The Key to Overcoming "Preacher's Block"
Photo by Tadas Mikuckis on Unsplash
I heard an interview a few years ago with the late, great author, Nora Ephron.
When asked how she can write so much and have so many ideas, she said something like, "I don't believe in writer's block. After all, a piano has only 88 keys, but is music limited?"
Like writers, musicians, and other creatives, preachers also have to generate ideas week after week.
And staring at the 26 letters on the computer keyboard can feel as intimidating to preachers as staring at those silent 88 keys must feel to a composer.
Sometimes, even when we've done all the "right things"—we've read the texts, searched the commentaries, and bent our heads in prayer—the sermon deadline approaches and we have nothing to say. We feel "blocked."
But there seems to be a common thread to jumping over the block for every creative: momentum.
Sermon writing is an art, not a science. There's no formula or seven-step action plan that will work for every preacher every time.
But what nearly always works is the feeling of getting started, of getting somewhere, of making progress. In other words, momentum.
What Stops Momentum? two causes of "Preacher's Block"
Perfectionism
Perfectionism puts us on edge as we wait for the perfect message, the perfect words, the perfect illustration, the perfect ending, the perfect opening line.
We even sometimes insist we have the perfect cup of coffee, ambiance, book, music, and the perfect time to get our rear ends in the chair to write.
Perfectionism keeps us in fear-mode, focused on what we don't yet have rather than trusting that the due diligence we have applied to our sermon prep, our prayer, and the presence of the Holy Spirit is already enough.
Misunderstanding Divine Inspiration
Yes. Of course, we rely on the grace of the Holy Spirit to show us the sermon message and give us the words.
But maybe we have the wrong impression of what that means.
Experience may have fostered the impression that we're dependent on a capricious Spirit who is indifferent to our deadlines, a Spirit who tosses a few crumbs of ideas at random times, content to watch whether we'll discover them in time.
“Are we waiting on the Holy Spirit? Or is the Holy Spirit waiting on us?”
We assume we must find the crumb and then run to our desk to write it down before the idea flits away.
But who's waiting on whom?
Are we waiting on the Holy Spirit? Or is the Holy Spirit waiting on us?
Maybe depending on the Spirit to show up with an idea before we ever sit in our chair and put hands to keyboard is faulty. Perhaps the Spirit is depending on us to show up, open up, and write up—regardless of mood or "inspiration."
How to Create Momentum: Start Writing
You're sitting at your computer. The screen is blank, and you don't know what to say. What do you do?
Write something. Anything!
Write about how you feel at the moment.
How do you feel about needing to write a sermon?
How do you feel about the fact that nothing jumps out at you in the text?
How do you imagine the characters felt when they needed a word from God and didn't hear one?
How do you feel about the possibility of not producing a great sermon? What are the consequences? Will God love you anyway?
Write about how you feel about the characters in the story.
Are they likable? Infuriating? Intimidating?
Would you like to have dinner with them?
If they came to dinner, what questions would you ask them? What would you want them to ask you? What would you want them to ask your congregation?
Write about what you believe.
This text might confirm, trouble, or reverse what you believe about God, the church, and/or the world.
What are those things?
What do you believe about God that is revealed here? What do you believe about the church?
What do you believe about the world and God's redeeming grace and longing for justice?
Write about the character of God you see in the text.
Does God come across as paternal or maternal?
Omniscient or still figuring it out?
Do you want God to behave the way you see in the story? If so, why? If not, why not?
Write out the beautiful or revelatory language you found in your sermon prep.
Did you find a really cool line in a commentary or poem? What struck you about it?
Go further and write more. How does it relate to the text?
With words on the page, Writing gets easier.
Once we have words on the page, we see we've accomplished something. Then it gets easier.
Once we've started, we probably find some thoughts on the screen we didn't know were hiding in our heads. A ghost of a sermon emerges from those 26 keys.
Now we have some direction.
Now we have a little momentum so the sermon task doesn't feel quite so daunting. We've started, and continuing becomes the path of least resistance.
Maybe the Spirit is just standing next to our office chair waiting for us to show up to work.
Maybe "Preacher's Block" is actually not knowing how to jump off the starting blocks.
After all, it's not as if the Spirit hasn't given us plenty of material to work with. Rather, we get bogged down by perfectionism or a false belief that we have to wait on the Spirit.
Create momentum by jumping off the starting blocks: start writing.
Write anything to get going, and let the Spirit push you the rest of the way.
Want a bit more direction to get you started with the blank page?
Download this infographic with five quick brainstorming suggestions that will quickly spark an abundance of ideas.