Members of Baptist congregations would do well to try to understand something
of the travail, albeit what is often joyful travail but always travail, involved
in preparing and delivering sermons three times a week.
“There was a poll a few years ago that said that of all things to be feared
in life – death, disease, drowning – Americans picked as their number-one
fear . . . public speaking.” (On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan, Regan Books1998,
page XI),
Members of Baptist congregations would do well to try to understand something
of the travail, albeit what is often joyful travail but always travail, involved
in preparing and delivering sermons three times a week.
“There was a poll a few years ago that said that of all things to be feared
in life – death, disease, drowning – Americans picked as their number-one
fear . . . public speaking.” (On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan, Regan Books1998,
page XI),
Noonan, a noted presidential speech writer for Ronald Reagan, and those who
answered the polling question could not have imagined what their fear level
would be if they considered preparing and delivering three different major speeches
a week, 45 to 50 weeks a year, basically to the same group of people.
There is probably no more strenuous life than one that includes delivering
three sermons a week as Baptist preachers are required to do.
And preaching ministers are not just expected to “give a good speech.”
They bear the additional responsibility of delivering messages by which people
are expected to shape their lives, their beliefs, their values and their futures.
To do this, conscientious preachers must carefully prepare messages so that
they legitimately represent the truths of Gods Word.
Not only must the minister study to prepare well-crafted messages, he then
is expected to present them in entertaining, stimulating fashion. Listeners
standards of judgment are generally high. Congregations tend to gauge their
pastors “success” preparing and delivering sermons by comparing
them to the pastors of megachurches who are on television each week.
Good sermons demand quality time studying for and praying over the sermons.
The amount of time required would probably startle the average listener. Some
pastors known for their pulpit skills say they spend from fifteen minutes to
one hour per one minute of sermon delivered.
These precious hours of study must be found in schedules that include hospital
visits, outreach, administration, staying abreast of current church operations,
counseling, emergencies of members, weddings, funerals, inevitable “drop-in
visitors,” denominational work and on and on. If a preacher is bivocational,
as about half of Louisiana Baptist pastors are, imagine the additional burden
of finding time to prepare sermons!
Church members should also realize that the Holy Spirit in his wisdom gives
individual ministers different gifts of ministry. Some ministers have pastoral
gifts, others the gift of leadership. Not all good, effective ministers are
good, effective preachers. Their sermons are probably adequate, but their other
vital areas of ministry may be excellent. Still, his overall ministry can be
extremely effective. Churches act wisely when they accept the pastor for who
he is and appreciate his gifts without constantly criticizing him and complaining
because of the gifts he does not have.
It is amazing how churches sometimes complain about their pastors preaching
without thinking that perhaps the members should be more diligent to be the
kind of congregation that makes its preacher better. One sage said, “Great
churches make good preachers great.” Many congregations forget the significant
point of one of Joe McKeevers cartoons, in which a pastor standing before
his congregation confesses, “I know Im no Adrian Rogers,” and
then adds, “but remember, you are no Bellevue Baptist Church (Rogers
20,000 member church).”
Next week, a good point for preachers from Noonans book.