What shall I preach?
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Reflections
Michael J. Brooks
A newly-called music minister asked for long-range sermon plans. I told him I had none, though once I did.
A seminary professor required us to submit a year’s pulpit work. We students did the same kind of thing, beginning with special days like Mother’s Day and Easter and Christmas – we knew what we’d talk about on those days. And then we generally looked for short-term series to fill four or five or six weeks and the like.
I continued this practice for a number of years, gathering notes and outlines throughout the year and mapping it in the quiet time at year’s end.
A corollary benefit was scheduling vacation Sundays and inviting my chosen fill-ins months in advance!
I don’t remember how one lady knew this practice. I’m sure I must’ve unwisely mentioned it in passing, but she objected.
“How can you know the will of God six months from now?” she queried.
I assured her this was only a plan subject to revision as God and circumstances led. For example, 9/11 was on a Tuesday and probably every sermon in America was different the following Sunday. And I good-naturedly reminded her the Lord directed the Old Testament prophets to proclaim truth hundreds of years distant.
I don’t think she ever acquiesced to my logic.
In recent years I’ve generally planned sermons for a few weeks at a time and try to focus on my Sunday topic on Monday mornings.
Our denomination has the tradition of the Winter Bible Study, suggesting a book or theme for study each year. I’ve most often preached five or six messages in the Spring based on this, such as the current year’s “I am” statements of Jesus in John’s gospel.
This music minister had previously served at a large church where staff brainstormed about worship every week for an entire morning. I told him as the only full-time employee at our church, I couldn’t spare the time, and furthermore, I never remember anybody ever saying, “Pastor, the music and sermon blended so well today!”
I was intrigued enough to ask the president of our pastors’ group if I could do an informal survey before the program began one day. A few pastors told me they preach through books of the Bible and have a general idea of topics months in advance. But most of my brothers, like me, prayed and planned weekly.
In other denominations pastors customarily use the lectionary and preach based on the church calendar.
I don’t think one size fits all.
However we make it work, the ultimate goal is to rightly interpret the word of truth, and to entice our hearers to lay hold on the riches of God.
“Reflections” is a weekly faith column written by Michael J. Brooks, pastor of the Siluria Baptist Church, Alabaster, Ala. The church’s website is siluriabaptist.com.
