3 Strategies to Keep Sermon Prep on Track When the Rest of Life Isn't
Tropical Storm Nicholas was days in the making with plenty of time for me to make emergency plans. And I did. For other people.
I live in the Houston, TX, area and have been through a few major storms, so I knew what to expect.
Being the wise and prudent leader that I am (!), I made arrangements to take over the duties from other Backstory Preaching mentors who live closer to the Gulf than I do. It was more likely (I thought) that they would flood or lose power than I would.
But who’s the only one who lost electricity—for twenty-four hours? Yours truly. And I was surprised when it happened! Enough so that I had done almost nothing to prepare for the possibility, and other mentors were called upon to fill in for me at the last minute (which they did most graciously).
I know I’m not alone in this experience.
We know stuff happens to other people all the time, which means they might call on us all the time when they need help.
And yet, we’re still surprised when our carefully constructed expectation for how the day or week is going to go evaporates in an instant because of an emergency someone else is having.
Other people’s surprises can have big impacts on our sermon prep.
Rather than get paralyzed (and often resentful) in the face of the unexpected, here are three strategies to help stay on track.
Calendars vs Connections
We schedule our calendars and to-do lists, and hold tight our expectations that this is how our day will go—if only the rest of the universe leaves us alone.
Except that it won’t.
Because life happens to other people 24/7/365, and we are blessedly connected to those other people 24/7/365.
Loosen the hold on the the daily plan.
Bless the connections—because Jesus served people, not his planner.
Notice. Articulate. Pray.
We’ve been through these experiences before. There’s often a predictable flow that can be anticipated.
Notice how you react to an unexpected event.
Articulate. Say to yourself, “This is the part when…” This distances you from the event and keeps it in perspective: You’ve been here before, and this too shall pass.
Pray. You’re not doing this alone. You’re serving those Christ in the form of the person in need.
For example, let’s say you receive a phone call for a pastoral emergency that must be attended to immediately, interrupting the time you’d set aside for your sermon prep.
Notice: My heart is racing, my forehead is tense, and my breathing got shallow.
Articulate: This is the part when I panic, wondering when I’ll get my sermon done.
Pray: Stop. Consciously relax tense muscles. Breathe. Hear Jesus say, “Do not be afraid.” Don’t move until your breathing is back to normal.
Finally, before turning your attention to the next task at hand, take notes so you can return to your flow more easily afterwards.
What were you doing? What were you thinking about? What were you planning to do next? (For example, Write a sentence? Look up a reference? Re-read the text?)
Have a “Sermon-Interruptus” Plan
When we accept that our connections will demand our attention just when we thought we’d work on our sermons, we can be ready.
For example:
Attend Live Lectio Sermon Prep on Mondays, 12-1:00 Central, on the Backstory Preaching Facebook page to pray the RCL gospel and get new ideas from familiar texts, or read the text(s) on your own early in the week. That way, you’ll already have ideas percolating regardless of what happens later.
Record the texts into your smart phone so you can listen to them when driving to the hospital to tend to the pastoral emergency
Spend a day before every liturgical season reading through all the texts and take notes on ideas so you’re never starting from scratch.
Waiting? Have just a few minutes? Dictate sermon thoughts into your phone so you feel like you’re making some headway.
Or, you could join The Collective/+ where we have all the sermon prep resources you need all the time.
The resources we create every week for preachers are designed for moments like these!
We provide the texts, audio files, and online exegetical collated resources (with links that work) for RCL and NL every week.
We also offer live Seasonal Sermon Prep when preachers gather online to look ahead at a liturgical season at all the lessons (RCL and NL), plus provide a Preacher’s Planner that aligns your call and calendar with your sermon prep.
Have just ten minutes? You can keep your prep moving forward using our exclusive tool, “Sermon Prep to Go.” Whether you use a lectionary or not, SPTG guides you question by question to craft an entire sermon, start-to-finish, no matter where you are.
Collective/+ Registration will open Sept. 26 - 29
And then close until 2022!
To give new members the most support and best start possible, we’re limiting enrollment to a few times a year.
New members will receive four weeks of guided introduction to the Collective/+’s resources, including a special Start-to-Finish sermon prep workshop just for them!
Join during this window to:
learn/practice BsP’s foundational, 5-day sermon prep process
discover all the ways The Collectives can make your preaching life more efficient and effective—so you know exactly which resources are most helpful to you
and get to know fellow preachers for a built-in community of support
(Current members are welcome to join this first introductory workshop!)