Columnist M. Craig Barnes
April 1, 2002
I pull out the text for next Sunday's sermon first thing Monday morning. Almost always I wonder, What in the world I was thinking when I picked this text months ago? By Tuesday, I have worked through several commentaries, and with their help I am now thoroughly confused about what I will say. A day later this has reached the point of despair. On Thursday, I often entertain thoughts of forgetting this text completely and starting over with a new one. But my helpful secretary always reminds me, "Too late. The bulletin has already gone to the printer." So I keep trudging my way through. When the time comes for me to stop reading and researching, and start writing the sermon, I am always over-caffeinated. I keep checking my e-mail and playing with the fonts on the computer. I adjust my chair, again. When I discover that I am actually writing the sermon, I always want to celebrate by taking a little break. What all this is about is nothing less than fear. Writing sermons is hard work. It doesn't matter how gifted you are, how long you've been at it, or even how much you enjoy it. It's never easy to write good sermons; worse yet, it's painful. The preacher's heart is the crucible in which the words of the people and the Word of God get mixed together. This is a sacred process the Holy Spirit uses to present Scripture with all the kerygmatic power it had when first uttered by prophets and apostles. But it hurts for mortals to be the vessels of holy words. When we look at the cost paid by the prophets and apostles, we shouldn't be surprised that we are hesitant, every week, to go through this again. If my assignment were simply to write an exegesis paper every week, that would be challenging, but not painful. Or if my job were only to ...
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