So, tomorrow I am preaching. I am preaching on Genesis 2:1-3. I have REALLY struggled with getting this sermon written and prepared for preaching. I just put the finishing touches on it, revised it for the 4th time, and now am ready to print it and go over it a few times so that I can stick in my head what I am going to say.
There are a few reasons that this sermon has been especially difficult for me.
- First of all, now having two little girls running around the house makes it way more difficult than it was before to work from home. It is hard to concentrate when every 30-seconds I am hearing, "Ryan...Ryan... Ryan... LOOK at this!!!" They are cute, but it does make it challenging.
- I struggle at times when I am assigned a specific passage to preach on. I understand the desire for this - to fit within the sermon series that is being taught. But I also struggle with it on a couple of levels. First of all, I like to allow the Spirit to speak to my heart and be allowed to preach on something that the spirit has placed heavy on my heart to share with the people. Secondly, I know that the Sr. Pastor has an idea in his head of what he wants communicated with each theme - and my sermon may or may not communicate exactly what he was hoping, or what he thinks is important. This makes it tough.
- Third, in this particular church, the way the services are set up the individual preaching the sermon is given a time-limit of 20 to 22 minutes to preach the entire sermon (and going overtime is a HUGE mistake here and people get quite upset if you do). Trying to squeeze into 20-22 minute the material that I have been studying and want to share on this particular sermon feels impossible.
I am praying that my sermon is not choppy, that it flow smoothly, that it make sense, and that it has some clear personal application to it. I don't want to come across as "look at me, I went to Seminary and here's what I can do." I want to share from the word of God and make it applicable and meaningful to their lives today - There is a reason it is called "The LIVING Word!" I don't want them to leave still having the question in their minds of "so what? What does that matter in my life?"
I have attempted to do that in my sermon. I am finally feeling better about where it is at, but I am also very nervous about preaching. But, soon it will be over and I can update you on how it went.
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