Just what do you do, anyway?

It’s a legitimate question. How a pastor spends their time is not always easy to see, especially in a country church without daily programming. The quick answer is, lots of things, and over time, it is my hope to acquaint you with many of them; this time, let’s look at what we Presbyterians call The Proclamation of the Word. As I said in a recent sermon, many of you know me as the Preacher, so obviously, I preach. But preaching requires several distinct undertakings, each of which takes both time and effort.
Preaching requires planning. I like to plan worship on a quarterly or seasonal basis, and for the most part, I follow the Revised Common Lectionary. The Lectionary is a three-year schedule of lessons that covers a wide swath of the Bible; I find using it keeps me from getting in a rut. In planning, I read through the scriptures for the season, and try to discern what God is calling us to hear. Sometimes, this is a quick process; sometimes it can take quite a while. After the scripture passages have been chosen, I use several worship planning resources (including my database of hymns you all know and like) to select hymns for each Sunday. I then create a worship planner (which is given to the worship committee and anyone else who wants one), and set up the bulletins in the computer, with the scripture lessons and hymns in place.
Preaching requires study. Of course, I went to Seminary, so a lot of the studying has already been done. It’s important, though, to go back to the books on a regular basis – especially when it comes to preaching. At the beginning of each week, I refresh my memory about the sermon lesson, and use my planning resources to help write the call to worship and prayer of confession. Then it’s time to study. For me, key words are fascinating, so I’ll often do some word study, in addition to checking the Bible commentaries, and, yes, my old sermons - although it is often a little embarrassing to read them again.
Preaching requires mulling. Sometimes it’s obvious where God is taking us with a passage; a sermon title pops right into my head at the beginning of the process, and we’re off to the proverbial races. Other times, I’ll look at a sermon title on Monday morning and wonder what in the world were you thinking when you came up with that? Most weeks, though, it’s somewhere in the middle, so after reading up on the passage, it’s time to mull things over; to think long and hard about the passage, opening myself to what God is saying to me and to us. While this mulling starts in my office, it continues in various settings, including lawn mowing, yard work, sitting on the porch, going for a drive – even grocery shopping. But perhaps one of the best ways to mull over the sermon is to talk with you all, because
Preaching requires me to know you. For me, preaching isn’t just about making theological points, or teaching doctrine; it’s about finding a way for us to both see and feel what God is doing in our midst. In fact, that might be the best part of my job – the privilege of seeing and learning, interpreting and sharing what God is doing in you. I get to do in lots of ways: sharing a meal, working on a project,
hanging around at the lawn party, sleeping in a bunkhouse, sipping tea on the porch – all of it is grist for the mill, and I love it all.
The last part is coming up with the a way in, the hook upon which I can hang my introduction, and a way out, the conclusion that keeps me from going on and on. Then it’s a matter of typing up my notes – although that, too, can make for a long night.
I love the regularity of preaching; the chance to share and build on last week’s sermon, the weekly deadline to meet, the sense of accomplishment I get each Sunday morning between 11:05 and 11:15, when the sermon is accomplished. It is my hope and prayer that the Spirit is at work in the sermon every week, and we continue to grow in faith through the Proclamation of the Word.
If you want a copy of this season’s worship planner, check the preacher’s mailbox, next to the office. Next time, perhaps we’ll talk about some of the other things I do; until next then, remember: I am yours in Christ.
Patrick, the Preacher