Go out into the world...

Sometimes the researching and beginning writing of sermons can seem to be a lonely task. I would like to suggest an experiment in exploring the foundational message of Scripture and generating those new ideas in a different and hopefully fun way. The reason I call it a Sabbath Partnership is that it builds on the meaning of sabbath in taking a break from productivity and breathing in the possibility of our relationships. (Though I admit this does have a productive edge to it.)

The idea is choose a clergy colleague, either from your denomination or a different one, who shares the responsibility for preaching as you do. Invite him or her to go on a one day or even better an overnight retreat with you. Prior to going, you will agree on a series of Sundays in the future. It might be a season, like Lent, Advent, Pentecost, etc. or just a series of dates in Ordinary Time. If you are lectionary preachers, the Scripture selections are easy. If not, you will need to agree on a series of Scriptures for that Sunday. You could agree on a Lectio Continuo practice by choosing a particular book of the Bible that you will preach through. Each of you take at least a one volume commentary or a CD commentary that you could use on your lap tops.

The first stage of your retreat would be to discuss some of the issues, theological, ethical, and pragmatic that face your repsective congregations. If you ride together to your place of retreat, this could even happen on your trip to the spot. Let it be free flowing and not tied to sermons or Sundays at first.

Next, see if you can agree on a series of touch-points that would be helpful to address for your respective congregations. Then, each of you take some time to skim the Scriptures that you have chosen, looking for possible connections between your themes and the Scriptures. Let this be a meditative time in which you act on the belief that God wishes to speak through the Scriptures to you and to your congregation. Again, don’t tie it to a particular Sunday or try to build a sermon, but simply allow God to speak to you through these Scriptures. Make note of any ideas that occur. After an agreed upon time, maybe an hour or even two, come back together and begin to talk about what has emerged.

Now pull out your calendars and begin to explore the possibility of matching themes to sermons on particular Sundays. Have some fun suggesting sermon titles, both silly ones and serious ones, as you go along.

Take a break and do something fun together. When you return, choose some sermon ideas that excite you and begin to brainstorm together possible ideas, illustrations, and theological themes for the sermon. This might be a good time to check the commentaries for exegetical help.

Don’t try to develop finished projects. Once you have worked on one sermon idea for awhile, move on to another. Take good breaks and enjoy the development of the partnership.

I’m sure this could be developed further but this is a beginning. It will also give you a head start on sermon preparation. It may even be fun to agree to share the finished results with each other following the Sunday that they are preached.

After I shared the last set of punchy prayers, I started thinking about new ones.

1. Lord, I said,
People don’t appreciate
how hard I work
as a pastor.

Jesus didn’t find the cross
very easy either,
God said.

2. Lord, I said,
When will people
learn to live in peace?

Your learning to love
your enemy
is a beginning,
God said.

3. Lord, I said,
How can you expect
me to forgive another
490 times?

I find it
gets easier
with practice,
God said.

4. Lord, I said,
I’ve forgiven
one person
75 times.
That’s enough.

Shall I count
how many times
I’ve forgiven you,
God said.

5. Lord, I said,
If I give
a beggar money,
He might use it foolishly.

That same thought
crossed my mind
when I gave you
a blessing,
God said.

Try it, you’ll like it. It’s a great reliever of stress.

Lord, I said
I’ve done so much
for this church,
I’m burnt out.

I haven’t reached
that stage yet, God said.

Lord, I said
How can you understand
this crazy world?

I create best
out of chaos, God said.

Lord, I said
What could one person
like me do
to feed the hungry?

One person like Moses
led my people out of Egypt, God said.

Lord, I said,
I don’t always like
what the church does.

Nor do I always like
what you do, God said,
But I continue to love you.

Lord, I said
Don’t you know the people
in this church
are a bunch of hypocrites?

I’ll start by forgiving you, God said.

Lord, I said
The preacher
demands too much from us.

Wait till I tell you
what I have in mind, God said.

Lord, I said,
10% of what I’ve earned
is too much to ask.

What % of what I’ve given you
would be all right, God said.

Well you get the idea. Have fun.

You can check yesterday’s blog for an explanation of the format. The fun is imagining what God’s response might be to our complainig. Here are some samples of my attempt.

Lord, I said
Reading the Bible
is too confusing.
Getting the dust off
is a good beginning, God said.

Lord, I said,
When are you going
to do something
about world hunger.

I’m waiting to find
one more person who cares, God said.

Lord, I said
Don’t you know the people
in this church
are a bunch of hypocrites?

I’ll start by forgiving you, God said.

Lord, I said
Religion doesn’t seem
reasonable to me.

I’ve often thought the same
about your life, God said.

More tomorrow.

Steve Lindsley’s musings on what Jesus might twitter brought to mind a brief model of prayer I came upon in 1976.
I saw it on the cover of a Presbyterian magazine called Monday morning. It was excerpts from Lord, I Said: 3 by Henry D. Hartmann, Raven Press, Box 7712, Salem, Or 97303
I share some of Henry’s prayers today and later I will share some of mine. The very act of writing them in this format can stimulate both humor and enlightenment.

1. Lord, I said,
I suppose that
makes me a
dammed fool?

Possibly not “dammed, he said.

2. Lord, I said,
I know I
goofed:
but isn’t everyone entitled to
a mistake or two?

You are overdrawn, he said.

3. Lord, I said,
it is so
good
to have found you!

But I was there all the time, he said.

When you need a change of pace, take some paper and try it out.