Reflections From Sunday Evening

How to listen to a sermon. That would be a pretty good title for an article. Maybe. This weekend I listened to 4 sermons. I was up front with Kyle on Saturday evening and with Kyle and Ginger at 8:15. As a participant in the service I was pretty engaged with what the preacher was saying. At 9:30 I listened from the congregation. At 11:00 I listened to Jake in the NEXT congregation. I am reminded that it is not easy to listen. As a preacher I have a tendency to "evaluate" sermons. I try to avoid this in our church but part of my task is to evaluate so I listen with a "critical" ear. (I came away today feeling that we are in very good hands with our younger clergy and the messages they offer.) I also realize it is easier to stay focused when I am the one doing the talking. It seems to me that little distractions are more difficult to ignore when listening. With this said I want to commend congregants who regularly attend worship and listen as we preach. Listening to a sermon is not something a person is able to do in a passive way. But maybe this is one reason we experience people attending worship on a less regular basis. Maybe it is not a matter of not being interested. Maybe people are realizing that it takes effort to listen. Is it worth the effort? Here are some hints for better listening. 1. Prepare to listen. Be rested and awake when you show up. Believe me I can put myself to sleep while I Am Talking if I am not rested. 2. Jot down a key take away or some idea that the message sparks. (This means you will be listening more intently). 3. Pray before listening. (Preachers pray before speaking. Pray the Holy Spirit speak to your heart in the message.) 4. Expect to hear a word from the Lord. It continually astounds me that God uses very human instruments to get a spiritual word to people. Expect. 5. Listen for something you may apply to your daily life. I am sure we could work on this list and come up with something more helpful but perhaps this is a start. Remember that preaching is not mere talking. It is intended to be communication. Communication requires a sender and a receiver. Part of the joy of preaching is that we are in this together. Thanks for listening. It's been a good day - Remember it is Valentine's Day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve