BibleScribbler

Coffee, a Bible, and a Napkin to Scribble On

How Long Does it Take to Write a Sermon – According to Jerry Seinfeld

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I’ve been listening to interviews of Jerry Seinfeld in the background at work lately, and he said something that is about the best description of writing a sermon that I’ve ever heard. He was asked how long it takes to write a 75-minute show.

“That’s like asking God how time goes into making an oak tree? I don’t know, I do it every day, I do it all day, I don’t know, it’s a tree. I plant it, it grows, eventually, it’s an oak tree, who the hell cares? It’s all I can do. I don’t know…”

I think that’s how was able to survive working at the Rescue mission for 2 years when I might have to preach a sermon any night that my volunteer for chapel didn’t show up. I think that is how I’m able to be a bi-vocational pastor now. Yes, there is some needed sermon prep time to get ready for the sermon, and YES there is some rest time after the sermon to chill and relax, but otherwise, all of my time, all of life, is sermon prep time.

Which also reminds me of 1 Peter 3:15. Some apologists have stolen that verse to mean that you should always be ready to argue about Jesus, but that’s not what it means. It means always be ready to explain what you are doing from the perspective of Jesus. Let everything you do be an outpouring of your faith in Christ, so that you are always ready to explain that Christ is the fuel of your life.

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, — 1 Pe 3:15

1 Peter 3:15 graphic



 

No More Hollywood Sermons

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Last weekend I taught 3 times at a Jr. high – Sr. High retreat. there were 5 nazarene churches, so there were about 50 kids and 50 leaders. It was a very good time.

I’m learning that I don’t have to have a big finish when I teach. The big finish, the big closing statement, the final conclusion, is how movies end, not necessarily how you finish preaching the Gospel. Stand up comedians tell their second best joke first, and their best joke last, so that you leave the people laughing. Why? so that they will remember you, and a lot of times people project their very last feeling onto the whole night. In the American Church we have become so accustomed to a sermon being an entertaining/emotional event, that many preachers now have their sermon follow the same flow that a hollywood movie follows:

1. Attention grabbing opening
2. Background explanation of the opening and then transition
3. Slow build up to pre-impact statements
4. Settle down into seriousness after pre-impact statement
5. Build or interesting twist from seriousness into whopper final point
6. Climactic call to action or passionate point of sermon
7. Slow and steady cool-down into next part of the church service
(rinse and repeat steps 3-5 as time allows)

I hope this doesn’t look too cynical, but it was just this past weekend that I realized that this is the sub-concious formula I thought that all sermons had to follow. As I look over the Gospels, Jesus never taught this way at all; I think it’s because He TAUGHT.

I’m done.

I’m not going back to that.

If your point is excitement or entertainment, or membership retention, those steps are fine, but from now on I’m going to teach. I’m not sure what it looks like, but it sure feels good to be free from the idea that I have to ‘finish strong’.

Preaching for The Kingdom or the kingdom

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When you preach, do not teach interesting things. Do not preach great information to help people’s lives be better/happier/fuller/richer/stable or anything!

PREACH as if you are speaking of LIFE and DEATH. Preach as if your message MUST be heard and lived out or they’ll die. We have had enough good speaches to improve our quality of LIFE. We must now PREACH A COMING KINGDOM, Not a convenient one now.