What is Due Diligence in Preaching?
One of the most important things I do each week as a pastor is prepare for and proclaim the word. As a Minister of Word and Sacrament, my role — and indeed, the office to which I was ordained — is tied to this public proclamation. Of course, preaching need not be done by an ordained minister, but in our imperfect system, it usually is. And so, much of my week has to do with preparing to deliver a sermon on sunday.
Since I’m a preacher’s kid, I had a fair idea of the challenges of such a weekly task even before I signed-up. I
knew about the anguished Saturdays of sermon writing, and even more, the reticence to do anything on Saturday past 9 pm. But I did not anticipate the huge challenge of organizing one’s week around sermon writing.
This all may be highlighted slightly as I’m in a 3/4 time position, but I bet most weekly preachers have the same issue. Basically: there’s so much more to do in my work as a pastor than write a sermon. In fact, almost every week I work my 3/4 time and, only then, get down to writing the sermon. I might have done some sermon prep before my 30 hours, but rarely do I start writing. And never have I finished.
And so I wonder. If sermon preparation and delivery is so important, then why is it always the last thing I do each week?
The Larger Catechism overwhelms me by saying:
“Q 159: How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto? A: They that are called to labor in the ministry of the Word are to preach sound doctrine, diligently…plainly, not in the enticing word of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; faithfully…wisely…zealously, with fervent love to God, and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory, and their conversion, edification, and salvation.”
I’ll surely never preach fulfilling the full meaning of all those adverbs, but I could probably preach better if I devoted more time earlier in the week to preparation. I don’t know for sure, but in seminary and when I was preached every few weeks at my congregation in Scotland, I probably was able to devote 16 plus hours to preparing each sermon. Heck, maybe 20. Were I to do that now, I’d have to cut out huge chunks of my other tasks. I really appreciated Reverend Mother’s post last week “preaching weekly v. preaching monthly” in which she admits she lowers her standards when she preaches weekly. I get that. I do the same. It bothers me, but that’s life, I guess.
But I wonder what would happen if I re-prioritized my week so that my exegetical work, outline, and writing happened on the front side of things. I’d surely get less accomplished otherwise, but my sermons would improve and, ideally, it could also improve the focus of my congregation. I’d maybe come to meetings less prepared and might put a visit off until next week, but the sermon on sunday would be a bit stronger.
One of the commenters on Reverend Mother’s post said Robert Farrar Capon said something about preaching using the analogy of gourmet cooking. “He spoke of the need for the preacher to bring good bread every Sunday rather than a gourmet meal.” I just wonder if the bread would taste better if I baked it by Thursday rather than by Saturday.
So, you experienced preachers and sermon hearers out there. What say you? How important is that proclaimed word of God each week? If you’re a preacher, do you put off writing until Friday or Saturday? If so, what does that say about your dedication to your calling as a preacher? What is due diligence in preaching?
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I…um…don’t write my sermon. I prefer to, actually, but my increasingly young congregation seems to favor it when I preach from presentation software. It keeps me from delving too deeply into my often obscure vocabulary.
That said, I preach every week, and preaching prep is intentionally interwoven through my whole week. I spend Tuesday morning selecting passages and coming up with a central theme, which I then send to my Praise Team Leader. Wednesday, I sit on it. Thursday, I read my commentaries and other background, and start in on the presentation. Saturday night, I refine and edit. Sunday morning, I refine and edit. It’s a meal that takes the whole week to prepare…but much of that time it’s just simmering.
At the end of the process, there is no written record, unfortunately. I almost don’t mind that, given that my sermons tend to be so radically contextual. And heck, if I want to write my thoughts, that’s what the blog is for…
I am not a PK nor, do I profess to be an academic by any stretch of the imagination. By the grace of God, I am here as ordained. Therefore, here is my very simple view. I preach the RCL and in so doing, every day I read on many topics around the passage. I allow the scripture to have a voice in my days and as my week progresses the sermon grows within me. The writing is like a birthing, it naturally comes out, and if I fight it, or try to control it, I only hurt the scripture, the sermon, and myself. I’ve moved away from writing a full manuscript and preaching from that written page. Oh, I don’t wing it. I do my research, pray, and reflect on the Word. I write my nugget with a few important quotes and possibly some transitional thoughts then on Sunday – I preach “in the moment.” Some might be critical of this style but it works for me and the congregation seems to enjoy it. I have the mindset that Sundays start my week not, finish it with a sermon then start all over again on Monday. One reason this might work for me is, I’m dyslexic, and writing is a task I do not go to easily. I would much rather live the sermons than fight it on the page. That is my very simple view.
i read the texts on Monday. I do some reading (Feasting on the Word, http://www.textweek.com, goodpreacher.com) on Monday. I turn it over, think about it, during the week. I take Thursdays to prepare. The congregation knows that Thursday is sermon prep day. I am home that day working on the sermon. Sometimes I work on the sermon on Saturday, too. (Friday is my day off. Period.) This is what works for me. I write a manuscript and then preach without notes.
btw, there’s been some great discussion and comments of this at my facebook page. Sorry, no-friends. You’re welcome to keep it going here.
I’m an old retired preacher, convinced that there is no way any method works for everyone. My pattern, using the lectionary, was to read the lessons for next Sunday Monday morning before I did anything else for the week. Then I let those lessons fester? simmer? during the week. Commentaries were consulted, but not every week. Sometimes the inspiration came from the news or a parishoner or a street person. Thursday was writing day. Friday was a day off and Saturday morning was the final review. It worked for me.
But a close friend, with whom I shared ministry for a time, “wrote” his sermon early Sunday morning. For him writing in advance of the day made him boring. And he “wrote” in the sanctuary, quietly meditating hours before anyone showed up. However, he had, like me, been filtering the lessons all week through the events of the week.
Had I followed his pattern I would not have slept any Saturday night.
My point: your method might not work for me; mine might not work for you. But search to find your method and then follow it.
I am an associate pastor and don’t have much opportunity to preach, maybe 8 times per year, but I do prepare bi-weekly messages for an extended care facility and weekly lessons for youth (I was told, “If you can preach to children, you can preach to anybody!”). So my question is this: How do you come up with material for a weekly sermon – a sermon that is more than just a teaching but is also encouraging and challenging? I feel as if I will never become a “the” pastor who preaches every week – week in and week out unless I can figure this out! And yes, I did have homiletics and hermeneutics, but I feel inadequate in this area.
As one of your sermon hearers I am well fed on Sunday morning.