My sermon preparation follows the three Rs: read, write, and rehearse. Monday and Tuesday are reading days. I love to read scripture in the Latin Vulgate, for example; Frederick Buechner recommends that you get out of your native language so you can see the words differently. For commentaries I read the New Interpreter’s Bible (among others); my set once belonged to the library of Earl Eden, a delightful man who died a few years ago. Wednesday and Thursday are writing days: first a stream of consciousness freewrite, and later an outline of the message. On Friday and Saturday I rehearse the outline, internalizing the sermon and creating a mental manuscript of it. Preparation concludes as I preach the sermon from memory to my dog Jazz on her walk Saturday evening. St Francis preached to the birds, and I preach to my dog. She doesn’t care though; she’s more interested in scrounging on the ground and eating things we’d rather not know about.
I had a two hour visit this afternoon with a new widow. We sipped tea and talked about memories. After longer visits I always feel depleted, like Jesus when he knew that power had gone out of him. Now it is time to go to my yoga class, always a good way to restore the spirit.
1) Because I preach for occasional pulpit supply only, I usually have at least a month to prepare, not your six days–and I need that month for my 3 R’s. 2) Wish I could read the Latin Vulgate–best I can do is read lyric poems in German, but even from that I can appreciate Buechner’s advice. 3) Surely Jazz is righteous among dogs.
If I were a good Presbyterian, I’d read it in the biblical languages, but my Latin is much better than they are. Plus I simply enjoy Latin more, and it has more ripples and reverberations with English.
I have a new appreciation for what goes into a sermon. What a wonderful process to connect with a message that will shepherd the congregation.
..Whew!…that sounds like a lota work Chris…you must be havin “High” church up there..:)..next time you pass through ky ,let me know,i’ll take you to some church’s where the preacher gets an anointin on him in the pulpit and dont need no notes or preparation….. :/
I’ve heard preachers like that. God’s anointing comes to us in different ways, I trust.