Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind is a vague recollection of a conversation with a former Moore College student. As I recall, the question 'Where did the sermon fail?' was asked rhetorically by the lecturer (Knox?) at the beginning of every critique of the students Chapel sermons.
It was stopped many years ago because it hurt people's feelings.
But with few redeeming features it is apt to bring it back for my sermon last night at church.
So, where did my sermon fail last night?
1. I was thrown off track by my title being changed without my knowledge from "Here's to Ears to Hear" to "Here's to the Ears". There's nothing wrong with that really, except I stupidly made reference to it as the first thing I said. Stupid. Just should have ignored it, even if it didn't make sense to me.
2. I should have just deleted the introduction. It was an old sermon which was written in a circumstance where it was important to give the big picture before digging into the passage. I intended to delete it, but when I went to review the sermon (I only had an hour to do this) I realised it was integral to my argument. The problem was, in an effort to cut down time I got rid of my linking statements which showed the connection. Stupid.
3. My mental breaks didn't work, nobody laughed, so I ditched them on the run. It meant long silences while I found my place, and a lack of clarity in what I did say.
4. It was too long. They are used to 25 minutes. I spoke for 34. Stupid.
5. I could tell the congregation was bored. And Sarah said I reflected their boredom back to them in my delivery compared to normal. I didn't have a day off this week. Stupid.
6. My outline was all over the place. I went through the different soils about seven times.
Okay, I've vented enough now, though much more could be said. It feels weird to be so disappointed in a sermon. All in all, I'm convinced I spoke the truth. And it's not that I don't think God will use my efforts for his purposes. I'm not upset, just disappointed.
If it was because I was lazy, I would be rebuking myself for sinfulness. Unfortunately this has come about through workaholism. The opposite sin. Perhaps its a lesson in saying no. I only said yes to preaching at church if I could preach an old sermon because I knew I'd be writing three new sermons on Micah for uni and wouldn't have time to work up something new or even re-work an old talk. Should have said no.
There's no grace in feigned humility. This isn't feigned humility. It just sucked.
On the positive, the more it sucked, the more I tend to pray for the effectiveness of my preaching. There's some dodgy theology behind this somewhere.
It's good to look at yourself / review post event, however don't get too worried about it. I always remember that God used an ass to speak to Balaam, so he can use anything to touch people's hearts.
ReplyDeletePraying that next time goes better for you.
Hey buddy,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it was me who told you the story but I believe the question was 'Why did the sermon fail?' asked without fail (ha ha) at every single preaching critique. It was asked whether the preacher was a Jensen of the finest theological calibre, or the lowliest of the crypto-high churchmen of addled brain that sometimes inhabited the college.
Anyway believe me I've been where you've been and no how you feel. It is just the pits of the earth to be half-way through a sermon and be standing there going, this doesn't make any sense to me, I can see from the pitying looks I'm getting that it makes no sense to anyone else, and... well you know the rest.
Two consolations, one serious and one silly.
One is that over time, the quality of God's grace working through you — words and character — will be of far greater impact long after the dud sermon is forgotten. 1 Tim 4:16 and all that.
And if you really are 'apt to teach' (and believe me, I've heard you speak and you are), it is only the harshest critic—you, and possibly close family members—who will remember that double bogey on the 5th hole in the qualifying tournament.
The second, sillier consolation is that the man who asked 'Why did the sermon fail?' was quite possibly the worst preacher that has been seen on the Moore college faculty at any period during the last 50 years. But no one cares about that, we just thank God for the way he has shaped our lives and the lives of so many through his teaching and his character.
Keep preaching mate you have a lot to offer.
'know' not 'no'
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pepping up! This post was my therapy and I've now officially let it go. That said, I'm unapologetic for having high standards. Its not that I am overly concerned for my reputation, but more that I want the hearers to love learning from God's word as much as I do. And the fewer barriers I put in the road of that the better!
ReplyDelete