I guess 'scatter-brained' is as good an expression as any. I just began a deeply fascinating and wonderfully rich new post at my church. I am a new teaching pastor, a service for which I have an overwhelming degree of passion. I seems that everything I learn, and relearn, and learn again, gets sifted through a mechanism in my spirit and mind that translates into transmitted teaching. I am constantly asking myself "How can I communicate that?" It seems a dreadfully lovely sickness that I don't want to get rid of.
Since I officially began this new position in early August I have been feverishly reading, studying, translating, and writing in preparation for my first series of sermons that are arranged around a topic that I think is extremely important: how does Jesus want us to interact with and operate in our culture? With this question in mind I began my efforts of study. I amassed pages and pages of notes and thoughts and brainstorms over the weeks. I organized in different ways, I listened to other pastors and teachers talk on the subject. I did all that I could in the time allotted me. That may have been my problem.
It's now a little over 24 hours since I delivered my first sermon and all I have been thinking about is the things I didn't say. Without doubt, the thing that excites me most is the fact that I get to do it all over again in just a couple days, and then a week after that, etc. But I had such passionate and important points to make last Sunday, I fear I didn't make the case as precisely as I had hoped.
Since I aim to get my message FROM the scripture and not take a pre-conceived message TO the Scripture, I spent most of my time studying the main text for the day - 2 Timothy 4:1-5, a section of a letter that is perhaps one of the latest writings of the New Testament. It is a great text written by the great apostle Paul to his dear friend Timothy. My conclusion or thesis from the text: The ultimate need of our broken culture is a church that humbly proclaims and passionately lives out the whole story of Jesus. The series itself is called 'Savvy,' and my first and central point is that we need 'Gospel-savvy' first and foremost to make a difference in our culture.
My central illustrations and images were from John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress and a historical image from the Leyte Gulf naval battle of World War II, the second of which I didn't conclude. It seems I had too much to say...I ran out of time. I also did not explain the 'humbly' part of my conclusion. That may be the most beautiful of what I had planned to say. Of course, it was just the first installment in a series of four weeks, so I will have more time to flesh out, fill in, and find my way through all of the incredibly relevant things I want to say. And I'm hoping that in the time remaining, God would teach me much more and help me in my efforts of communication. I can't wait for next Sunday.
3 comments:
Careful Scot. This is how some pastors end up having sermon series that last for years. I know the feeling. Every time I teach, I feel that I had other things to say, or should have said it better. I think that is the nature of what we do. That, Scot, I think, is a mark of a good teacher. You are a good teacher, my friend.
I really like this new blog. I look forward to more of your thoughts.
We miss you guys.
Brandon
Hey Scot! Of course I had to come comment once Brandon told me that you had a blog! Did you know I did my college senior seminary on John Bunyan? Of course you didn't-I don't think Brandon even knew. I'll look around for any notes if you need anything.;)
Good stuff, Scot. Very enjoyable reads. And of course, great sermons! I'm a History major and didn't know about the Battle of Leyte Gulf, so it was a great analogy that grabbed my attention. Keep it up, brother...most excellent!
Jeff Frank
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