Many preachers remember their first
sermon.[1]
Some people remember it as being particularly bad or cringe-worthy. My first
sermon occurred when I was about 19. I was part of a team from my college that
went out to share in different congregations. The first sermon was in front of
a Native American congregation. I do not remember what I said. We were in South
Dakota at Pine Ridge Reservation. I remember most that parents allowed children
to run around the congregation. I had a warning that this might happen. I had no
objection, but it was distracting. I was nervous, of course. Soon after that, I
delivered a sermon at Austin, MN, at the congregation in which I had grown up.
I do not remember the sermon, but it was such a privilege to be in that pulpit.
In both cases, of course, I wanted to do well. I tried to determine if I was
relating.
It is like that old story about a
preacher who was leaving a congregation on his last Sunday. At the end of the
service, he stood at the door while the people filed out and said their last
goodbyes. One woman came to the preacher weeping, full of emotion. The preacher
attempted to comfort her. "There, there, sister. Even though I'm leaving,
I'm sure the bishop will send you a wonderful preacher." Through her tears
she replied, "That's what they've been telling us for 20 years and it
ain't happened yet!"
Will Willimon says that a first
sermon in a congregation is a lot like a first date -- you want to do well, be
impressive, put your best foot forward and not say anything dumb that might
endanger the future relationship.
It can be a struggle, however, because we know our own struggles and
weaknesses very well. We know that, at base, we are not any more qualified than
anyone else to speak for God, regardless of that newly framed seminary degree. Therefore,
we shake a little, wondering how we came to be standing there with the Word of
God on our lips. In fact, the most important thing about every sermon is that
the focus is the Word of God and its application to our lives today. We need to
trust that the Word of God still speaks, even after this many centuries. We need
to preacher naturally, rather than with a preachy voice. We need to keep it
relatively short.[2]
[1] Perhaps it
is like a doctor performing her first hernia operation – it is not pretty, and it
is probably a bloody mess, but she gets it all stitched up and the patient is
good as new, better than ever. Maybe preaching that first sermon is like a
pilot going solo for the first time or a lawyer giving his first summation to
the jury.
[2] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-tips-for-my-younger-preacher-self
offers some good advice for new preachers.
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