Monday Morning Preacher-ing

So, yesterday was fun!  I'm excited about working with our newly installed elders & deacons for a critical season of prayerful imagination and stepping out in faith on Council. To share the call to discipleship with the Elders & Deacons and then to watch them sharing it with every member of our congregation -- that blessed me deeply.  Thank you all who participated in the service!

You may have noticed that yesterday's sermon was a bit different from any I've preached recently.  I'm back to preaching off a manuscript. And funnily enough, when I got home from church yesterday, a friend (NOT in our congregation) had tweeted:

Preachers who are frustrated writers make for poor orators.  Don't read a manuscript at us; speak a word to us.

 Which, of course, got me a little defensive. And a little thoughtful.  I tweeted back:

The issue isn't manuscript/non-manuscript. It's learning to use language appropriate for the ear not the peer (reviewer.)

Regardless of delivery form, most of my sermons follow a simple Trouble/Grace; Text/World outline that I can share with y'all another time.  Once you know it, I'm certain you will hear it in *nearly* every sermon.

In this Sunday's case, though, another dictum of seminary preaching class loomed large: "Show, don't tell."  So the sermon became a narrative re-telling of the Scripture text. Attempting to be faithful to exegetical insights, I didn't necessarily stop and say, "This is an exegetical insight now, y'all. Listen up."  Some folks prefer that approach. It's more didactic and you then know what you are listening for. It may require more of the receiver to listen to narrative preaching. It's not filling in the blanks in  an alliterative outline (as some of us have been conditioned to expect: God is: Great, Good and Gracious) In the case of narrative preaching, well, it really is what it sounds like -- listening as a story unfolds.  It taps into imagination more than information receptors. It is going to appeal to right brain more than left brain. It appeals to artistic rather than scientific/mathematical impulses.

This isn't a matter of right/wrong approaches but, rather, about evaluating what works in any given context.  Therefore, in coming months, I hope to have some robust discussions with Elders about the preaching ministry at DC CRC.  Since arriving, I have preached off manuscripts.  I've preached with substantial memorization. I have preached from notes.  I'm still exploring what works best for me.

But, ultimately, preaching is a communication event, which means that "what works best for me" necessarily equals "what is well and deeply received."  The comment section isn't a great place for that conversation but if you have thoughts on this, please shoot me an e-mail, facebook message, phone call, etc.

Okay, enough self-reflection.  I'm going running now.