many hours do I put into sermon prep?  I don't know.  I don't count.  It's actually pretty much a continual process--my thoughts turn the text over and over through the week, Sunday to Sunday.  How many times do I read the text?  I don't know.  I don't count anymore.  What references and tools do I use?  I don't know.  Differs week in and week out depending on where the Spirit moves me... and what book I trip over... and how many cups of coffee I've consumed.  Do I plagiarize?  I don't know.  I am sure very few thoughts that come into my head are original.  But I don't really read anyone else's take on a text looking for content--I usually have all that on my own.  So if I share an illustration someone else has used, is that plagiarism?  I gather whatever I can to make the text clear FOR ME, figuring if I can be blessed and challenged in thinking about it, maybe I can share that blessing and challenge with others.

One last thought to share on this: Over the years I've spent several seasons preaching through series of sermons, i.e. preaching my way through entire books of the Bible.  I love doing that for several reasons, but one of them has to do with my sermon preparation.  When I know I'm going to preach a series I have always shifted my personal devotional reading to those texts several months before the series begins.  That way I'm reading and ruminating through those texts asking God to illuminate them in and for my life months before I'm asking Him to help me articulate them for others.  It's always a blessing to do that.

So there you have it.  No rabbit in a magic hat.  Just me.  My Bible.  A pencil.  Some highlighted buts.  A cup of coffee... and now I welcome interruptions when my wife or my girls need me.  I hope you'll hear my heart on this: It's more important that I get an 'A' at home than in the pulpit.

Next time, sermon delivery.  The things that cross my mind on Sunday morning may surprise you.