From the Pastor

Over the years a number of you have asked me how long it takes to prepare a sermon. The truth is that it varies WIDELY. In twenty-three years I have probably preached something like a thousand sermons. So I’ve had a little practice. But I still find that some weeks writing the sermon feels like carving a large block of stone with just a couple of blunt tools. You work and work and still don’t see anything you recognize. Other times it seems as though a nearly complete message simply arrives, almost like a fax from heaven.

Preaching is for me both one of the most satisfying and fulfilling parts of ministry and one of the most terrifying. I have to remember that the story is not "my" story, but our community's story. It has belonged to many of you longer than I have been alive. So I can set aside the thought that this is "breaking news." On the other hand, some of you tell me that even a familiar story has been put in a new light as a result of the sermon. So even the well-known can catch us by surprise. Some in our congregation don't remember ever NOT being part of a church. Others are brand new to the experience. So it's challenging to find a way to speak to each person in a way that matches where you are in your faith journey.

John, Diane and I all begin our preparation with a three year cycle of texts called "the lectionary." (You will not be tested on this material.). For most Sundays it gives us four readings, one from the Old Testament (except during Easter), a Psalm, one from one of the four Gospels, and one from the letters of the early church. Every two weeks we get together with a group of colleagues and friends to read, reflect on and discuss the texts. Sometimes that conversation leads us in a particular direction. Other times it just becomes background for our own study, prayer and reflection. One never really knows....

I write mostly illegible notes in a worship planner, but I try to carry the texts around in my head over the course of the week. I try to ask myself why this text should matter to anyone right now. What questions does it ask of us? What questions do we have of it? Do we know who the people are in the passage? Why do they do what they do? Are they like us? How? Are they completely different? Why? I consult a number of commentaries and resources, to make sure I'm not completely out on a limb. As I said, it's not "my" story. I also don't rush to put it all together. Sometimes things happen late in the week that change where I'm headed.

By Thursday the bulletin is usually ready, so hymns have been chosen, and prayers written, that help to shape the message for the day. By Friday a little preview of Sunday’s sermon goes out by email to anyone who asks for it (about 200 people these days). It’s called the "blast," and if you would like to get it simply email Maureen.

At its best, I believe that preaching is a conversation. Obviously it’s a conversation between us (even though I'm doing most of the talking!). But before that it's part of a conversation including God, the community of faith over the centuries, the scriptures themselves, my own experience and hopes, and those of many good friends. It is a joy and a privilege to share in it with you.

Grace and peace,