October 7, 2024

"Courageous." 

"Encouraging."

"Heart-felt."

What do those three have in common?

Well, aside from being comments we'd love to hear about our own preaching, all three are rooted in the same word: "heart."

The "heart" is used in English translations of the Bible to represent the core of who we are. 

The heart is where our will, our convictions, our passion, our thoughts, and our emotions are. It's the place where decisions are made and commitments are honored (or broken). It is our authentic self.

And, alongside study, prayer, and communication skills, it is an essential part of good preaching.

I love beautiful words, clever outlines, and reasonable arguments as much as anyone, but the truth is that sermons are only "compelling" when they engage our hearts. 

And by "OUR hearts," I really do mean ALL of us.

Whether you're standing behind a pulpit or sitting in a pew, the heart is where habits change; where action is inspired; where commitments are formed and sins are confronted.

All good preaching begins in the heart--and aims for the heart.

I could be the most diligent scholar in the world; write and edit like a pro; even "speak with tongues of men and angels;" but unless I allow the text to "stew" in my own heart--to mix and mingle with my convictions and commitments; to reshape my dreams and desires; to correct my near-sightedness, confront my brokenness, and refine my beliefs (about God, myself, the world, and you)--I will never preach a faithful, compelling sermon.

What's going on in your heart this week, dear preacher? How will that shape the message you bring on Sunday?

A good person brings good things out of the good stored up in their HEART, and an evil person brings evil things out of the evil stored up in their HEART.

For the mouth speaks what the HEART is full of.

Luke 6:45

Dr. Teresa Fry Brown reminds us that preaching is a whole-life endeavor: heart and soul, mind and manners, actions and attitude....

...and not just when we're behind the pulpit!

Let this 2-minute video jumpstart a time of honest, prayerful self-reflection as you prepare to prepare for this Sunday's sermon.

Some sermons require more courage (more serious heart-work and heart-level commitment) than others. 

There are weeks when the message itself is so challenging and counter-cultural that it's hard for any of us to hear it--let alone internalize it. The Word of God is not always well-received, even by the People of God.

No matter how much we season it with grace and infuse it with love, no matter how humbly we present it or how hard we've prayed over it, sometimes the Truth makes people uncomfortable.

And sometimes, dear preacher, the person who is most uncomfortable is you.

When the Word of God confronts you with an uncomfortable Truth, or hits too close to home, or asks more of you than you are willing to give, what do you do? Where do you find the courage to face the Truth yourself, before you share it with anyone else?

Adam Hamilton's video for Working Preacher offers encouragement and insight on the courage of a preacher's calling.

As we continue this week of prayerful self-reflection, this is 87-seconds well-spent!

Ministry is not the only hard job on the planet--or even the hardest job (bless you, Middle School teachers and nursing home CNA's!)--but it's a job that lacks clear boundaries, is often under-valued and easily misunderstood, and routinely stretches us beyond what we have the capacity to do.

Thank you for all you do, week in and week out, to love and serve God, God's People, and the community around you.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take HEART! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

Between now and noon on Friday (10/11/24) you can register to win a 6-month coffee subscription from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee.

Click here to put your name in the digital "hat." We'll announce the winner in next Monday's email!

PS--be sure to let us know if you prefer whole bean or ground coffee!

The Louisa Woosley Preaching Initiative is a grant-funded program of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Our goal is to equip ministers and candidates for ministry to preach compelling sermons to today's diverse and often divided world. 

For more information about the initiative and our programs, visit our website.