(Last month I shared some thoughts that grew out of reading Will Willimon’s book Preacher’s Dare. I had several positive comments so thank you. Here are more thoughts about preaching.)
I am approaching 30 years in ministry. That’s 30 years of preaching sermons, providing spiritual care and all the other things that come along with being a pastor. There are a lot of things pastors do but many folks identify the act of preaching with being a pastor. Over the years, some folks have simply referred to me as “preacher.” “Hey preacher, good sermon.” Or, well, maybe not so good. I had someone ask me, “Why would anyone want to be a preacher?”
I asked, “Why? “ And they answered, ”Why would you want to get up there on Sunday mornings and say things that most of us don’t really want to hear?” I didn’t have a good answer. But it has been said that the reason God has to call people to preach is because otherwise no sane person would do it. An astute lay person once added, “Well, that explains why most pastors I know are nuts.” I chuckled a bit but couldn’t argue.
Preaching is an odd calling to possess. It demands that I stand up in front of people whose lives are intertwined with mine, open the Bible and proclaim a connection between our lives and the texts for the day. And sometimes that connection proclaims God’s love, mercy, and presence to folks that long for all those things. And yet, other times, the connection has more sting to it. The sermon can become a mirror in which we see how we fit with God’s notion of things. And we don’t always like what God says or what we see.
The week after the attacks of September 11, 2001, I talked about God’s presence in the midst of our fear and uncertainty. But I also talked about God’s call to love our enemies and pray for them. Afterwards, a fairly irate woman came up to me and said, “You don’t really expect me to love our enemies do you? I don’t like that idea.” I didn’t take it personally because to be honest, I don’t either. Sometimes it’s hard to look in the mirror.
One of the many strange things about God calling me to be a pastor is that I like to be liked. I am a “people” person. I struggle to say or do things I know will anger others. I enjoy it when someone comes up to me after a sermon with a smile on their face and says, “Great sermon” or “That was exactly what I needed to hear.” But because I like to be liked, I wince when folks come up to me (or send me an email or tell someone else) and are upset with something I said in a sermon. I had a pastor friend who used to tell folks, “Don’t be mad at me. take it up with God. I don’t like conflict. I would never pick a fight with you on my own.” I never did ask my friend if he ever needed to duck to avoid a right hook….lol.
But one of the hardest thing for many preachers (not to mention people in the pews) to accept is that sometimes God uses preachers to cause a little trouble. Jesus once got folks so mad at one of his sermons that they tried to throw him off a cliff. That’s never happened to me but, then, maybe I am not bold enough in my preaching.
When someone is gracious enough to compliment me on a sermon I will often say, “I am glad God could use me.” But knowing that God also calls preachers to stir things up a bit, maybe I should say the same thing when someone doesn’t like what I say.
Preaching is an odd endeavor and it is even odder that God would call a people-pleasing person like me to do it. But God has. And all I can do is hope that He uses me…for better or for worse.
Peace, Pastor Wilson