Stronger in the Second Half
April 1, 1996
- Donald Shoff: Why I Threw Out My Old Sermons
- Fred Smith: Questions to Ask at Midlife
- Jack Hayford: Your Season of Ministry
WHY I THREW OUT MY OLD SERMONS
I had a choice: grow or quit.
My wife, Judy, and I came home following another typically dead and poorly attended Sunday evening service. We drove into the garage, hit the button, and listened as the garage door closed. We sat quiet in the darkness for several minutes. Finally, I said, "Honey, is this the end of the line? Am I too old to minister effectively anymore?" Without hesitation she answered, "Yes, I think you are. But it doesn't have to do with your age. Your preaching puts people to sleep. You rarely get excited about anything. You don't feel anything deeply anymore. You're dead, and you're killing the church. "You used to preach with power. Now you are just mouthing words. The people are bored. I'm bored. You're bored. You need to put your heart and soul into serving this church or resign and let them find someone who can." I knew she was right. I could no longer blame the board or the people. I was the problem. In retrospect, Judy's rebuke was the most loving gift she has given me. Sometime between our talk in the garage and sunrise the next morning, I took a step that turned my ministry around. SERMON TRASHING
I had come from a larger church to this congregation, which at the time was made up almost entirely of young couples. They were thrilled to have a pastor with "maturity." I was excited about the potential for growth. It soon became apparent, however, that we both were wrong. I preached the same sermons here that had been effective in my previous pastorate. But here the people yawned and looked at their watches. We shared the same theological tradition, but not the ...
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