Preaching

Sermon delivery

/ The Pastor / 10 Comments

This Sunday (for the second Sunday in a row) I am using a preaching-from-notes style instead of the full manuscript style.  Part of me feels a little guilty – that I am not spending enough time in sermon prep.  But another part of me feels a little more free – more free to allow the Spirit to guide me when I preach the sermon.  I think I am still doing the same amount of sermon prep but the actual preparation is different.  Maybe that is what is causing me to feel this way.

Then there is another part of me that feels a little guilty that I am not producing a manuscript for people to take home or a manuscript for my sermons blog.  But then there is still another part of me that says the sermon is an event, not something tangible that you can hold in your hands.  The sermon is something that happens on Sunday that (hopefully) causes a change in people’s hearts that in turns helps them live the Gospel for others in their daily lives.

With all these "parts of me" it is a wonder I get anything done.  Can anyone out there relate to this?  What are your feelings on the "sermon event"?  Am I silly for feeling guilty?

Right now the feeling of freedom is overriding my feeling of guilt.  I think it is because I am looking more forward to preaching this sermon because of that freedom.  I am not being "tied" to some pre-written words on a piece of paper. 

I don’t know…does this make any sense?

-edh-

Monday morning check in

/ The Pastor / 5 Comments

Busy week
Whew…a busy week is done.  Even though I feel a little tired, I feel pretty good.  Thanksgiving eve went very well with a very good turn out.  The Celebration of New Life service for Gordon went very well also, on Saturday.  We had about 300 people in attendance worshiping and celebrating the New Life we have in Jesus Christ.  We had a great soloist who sang "How Great Thou Art" and the tear jerker, "Thank You" by Ray Boltz.  As prelude music, the family hired a local harpist to play for a half hour before worship – absolutely beautiful.  Sunday worship also went off just fine.  With the three sermons I got to write last week, I was worried something would get missed, but once again, God provided and the Gospel was preached.

Prayer shawls
One of the ministries of Belmont Lutheran Church is wrapping people in prayer shawls.  When people are in the hospital or shortly after they get home, they are presented a prayer shawl from the congregation.  The shawls are made by some ladies in the congregation.  In the two years I have served with Belmont I did not know about this ministry until last week.  Doris, the secretary for Belmont, asked about doing a blessing of the prayer shawls in worship.  They hadn’t done this for a while and asked if I could do that.  I said sure, but I have never done anything like that before, but I will figure something out.  Does anyone out there have any experience with blessing like that or know of a blessing service I can use?  I am not looking for anything too elaborate – just something that can be done during the regular Sunday service this Sunday.  Thanks much.

Sunday morning prayer
I am sorry I did not get a prayer posted.  I know there are people that show up, here, for that Sunday morning prayer, but with the chaos that was last week, I just did not get one written.  For me that prayer serves as devotion for me to prepare for worship.  I know that all that I do on Sunday morning I can not do on my own.  My prayer during sermon and worship prep is basically that I am not that talented and if it were left up to me I would surely bring it all to ruin (to paraphrase Luther’s sacristy prayer).  I plan to get back to my routine this weekend.

Scripture
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:  His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’" (Matthew 1:18-21)

God bless and MERRY CHRISTMAS (I love this time of the year)!

-edh-

Deviled Ham

/ The Pastor / 6 Comments

I just had to share this with you…

…I was visiting this exegetical web site I visit quite often for sermon prep called CrossMarks Christian Resources.  If you page down a little bit to "Other Resources" there will be a link to exegetical notes on the lectionary.  I then found the Gospel text for today and this is what I found in the opening paragraph:

"…this is the one shot the lectionary preacher has of saying, ‘This is the first reported case of deviled ham."  (Of course this is the reference to Jesus driving out the demon from a man into a herd of pigs)

I don’t know about you but I laughed out loud when I read that.  That line could be a good sermon opener this Sunday.  If not a sermon opener then you could use it as a fun Bible fact to open a conversation…an ice breaker.

On a serious note…check out CrossMarks sometime.  There is a lot of good information for Bible study and sermon prep plus other resources.  The author of the site is a former pastor in Minnesota but now is a professor at Lutheran Theological Seminary Gettysburg.

Enjoy and God bless!
-edh-

Hope does not disappoint

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

"Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

I have read this text a number of times.  I have preached on this text and have studied it in Bible study, but now I see it differently.  In light of Andrew’s situation, recovering from a roadside bomb blast in Iraq, I wonder how Andrew would hear this text.  And as I wonder about that, I find myself wondering how we as Christians should hear this text.

We are reminded very quickly by Paul of OUR situation because of God’s love through Jesus Christ.  Because Jesus died and rose from the grave (which he did FOR YOU and FOR ME), we have access to a peace and grace beyond all understanding – a free gift given through faith.  And through this faith, we look forward to our ultimate glory that we will share with God someday…

…but we live in the here and now — with suffering…

I have a hard time thinking that one should "boast" about their sufferings – especially when one is faced with a life without their God-given legs.  Does Andrew "boast" in his suffering?  I don’t know.  Would I boast in that kind of suffering?  Part of me says "I hope I would", but another part of of me says "I don’t know what I would do". 

Another question that comes to mind is this:  Does one have to suffer in order to experience hope?  Is it only through suffering that we truly understand God’s grace and love?  And as a close friend of mine asks, "Do I suffer enough?"

Being a good Lutheran I understand Luther’s comments that we are not to search for "our cross" or our own sufferings.  That is not the point.  I understand that suffering will naturally come our way.  Maybe it has to do with how we approach suffering – how we respond to it.  Do we become bitter and angry or do we look at it as a way to grow closer to God – a reminder that we NEED God?  Maybe I am asking the wrong questions or looking at this the wrong way.  But maybe the point is that any suffering we face on this earth is nothing compared to the glory we will experience with God someday through faith.  We live here for but a moment, but our New Life with Christ is forever.

I am not sure how Andrew is responding to his "suffering" but my prayer for him is that he knows and has assurance that he will experience a glory with God that one cannot fully imagine.

So I guess hope does not disappoint.  "Suffering"…take your best shot, I cling to my faith in Christ – anticipating a life that you cannot take away.  Praise be to God and AMEN!
-edh-

Baccalaureate worship thoughts

/ The Pastor

This is my last post dealing with baccalaureate (at least until next year).  But I do want to offer a few final thoughts.  If you want you can check out the sermon I preached on my sermon blog (the link is also on my blog roll).

I was not sure how many people to expect but was pleasantly surprised when more than 75% of the seniors were there.  The total number of people was about 350+.  It was the largest crowd that I have ever preached for.  That realization alone made my heart beat a little faster.  I am not sure why.  I wasn’t nervous.  I think I was mostly excited to deliver a message to these seniors that I felt they needed to hear.

During the service, two of the seniors gave their faith story.  Both of them did a fantastic job.  I began to wonder if I even needed to get up and preach.  As the song before the sermon began, my heart rate started to speed up and I began to wish I had brought my water bottle with me – my mouth was completely dry.  I tried to calm myself down through prayer – trying to convince myself that this was not about me.  My heart rate did slow down but my mouth was still dry.  I was frustrated because I hadn’t felt this way since internship.

I started to preached and found myself fumbling around at first, but as I got into the second and third paragraph I started to clam down even more and things started to flow better (my mouth was still extremely dry).  Afterward a number of people came up to me to thank me for the message.  Even  couple seniors thanked me.  I am so uncomfortable about receiving compliments about sermons I preach because they are not from me.  But I responded graciously and silently gave credit to God (I should have been more vocal about that).

All in all it was a fun experience.  I feel the message that God wanted delivered was delivered.  Will the sermon have any impact on these seniors as they go into the great unknown?  Only God knows and that is whose hands I will leave it. 

Thank you for allowing me to debrief.  Take care and God bless.
-edh-

Fun discoveries

/ The Pastor

Fun web site discovery
Someone left this web site address on my wife’s desk yesterday:  www.jcplayzone.com (I have linked this on the left hand side of my page under my favorite web sites). This web site is designed for children and it’s filled with fun games, crafts, printable coloring pages, recipes, and more.  With all the crap that kids can come across on the Internet it is refreshing to see places where kids can play (and learn) safely.  Check this site out and share it with your kids.  I plan to publish this web site in my bulletin on Sunday.

Fun baccalaureate sermon discovery
I have said this before and I will say it again.  I am always amazed with the whole sermon prep process.  I try to begin the process without an agenda.  If I am faithful to keeping preconceived notions at "home" then something amazing happens in the end — a sermon — a message for God’s people.  God is faithful.  And because of God’s relentless faithfulness, I feel guilty every time I enter the sermon prep process with worries – wondering and fretting over what I will preach (silly boy, it’s not you preaching but God through you).  One of these days I will get that through my thick skull (and heart).

With that being said, the baccalaureate sermon I was asked to give is basically done.  I have some fine tuning to do yet today, but it is done.  My plan is to talk to the seniors about "Living water".  In college (or where ever they are going) they are presented with so many sources of so-called "living water".  These kids are searching for meaning and purpose and often times willing to try anything.  My point to the seniors tonight is to not forget who you are or whose you are through baptism.  Your meaning and purpose in life has been given to you in Jesus Christ — the only "Living water" you will ever need.  Who knows if they will listen to me, but you got to believe someone will…right?

(Maybe not so) fun meal planning discovery
Before you go off and eat something from the frig, make sure your wife (or husband) wasn’t planning on having that later.  For lunch yesterday I had a cheese ravioli Lean Cuisine.  This morning my wife calls me at work and says, "Where’s my cheese ravioli!?!"  I knew right then and there I was in trouble.  Apparently part of my wife’s meal planning for the week included her having that ravioli for lunch today at work.  I guess I missed that memo and I got a feeling my wife will make sure I see that memo in the future.

God bless you as you make fun discoveries of God’s love and faithfulness and remember to "drink in", "bath", "bask" and enjoy the "Living water" of Jesus Christ.  You just can’t go wrong with that.  Amen. -edh-

P.S. And don’t eat your wife’s lunch.

Reprise — Now THAT was a sabbath day

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

The Gospel was preached; forgiveness was announced and mothers were celebrated — Now THAT was a sabbath day.  I just hope others look back on Sunday and say the same thing; not because I preached such a great sermon (only God knows whether I did or not) — but because forgiveness through Jesus Christ was announced to everyone.  The reality of the situation is that probably no one remembers or cares (I wish I could be more optimistic) — or maybe the Holy Spirit did do something in someone’s heart.  Either way, I am looking back and saying, "Now THAT was a sabbath day!!!"

Now I am facing an even more daunting task this week.  On Wednesday May 16 the baccalaureate service is being held and I am preaching.  I have never preached at baccalaureate before.  Actually…I haven’t attended baccalaureate since I was a senior in high school (and that was a long, long time ago).  The scripture texts I choose are:  Isaiah 55, Psalm 23, and John 4:7-14.  They all have the theme of Living Water.  I felt drawn to these but now I am pondering and praying about how to preach these to a bunch of high school seniors and families.  I am looking forward to the opportunity and am extremely honored to be asked, but I find myself at a loss right now.  I know that I have a couple days to prepare, but there is this pressure to really do well.  People who have never heard me preach before will be listening me.  I want to impress people.  I want people to say, "Now that pastor at Salem is really on the ball." <pause> What is wrong with me?

Yes…I am being selfish and sinful here.  Preaching is not about me.  Preaching is about the Good News — it is about Jesus Christ.  So for me to worry about this service is crazy and foolish.  I have been preaching for over three years and I should know better.

So I need to get over myself and preach the Good News.  To heck with what people will think of me.  I want people to hear and listen to the Gospel.  Maybe I am taking my first steps this week in preparing for this sermon.  But I would like to hear your thoughts.  Has anyone out there ever preached for baccalaureate?  Any advise for me as I prepare?  Any insights about the given texts for these seniors (I know preaching is contextual, but seniors across our land do have things in common)?  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

So on Wednesday of this week at baccalaureate, the Gospel will be preached and forgiveness will be announced (despite my sinfulness).  And with any luck (actually it won’t be "luck") people on Wednesday will look back on baccalaureate and say, "Now THAT was a day". -edh-

I have decided…I am not arrogant

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

I have decided that I am NOT arrogant. 

Last week a read a quote in a Christian Century article that said it was prideful for pastor to feel the need to write a new sermon every week.  That quote has been ringing in my ears, mind and heart ever since I read it (See "Sermon Stealing" below).  Writing new sermons each and every week is not about being prideful, but about being faithful.  A pastor is called to a particular congregation.  The pastor reads and lives the scripture text.  The pastor then comes FROM the congregation to preach a word to the people. This is not arrogance — it is being faithful to the Word of God spoken to each of us where we are at in a particular time and place.  To take a sermon preached previously and preach it now is to cheat people.  Joy left a very good comment about sermon stealing in my previous post when she said: "I think that’s terribly misleading (when pastors steal sermons), and could really damage the pastor/congregation relationship if discovered. If sermons are gifts from God, why would you even want to "steal" them from others? God will give pastors the right words for the right time."  Amen Joy, thank you for that comment.

But think of it this way as well:  What if your pastor were to ask you to share your faith story in worship some Sunday – would you go and find a "really good one" some place; someone who has a "better" faith story than you and use that?  Of course not.  You would share your story; the story God has written for you through Jesus Christ.  If I wanted to hear someone else’s story I would have asked them.  I understand that the sermon is not necessarily the pastor’s faith story, but in a way it is.  The sermon deals with the pastor’s/preacher’s encounter with the Word.  As Joy said the sermon/Word is a gift from God.  The message is different for everyone.  You are not going to preach the same sermon preached in Virginia in the aftermath of the shootings as you would in Minnesota.  You might have similar themes, but the Word is different.  God comes to each person in different ways and gives each us the words we need to say and hear.

And this is a lesson for all people.  When you are asked to share your faith story, don’t try to embellish it to make it more entertaining, but share your story.  We all have a story.  Be faithful and honest with people.  Take the time to listen to God and trust that when the time is right, the Holy Spirit will inspire you to share a Word with people.  Whether you are on the street or at work or in the pulpit.  When a Word needs to be shared with people, God will provide those words.  So be faith and honest and trusting.  Sermons and faith stories are not about us but rather about God.

I am NOT arrogant.  I am just a person trying to listen to God in order to share the Good News with people HERE and NOW.  What’s YOUR story? -edh-

Sermon stealing

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

In the April 17, 2007 issue of The Christian Century there is an interesting article by Thomas Long called "Stolen Goods".  The article talks about the growing practice of pastors "stealing" sermons off the Internet and preaching them as their own.  Long shares some stories of disappointed people when they found out that a sermon their pastor preached was not their own.  I personally write all my own sermons but there are some that would call that arrogant.  Steven Sjogren from Cincinnati Vineyard Community Church is quoted as saying, "Don’t be original — be effective!  In my mind there is a tremendous amount of pride (let’s call it what it is) when we insist on being completely original as communicators…The guys I draw encouragement from — the best communicators in the United States…get 70 percent of their material from someone else.  Remember, Solomon wrote that ‘there is nothing new under the sun.’"

What do you think of that?  Are preachers that insist on writing a new sermon each week arrogant?  Should I be using sermons from pastors who are considered "the best"?  What are your thoughts on this?  Consider this quote, as well, from the article, "Some pastors have picked up a theological version of this open source argument.  Sermon words are gifts from God, they say, and thus fair game for any and all who wish to appropriate them.  How dare preachers do anything but sing the doxology, they ask, when their sermons show up in the mounths of other pastors?"

I wish I could show you the whole article, so I encourage you to get a copy of this issue of The Christian Century and check it out.  Let me know what you think.  I would love to have a discussion about this.