A question for the Clergy

[walt]

I had posted this in another area and the suggestion was made that I post it here.

A question for the Clergy on this forum


Greetings everyone!

I will ask my question first then I will give some background as to how I came about asking the question. My question is directed to the Clergy that has had formal training to preach God's word.

The question is: After you graduated from divinity school, are you given or have access to a *lesson plan* or guide for suggestions as to what to preach? Or are you totality on your own, depending on the Holy Sprit for material to preach? What is your denomation?
I used the term *lesson plan* because in my past I was approached to teach a Sunday school class of teenagers. I was given a lesson plan to follow. It was a guide. Not something that was set on a set of railroad tracks to follow. Quite a few times, after we started to discuss a point, we went down a different path.

The reason I ask these questions.
I am doing a DVD study of Genesis. I am at chapter 42. The insight the speaker shared, I do not remember hearing before. My wife and I have been in quite a few churches in the states due to moving for job and health reasons. I say do not remember hearing because maybe I did hear but I wasn't ready to receive. So this started the thought process and going down a path of searching for answers knowing what I know about the Scriptures and seeing the shape the world is in these days.
I personally know four clergy and have put the question to them. But I wanted a larger data sampling. A friend of mine directed me to this site and said that there were a lot of clergy in this forum and that maybe they (you) could provide me with some help.
Please feel free to email me your responce if you do not wish respond in public.
Thank you.

 

[plmarquette]

some of what you will do comes from what is within you ...ephesians 1.5,11 who you are in God's eyes

some is learning from a structured bible school or seminary , a frame work of constraint ( sound and spurious doctrines)

some is learning how to use the bible , the law of hermeneutics ( who-what-when-where-why-to what extent) does the point relate to you, the flock, the church , what is said then and how it applies now

some is experience, revelation 12.11 what you prayed for walked out in faith , that made things better - Philippians 4.8,13

some is a word rattling around in your head that you pick up a concordance and chase ... your sermon ...

 

[WarEagle]

I had posted this in another area and the suggestion was made that I post it here.

A question for the Clergy on this forum


Greetings everyone!

I will ask my question first then I will give some background as to how I came about asking the question. My question is directed to the Clergy that has had formal training to preach God's word.

The question is: After you graduated from divinity school, are you given or have access to a *lesson plan* or guide for suggestions as to what to preach?

One word of advice: plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize!

No, seriously, in my denomination, you're pretty much on your own as far as preaching goes.

There are sermon outlines that you can buy, which are essentially prewritten sermons where you just fill in the blanks (kind of like Mad Libs for Jesus) but I just can't discourage those strongly enough. It has a couple of consequences. The first is that it cuts out the leading of the Holy Spirit. The second is that it leads to doctrinal sloppiness. The third is that it leads to laziness in your study.

Remember, as a preacher, you're supposed to be putting a lot of study and prayer into your sermons.

You show me somebody who relies on these pre-packaged sermon outlines and I'll show you somebody who's just asking for trouble.

In my case, I'll start planning my sermons or series a couple of weeks in advance, make up an outline, and start to really flesh it out about ten days in advance. Most guys wait until that week or as little as four or five days ahead of time, but I'm always editing and adding things, plus I have a couple of guys I show my notes to in order to make sure they're Biblically and doctrinally accurate and concise, so I start a little earlier.

Plus, that gives me time to flexibility, should something come up that I have to address.

Or are you totality on your own, depending on the Holy Sprit for material to preach?

More or less, yes.

What is your denomation?

Southern Baptist.

I used the term *lesson plan* because in my past I was approached to teach a Sunday school class of teenagers. I was given a lesson plan to follow. It was a guide. Not something that was set on a set of railroad tracks to follow. Quite a few times, after we started to discuss a point, we went down a different path.

Teaching Sunday School or a Bible study is different. In that case, it's perfectly acceptable to use a pre-prepared lesson plan.

 

[Father Rick]

In my experience, the best preachers use some of both approaches.

As you do your routine Bible study, you'll come across some really good sermons, good illustrations, etc. You'll want to create files for the different passages you study, so that later when it's time to share the passage with your parishioners you can draw from those resources.

Many denominations use a lectionary. If you're not familiar with the lectionary, it divides the scriptures up systematically so that you go through the entire Bible every three years. If your denomination does use one, then the passages you will be covering each week are already chosen and you just have to determine the best way to present the material to the congregation.

This is where your resource file comes in. If you just try to present someone else's material, it will usually come very stiff and/or fake. But, you can get ideas, etc. from others that you can then "make yours". Also, over a period of several years as you build material, you will find it takes less time to prepare a message on any particular passage, since you already have the resources you need handy.

 

[revanneosl]

As a 23-year veteran of the pulpit, I give Father Rick's advice an A+

I can't advise strongly enough that you commit yourself to the discipline of preaching from the lectionary texts each week. Without that discipline, all of us are ultimately tempted to preach only from the texts that we find easy and comfortable, and to ignore the more difficult teachings of Jesus

My other piece of advice comes from Robert F. Capon. Find a version of the Office of Daily Prayer that suits you, and then pray it every day until the day you die. Praying the Daily Office will immerse you not only in regular and systematic meditation upon the scripture, but also in the practice of praying the scripture, and also the discipline of focusing upon the needs of the whole world and the whole church, rather than only on your little corner of it.

These two "guides": lectionary and Daily Office, are worth more than al sermon-of-the-week-services you can subscribe to.

 

[revanneosl]

double post - whoops!