I’m a preacher. There are two elements to preaching well (or at least feeling as though I’ve preached well): preparation & desperation. On the preparation side, the first step is to hear from God. As often as I’ve experienced this phenomenon (35 years in the ministry often preaching three times a week) it is still very much a mystery to me. Inspiration for a new sermon or series can come at the oddest of times: in a dream, while walking the dog, driving along in the car, hearing or reading something that really grabs me, working through a problem … And inspiration can come in different forms: anger, joy, excitement, encouragement, etc. Once I have my inspired thought (the seed) & the text it’s time to study.
Working in the Word develops, changes, & grows the seed. It’s here where old truths take on new meaning & fresh application for my own soul. As I watch the message blossom, often taking unexpected turns, it excites me. Words, phrases, & illustrations come to my mind as though I’m being fed these thoughts. When I’m really “in the zone” of study, hours can pass like minutes. Sermon writing is one of the true joys of my life. There are times I feel like I’ve been on holy ground.
As the moment to preach approaches, desperation begins to settle into my soul. One of two fears often appear: 1) What so inspired me in study has turned to dribble suggesting that I hadn’t heard from the Lord at all, or 2) The words on the page seem so holy that I’m not able to deliver them in a worthy manner. Either way the fears cause me to cry out to the Lord in desperation asking for His divine intervention. As He answers those prayers, preaching goes from being a terrifying experience to another of the great joys of my life. I’ve prepared & I have copious notes but when I’m really “in the zone” of preaching, I can’t wait to hear what I’m going to say next because I’m clueless as to what that might be.
You would think that the preparation would alleviate the desperation or that the desperation would make the preparation unnecessary. But I have found that there are two elements to preaching well: preparation and desperation.