Experiencing Sermon Prep as Respite
One of the foundational beliefs here at Backstory Preaching is that sermon prep should feed and form the preacher as much as a sermon feeds and forms the congregation.
This nourishment, however, can be difficult to receive when we’re working on sermon prep with teeth clenched, jaw tense, and eyes anxiously tracking the minutes ticking by on the clock.
How do you shift? How do you experience more joy? How do you discover sermon prep as respite rather than a chore?
Consider this round up of blog posts to get us thinking about November’s theme: Respite in Sermon Prep.
Encounter God in the details.
I hiked all my life appreciating God’s grandeur in the big and magnificent. But if I hadn’t moved here, I would have missed looking down to see just as much of God’s grandeur packed in the small.
Preach like an amateur.
To be an amateur means you do what you do for the love of it. Not because you have to. Not because you get paid for it. And not because you have a deadline to meet.
You do it because you love it.
The “greats” in any craft become great because they’re amateurs first. They pursue their craft with joy, zest, and fascination.