Preaching for decisions: know when to land the sermon

I heard a well-prepared, well-delivered sermon that was intended to conclude with an invitation. As the sermonĀ was finishedĀ a sweet spirit was evident in the service and I fully expected to see several people respond. The case had been made and the Spirit of the Lord was at work.

But the preacher wouldn’t land the sermon! Instead, we heard one more story followed by yet another application. By the time people were actually given opportunity to respond the moment had faded and the response was meager.

There are two points in the sermon that especially need to be well thought through by the preacher. The first is the first part of the sermon. The other is the closing of the sermon.

I’m not saying that sermons should never include “in flight” direction of the Holy Spirit, even at crucial points (like leading to a call for decisions). However, the preacher needs to be careful to leave the Spirit room to work in the hearts of the listeners and be leery of telling “one more story.”

Reflections on the 1st Anniversary of my Retirement

Time flies. It was one year ago this Sunday that I preached my final sermon as a pastor and said farewell to our wonderful congregation. We turned the page to a new chapter in our lives.

While I doubt that I will ever quit being a pastor at heart, Iā€™ve begun to learn to go to church and sit in a pew. Iā€™ve been learning what it means to go to church and have no responsibility other than to worship. Iā€™d almost forgotten what that was like. For me church attendance was filled with responsibilities. I gave my all on Sundays and came home weary and, quite often satisfied. These days I come home less weary and less satisfied. Going to church no longer has ā€œworkā€ associated with it but it doesnā€™t carry with it the satisfaction only a pastor enjoys after an especially blessed Sunday morning.

Of course, Jackie and I didnā€™t retire in a normal way. The day after my last Sunday we headed out on a great adventure, traveling the country in our RV. Itā€™s been a great year and we hope it has been the first of what will be many.

During the past year I stopped carrying an ink pen in my pocket. That meant I could shop for shirts without pockets for the first time in years. It took several months, but I finally stopped wearing a watch. I have a sun tan instead of a white band around my wrist! During the year Jackie and my mornings have morphed into a leisurely time punctuated by a long coffee break about 10:00 each day. Then, many evenings have been spent sitting outside watching the sky; counting the satellites that glide overhead. Weā€™ve even seen a good number of shooting stars. Weā€™re enjoying each otherā€™s company in ways that were almost forgotten.

We arenā€™t quite there yet but weā€™re rediscovering something we havenā€™t experienced since childhood: the joy of doing nothing. Donā€™t get me wrong: we do a lot. Weā€™ve gone sightseeing, taken hikes, and visited museums and National Parks. However, mixed in now, are days of reading or just fooling with the computer. There are times to just sit and watch the world go by; or blow an evening watching TV. Over the winter, when it was unusually old outside, we watched the entire Star Wars series, from beginning to end, every night for six nights in a row. No meetings to attend, no need to bundle up and go out and fight the weather or the traffic ā€“ just time to do what we wanted to do, which was, at that particular moment: nothing.

Weā€™ve missed having family close by. Most people retire and spend more time with loved ones. We, in our own crazy way, retired and immediately traveled far from them. That absent time, though, was somewhat balanced out by the months when we were close by and available to them as never before.

So, here I am, one year into retirement. When anyone asks me how Iā€™m enjoying retirement I generally respond with the quip that had I known it was this much fun, I would have done it 30 years ago. Thereā€™s no small amount of truth to it.

Thinking about pastor appreciation

Once again we’re in October, the month set aside in many churches for pastor appreciation.Ā  This is my first October in many years to not be appreciated!Ā  The reason is that I retired last May.Ā  I think this gives me a unique perspective on pastor appreciation month.

Through the years I’ve been blessed in so many wonderful and undeserved ways by the congregations I’ve led.Ā  One of my favorite honors was being given tickets to very good seats at a ball game.Ā  Another year we were given a DVD filled with words of appreciation by members of our congregation.Ā  Of course gift cards and cash are always welcome gifts.

I think pastors with children are especially blessed by being given a night out, including babysitting and the cost of a nice meal together.

Thinking in more general ways about pastoral care I think many pastors need to be encouraged to take some time off.Ā Ā  These days most pastors have spouses who work outside the home.Ā  That means that their household seldom, if ever, gets time off together.Ā  Say the spouse works a Monday-Friday job.Ā  However, the pastor’s busiest days are Saturday and Sunday.Ā  That means they never get a morning to sleep in or enjoy some “us time” around the house.Ā  One way to bless your pastor is to arrange for your parsonage family to enjoy a long weekend once in a while.

Finally, I’ll let you in on a little secret.Ā  Most pastors put a great deal of work into their sermons, Bible studies, etc.Ā  They may not openly admit it, but a lack of interest by their laypeople in this element of their ministry is rather painful.Ā  Pastors notice when ushers receive the offering and then disappear out to the church foyer for the rest of the service (specifically, for the sermon).Ā  They notice when people skip other services, like prayer meetings and Bible studies.Ā  It’s one thing to give the pastor an appreciation card during the month of October and something much better to allow the pastor to minister to you, fulfilling the calling of God on their life.Ā  One of the best ways to show appreciation for your pastor is to show an interest in their ministry.Ā  Stated rather bluntly, if you appreciate the pastor, stop hurting him or her by displaying a lack of interest in their preaching and teaching ministry.

An old preacher’s line is “saying ‘amen’ to a preacher is like saying sik’em to a dog.”Ā  In the context of pastor appreciation I’d say that letting your pastor minister to you and then, after the service, shaking his or her hand and telling them that you appreciated their sermon is where pastor appreciation starts.