Posted on July 22, 2010 by Adam J. Copeland
A few weeks ago, thankfully without any fanfare, I preached my 100th sermon. I know this number not because I carefully keep track, but because there are 100 files in my computer’s “Sermon” folder. Many of you more seasoned pastors might scoff at a piddly number like 100, but I’m guessing that, of those who graduated from Columbia Seminary with me in 2009, I’m one of the fastest to reach 100. Many others, even most, won’t get there for years. Why?
Many of my seminary classmates are serving as associate pastors at larger churches. In such a position one gains valuable experience by learning from the other pastors on staff. But another perk — or problem, depending on your perspective — is that many associate pastors preach rather seldom. I have friends who preach once a month, others preach once every six weeks, and even a few preach only once every few months. As it would happen, several of the classmates I consider the most skilled pastors in my class, preach only ten or so times a year. I think that’s a crying shame, but their supervisors didn’t ask me.
As I studied for my M.Div. I took a yearlong internship in Scotland, where I preached a bunch. I’m now a solo pastor and preach pretty much every Sunday.
That sais, here’s the top ten things I learned after preaching 100 sermons (pretend the numbering is backwards from 10 to 1,even though it isn’t due to formatting oddities) :
- Context. Context. Context.
- I really like preaching from the Old Testament.
- I really dislike preaching from both the Old Testament and New Testament in one sermon (or, really, any two texts).
- I wish I used my Biblical language skills more, but I don’t.
- 1500-1800 words is usually about right.
- I preach much better with a manuscript than with an outline (though, yes, many people are the opposite).
- I’ve fallen into using about three sermon forms fairly regularly. For this congregation, I think my lack of creativity actually helps many hear the word.
- Pretty much every manuscript, at some point has a line like, “looking deeper, there’s a more complex and challenging interpretation.” (Though I often cut it out of the draft.)
- The size of the space in which I’m preaching, and number of people attending worship, really affects the rhetoric I use.
- Context. Context. Context.
Ok, preachers out there. What have you learned or been struck by in your last 100 sermons?
image by Simon Cataudo
Posted on July 18, 2010 by Adam J. Copeland
First Presbyterian Church Hallock, Minn.
July 18, 2010
Uncomfortable Amos
Amos 8:1-12
I recently commiserated with a friend over a challenging experience we shared from our childhoods. I don’t remember quite how it came up, but somehow this friend and I got to talking about holidays, and specifically holiday meals. Maybe it was July 4th that brought it to mind, but when we started sharing about the big holidays growing up — Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter — we both said we looked forward to the tasty meals and good company. (But, that’s nothing special.) What did stick out, for both of us, was an experience of not quite being sure about a certain dinner guest. … Continue Reading
Posted on July 15, 2010 by Adam J. Copeland
First Presbyterian Church, Hallock, Minn.
Hebrews 11.29-12.2
By Faith
As you might imagine, Mel Bringle, the chair of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song that’s developing the next Presbyterian hymnal, fields lots of pointed questions about the hymnal project. But, she probably gets this one the most: “Why do we need a new hymnal?” There’s many answers, but my favorite is when Mel answers by comparing a hymnal to a family photo album. Hymn books have snapshots of what the family of God has sung over the years — Grandma’s old favorite, the hymn Great Grandpa learned sitting on his mother’s lap — old hymns, beautiful hymns. But just like, when there’s a wedding in your family, you take new photos and form new memories, what God’s people sing has to be updated from time to time. You wouldn’t say your family album is complete without photos of the newest babies and recent family vacations, so an aging hymnal needs updated from time to time. It’s not about throwing out the old pictures, but about welcoming the new.
The writer of Hebrews would make a great family photographer. He’s all about telling the history of the people of God. … Continue Reading
Posted on July 15, 2010 by Adam J. Copeland
This post is not about General Assembly. Neither is it about Presbyterians, or even Christianity. Thank you, blog readers, for sticking with me through some heavy PC(USA) polity and politics. Instead, this post is about three things (which, I promise, has nothing at all to do with the fact that some sermons have three points.)
1. Living in Grand Forks, North Dakota has its perks — no, really, it does. For example, for eight months out of the year you don’t have to worry about ice cream melting in your trunk on the way home from the grocery store. Actually, in seriousness, I’ve found another.
I receiving a parking ticket a few weeks ago for parking on the street outside our apartment on day the city does road cleaning. Having lived there for a year and unaware of the Monday no parking policy, I called the city to complain. Before I could get an angry word out, the nice guy I spoke to said, “Well, we’ll be happy to forgive your ticket. As a courtesy, the city council has a policy to forgive any questionable first time tickets, so let’s get this erased.” And in about a minute, we did.
2. You big city folks will not believe this next story. Yesterday I was working at the church in Hallock, Minn. and made a phone call. On accident, though, I switched the numbers and ended up … Continue Reading
Posted on July 10, 2010 by Adam J. Copeland
(This post will go up soon on The Outlook website, but I’m traveling so can’t link there immediately. Feel free to read and comment here, but also check out all the awesome General Assembly coverage over at The Presbyterian Outlook.)
And Friday night, at the General Assembly, the commissioners were tired, the energy level was low, and the most controversial items had already been considered. So, first a few funny recollections from the week:
- The Stated Clerk, Gradye Parson, has a suave-looking John Calvin bobble-head on his desk. I covet.
- Moderator Cynthia Bolbach’s fun sense of humor kept the assembly in good spirits throughout the week. Perhaps her best crack cams during the moderator election when she, and elder said, “Ministers going on tangents…who knew?”
- The chairs in the assembly hall, when scooted back or forth, sound like vuvuzelas. It’s hilarious.
More seriously, my read of the assembly is that it was a perfectly fine one, one that wrestled with tough issues conscientiously and sought the Spirit in its work. Many hugely important changes are proposed to the PC(USA) constitution, including the addition of the Belhar Confession to our Book of Confessions.
But, as I prepare to go back home, I’m also struck with a questioning sense about whether this formal, costly, somewhat unwieldy church structure is the most faithful way of conducting business at a national level. At 27, I’m too young to be a hardened cynic, but many times this week I thought, after a beautiful policy statement or theological document passed the assembly, “How much did we spend per word to make that document? And, how many Presbyterians – let alone others – will ever read it?” When I closed my eyes and listened to debate on the plenary floor, I wondered how much —really, how little— the basic way we govern ourselves has changed in fifty years. … Continue Reading
Posted on July 9, 2010 by Adam J. Copeland
(The Outlook website has this post up too, though comments here aren’t moderated as they are there so they pop up more quickly. I’ll keep this post up too.)
An Explanation of the Procedural Questions on the Definition of Marriage at General Assembly
Way too early, Friday Morning at GA in Minneapolis….
I’m seeing lots of questions and concerns on Twitter about what happened last night at General Assembly. Folks might be confused some complex parliamentary procedure things went down, and it’s especially difficult to follow new motions when watching the live feed of GA online.
A quite accurate 140-character summary that caught on last night reads:
PCUSA marriage debate wrap-up: We don’t really feel like hashing this out right now, so meet back here in two years? YES.
In fact, I think that quick summary is a valid analysis, but for a few more than 140 characters, read on. I’m too exhausted to write in paragraphs, so I’ll just interrogate myself: … Continue Reading
Posted on July 4, 2010 by Adam J. Copeland
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