Sermon Struggles
I love preaching. I'm passionate about it. I like writing sermons and delivering them. I've even felt that God has blessed me with a gift for preaching. Until now. The past couple of sermons have been like pulling teeth. I struggle and struggle and nothing comes, and then I start to panic as Sunday morning draws ever nearer. I can't do what many do and get up at 4am on Sunday to write a sermon. I need to have it done before I sleep Saturday night, and this Saturday I really want to join some friends contra dancing, so the deadline is even earlier.
I'm starting to wonder if I'm a one-hit wonder. Okay, I've preached more than once, but until I got out of seminary I didn't preach very often. Now I preach every other week. (I still don't know how people do it every week.) 4 months, and I'm already out of things to say. My style of sermon writing is so intuitive. I wonder if I have to find a new way, a structure that I can put into place when my intuition doesn't provide anything. Each week I ask myself - what is the point? What do I (or God) want them to know, feel, think, do? In the past I've just been able to sit down with an intuitive idea, and then write until I'm finished. But that's not working anymore.
I pray. I journal. I read other sermons. I talk to people. But I'm still stuck. I have at least 30 more years of preaching left if I'm lucky. I can't be done yet. Surely there's something to say.
posted by Merely Human @ 11:07 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Rev. Sister Bear,
Thanks for saying that. I have sat in my office many times over the last 5 months thinking and feeling that same way. "Did I already give all my sermons?" "Is there nothing else in there?" "Why has this become so hard? especially when I am really enjoying my job?" Some of it may be that I get so distracted by all the day-to-day stuff, the calls I should be making, the planning calendars I should be creating, the research I should be doing. Maybe I am not spending enough time just meditating or thinking or just staring out the window waiting for God to speak to me. Maybe "busy-ness" is killing my ability to hear the word. I don't know. Whatever it is, I am encouraged to know that I am not alone in the struggle. Good luck and God bless in your sermon prep!
Rev. Brother Bear
Thanks Rev. Bro. I wish you the best as well. I finally got one written last night, but at one point I was on my walk nearly in tears saying, "Please God help me." I am doing a lot of staring out the window and thinking and stuff, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I'm hoping this isn't how it's going to be from now on or else I'll start to dread preaching.
Someone at clergy conference brought me greetings from you. Thanks!
Another priest told me that often, your prayer life suffers in your first year or two of a new ministry. He said, too, this is especially hard for introverts -- so much of our spirituality becomes turned outward, and our inward-turning suffers. Don't be too hard on yourself. And besides, as a newbie, I'm sure your parish will give you lots of grace!
The demons of busyness, perfectionism, and transitions, may all be at work here. I think you're doing the right thing by talking to God about it!
Dave Sim said that first you get good, then you get fast, then you get good and fast. He was talking about writing and drawing comic book pages, because that's his profession, but I think the idea might also apply here. You're good, but now you're learning to be fast.
Don't ever forget that it is not all up to you! YOU may not think that you had much to say, but someone listening with an open heart will hear exactly what God needs them to hear. (Sometimes that someone is the preacher!) You have a real gift, and I know that you will find a way to reach the silence you need in order to do what you do so well. Hugs!
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