December 03, 2014
Go and Make Preparation
When I hear conversations
about a pastor’s work hours and heavy load, one interesting factoid that always
seems to find its way into the discussion is that it’s not unreasonable for a
preacher to spend up to 20 hours a week preparing his sermon. I’ve heard pastors speak at conventions and their
presentations reflect many hours of preparation, but unfortunately the weekly
sermon does not get the same level of attention. I can’t remember when I’ve
heard a sermon that was polished with 20 hours of preparation. Of course fillers
such as illustrations, jokes and stories do take some thought, but Paul reminds
us, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard
through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I once heard a preacher deliver a very excellent series of sermons on stewardship and the many areas of life to which it applies, besides just money. Of course, I was most impressed with his sermon on how our services to the Lord are much improved and multiplied when we approach the gifts given us by the Spirit with an attitude of stewardship. Stewardship is not just about conservation of assets, but also the investment of them into what might make the greatest return for the Lord. And investing our gifts and talents and godly ways certainly fits into the realm of stewardship. Therefore, we should consider opportunities for service carefully, and we should invest vigorously into those worthy of such investment.
-----This series of sermons closed with a clear and concise presentation of the church’s educational facility’s emptiness. A recognition of many people in the congregation having ability to teach and lead was presented. And finally, a call to action was made obvious. In the next week were sign-up sheets spread across the front of the sanctuary beckoning those who would into the generation of more programs.
-----OK. I understand the need for church programs. And although we need them now because of the normative shape of the current Christian, there are better ways. Programs are like candle wax. They go into their molds hot and fluid and stirring with vitality. But eventually they cool into rigid lumps shaped just like their mold on the surface, but stone cold still on the inside through which runs a wick producing heat and light only at their top. At least they produce a flickering little flame.
-----Much better it would be if the body members were edified unto His character and then stirred up to good works such that they would do them in their realms of influence around and about the community. This is very much the New Testament approach for the Lord’s body bringing light into the world. It is as if, rather than pouring all the wax into one mold around a single wick, that wax is poured into multiple tiny molds around numerous wicks all lighting up the darkness like an old man’s fully candled birthday cake.
-----To many churches, this is a dangerous concept. Many little candles and flames are difficult to control (besides dripping wax all over everything,) and the benefits of their burning are elusive to reap. Much better it is to have all the wax in one lump fueling one flame. Not having a mind appreciating how the Lord is head over a body of independently moving parts such that they move by His Spirit in their decisions, the much harder task of how to co-ordinate the body parts into one lump of wax moved by the mind of program leaders calls for much more cognitive effort. I can imagine the work and time it must take to shape the messages from God’s Word into a message for everyone lumping together around one flaming idea. No wonder it takes twenty hours to shape a good sermon into an effective candle mold.
-----But this is the shape the church has come to be. It is the shape most expect it to be. I will never be silent about churches controlling their members into molded ideologies and practices and programs and the disunity and divisions and seemingly endless multiplicity of “faiths” to which it has led, besides its requirement of endless hours of sermon preparation to keep the messages inside the molds. But, at least, looking at the mess through more forgiving eyes, one sees a whole sea of independently lit candles burning across the surface of the earth. Candles which have been burning for centuries, regardless of burning mostly in disregard of each other, and often in conflict with each other. His body does light up the world like an old man’s birthday cake.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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