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| Disclaimer: This is NOT my next sermon series no matter how creative! |
When this church year began last December, I had
committed to following the lectionary in order to see just what disciplines
lectionary preaching could instill in me. But when you hit “ordinary time,” the
challenge mounts. Yes – there are two choices for ordinary time. One that works
through the Gospel assigned for the year – this year it’s Matthew – and one
that works through major portions of the Hebrew Scriptures. So – do the saints
of Seneca Presbyterian Church want to listen to Matthew or Genesis and Exodus
for twenty long weeks? If you seek to break up that long stretch, how to you
break away from a story and then come back to it? Aren’t you going to miss
major pieces of it? I hope you see the
preacher’s dilemma.
One of the reasons I enjoy meeting with the
faithful seekers each week is that they keep me grounded in reality. As
fascinating as the patriarchal and matriarchal narratives of Genesis are, the
faithful worshipper in the pew isn’t really interested in JEDP. (That’s seminary
jargon for the source narratives underlying the Torah texts of Hebrew
Scripture.) It’s not at all surprising that our conversation this past week turned
instead toward “series preaching.” Isn’t that a good option for the summer, we
thought.
So we began speaking of the questions that touch
our lives, particularly as a congregation full of “over sixty-somethings.” How
do we find joy and purpose in later life? What happens to our lives when our
relationships with our children change? Are we ready to be the ones who need to
receive instead of give – especially when many of us are still the ones giving
and caring for our own parents? Is there a clear moment when those roles
reverse? How can those who have always been the ones ready to help become the
ones asking for it? And how can the ones who are accustomed to receiving be
ready to give?
Is it any wonder that we are also fascinated by
heaven and what we can or cannot know about what comes after this life?
We did not come up with any definitive plans for
preaching during ordinary time. But still the conversation was a blessing.
First of all, I am reminded that preaching really matters. It can offer us not
only understanding and faith, but also wisdom for living our lives faithfully.
Secondly, it gave me wonderful food for thought about what is important for at
least this small group of “my people.” Yes- it left me with a great challenge.
How do you preach effectively in ways that truly touch lives? The Holy Spirit
has to help, taking feeble words and enabling them to be heard.
But you can also help me. What sermons have you
heard that touched you or gave you new direction? How did it happen? How can it
happen again?
