question #1

Parson Tom’s Tomes

Question: “Why do you write your sermons that you deliver? My friend has a pastor who never uses notes and she says he is wonderful in proclaiming the Gospel and says he trusts the Holy Spirit. He gave her a quote from Luke 21:

^12-15 “But before any of this happens, they’ll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You’ll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I’ll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters. (The Message)

Do you not trust the Holy Spirit to guide you?”

In my dreams

Response: I trust the Holy Spirit but I do not fully trust myself. Luke remembers Jesus saying this in response to the anxieties of the community of a time of persecution. Whenever I go to the lectern to speak I do not feel as if I am being dragged there against my will to defend myself. I am responding to an opportunity to come before a congregation and share my struggle in faith with fellow strugglers. A Sermon is not a trial where I confound my accusers but it is hard work of finding words of comfort and strength in difficult times for people for whom I have a responsibility.

Writing sermons are not about writing down my thoughts for dissemination to the world at large but it is about re-writing, editing and more re-writing so what I have to say is so focused that listeners can hear me, otherwise they would go on forever. My own mind comes up with lots of things to say about scripture but I have to be aware of the context of life in the community in which I speak. I cannot just deliver chronic undifferentiated ramblings and aim it like a shotgun hoping that some of the pellets will hit the target. I have to pray about what is happening right here and right now with these people in this place and this time. I cannot go back into the barrel to pick up an old sermon and give you someone’s left overs.

I am also aware of how much time the average American can pay attention- usually 12 minutes the maximum time between commercials on television. If I go beyond that time I start to lose attention span unless it is “absolutely brilliant” an appellation my ego wants to bestow on all my products but the practice of letting the sermon lay on the desk for two days, so I can see it anew soon disabuses me.  I try to limit the sermon to one theme, one sentence so that can be remembered after the mechanics of the sermon fade from memory.

If you have any questions you wish me to address in this space, please do so.