Preaching Marathons
Recently I was visiting a large congregation (of a different tribe) when the preacher said that last fall he preached four times each Sunday for seven straight weeks and it nearly killed him. Some adjustment had to be made.
I understand. I did that for seven years: preached at 8:15; 10:45; 4:00; 6:00. And I was brain dead every Sunday night and Monday morning. (Maybe that’s why we always did our long runs on Monday morning. The spirit was willing because the brain was comatose.)
One of the biggest changes in my years of preaching was the number of messages I delivered each week.
In Wilmington . . . two sermons and two classes each week. In Searcy . . . three sermons (yes, three different sermons!) each week. In Abilene . . . two sermons each week for my first decade. Then for the last eight years one sermon most weeks (and two sermons about 15 weeks/year).
As I look back, I’m so thankful that the churches in Searcy and Abilene allowed me to take study breaks to continue preparations for the following year. And I’m thankful that my messages from those Searcy years aren’t available online! (Guessing that with three full sermons per week they were a bit, umm, thin.)
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Thinking of preaching, my siblings and I are a bit fortunate. Our preachers are Dusty Rush, Chris Seidman, and (now) Jonathan Storment. We’re lucky like that.
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I’ve been on the road so much lately that I haven’t been able to post much. But I’ll be in Abilene two full weeks (!), working on some projects before doing more filming in June. I can’t tell you what a privilege it is to work side-by-side with Landon Saunders. I’m learning so much from him about the lives of those who live far from religious structures.
Exhausted (reading this!), but exhaling knowing He’s been exalted by your messages over the years! ~ blessings always.
Thanks, Carmel. So nice to reconnect with you after all these years. Did you find Diane on Facebook? (She’s visits FB even less seldom than I do, but she’ll get there eventually! Or you can email me and I’ll send you her email address.)
By the way, I’m sure you and every other reader of this blog have gone through periods of exhaustion with work, so I don’t think I’ve been unique in that. It just pushed creativity to the limit!
I’ve always called that Sunday night exhausted feeling a “Holy Hangover.”
Hey Mike,
I just had to write a little essay in a values class about a profession related ethical issue. All I did was google “preacher ethics” and one of the first and most common entries was sermon-stealing (plagiarism). When I looked into it, these unrealistic expectations to preach 2-3 times a week and for them to still be well-studied and polished lead a lot of people to steal other people’s work.
I guess, in the end, sermon-stealing is a product of both a preacher’s dishonesty and performance anxiety caused by having to come up with 3 sermons a week!
“Those who live far from religious structures.” Been pondering that…a lot. In shorthand, it could be rendered, “exiles.” qb
Mike,
Great post. Working in Denver is a bit like Wilmington perhaps. Preaching to the same patient people for about thirty years is a challenge. They have had to overlook and correct many crazy mannerisms. They have had to forgive many sins some confessed and some unconfessed. (Writing and saying things not well thought out.)They wanted me to preach two or three sermons a week for 25 of those years. Now allowing me to preach one sermon per week and hoping that I would preach one that could be absorbed by their eyes rather than their ears. But such great people to want to hear a word from God when the body assembles. I have great love for Southeast CoC as well as long distance love for Highland, College Church and Wilmington.
Larry Wishard
Thanks for these responses. Ben, I think you’re onto something. That doesn’t justify it, of course, but it puts it in context, doesn’t it. A few years ago a wrote here about plagiarism and there were about 100 responses — some from ministers describing the pressure they felt.
Here’s a short part of what I wrote in that piece:
“Perhaps part of the blame lies with the pressure that some churches put on their ministers. They expect them to be pastoral, to be witty, to be insightful, to be humorous, and to be deep. Part David Letterman, part N. T. Wright.
“If you’re a church leader, affirm the leadership and teaching of your ministers that is solid, biblical, and congregationally pastoral. Make sure the ones preaching and teaching are given time to prepare. Consider giving them an allowance so they have resources to buy good books and journals. Think about offering them sabbatical time each year just for study and prayer–time that is added to their regular vacation time. These resources and this time are not only for the benefit of the minister; they’re also for the good of the church! (By the way, these are things I’m generously offered at Highland. I’d just like to see others follow that practice.)”
So, I’m guessing you didn’t follow the “one hour of preparation for every minute of preaching” rule?
I wonder if less is more. That is: would we be willing to forego preaching 3 out of the 4 weeks of the month if the time liberated by that were re-invested in the one killer sermon per month? Is there something biblical (in the CENI sense, natch) about the weekly sermon? qb
This is all making me tired. Perhaps a change in attitude and/or a change in latitude will help.
Fins up, buddy!
Mike,
There are many of us still holding on to multiple tape series from the College church days. I’m sure some technophile could quite quickly reduce these to digital media if given the challenge! But don’t despair, even if you felt they were “light”, the rest of us soaked them up and still remember the challenge and conviction they instilled. Even the one on Noah and the rabbits.
Just got to thinking back…when hubby was preaching, he did a Sunday AM sermon, Sunday AM Bible Class, Sunday PM sermon, and Wednesday night Bible class…takes a lot of study time, which many congregations don’t want to give their ministers.
The sermons in Searcy were anything but thin!! They are STILL impacting people and transforming lives all around the world. Love you bro, DU
Fins up, buddy!
Hey John. Great minds think alike. I’ve been wokirng on pulling together a small group online resource list for the Missional Outreach Network. Thanks for highlighting these links. And we’ll look forward to the review of Missional Small Groups on MON!