Yesterday I found myself suddenly aware just how much of my time and energy (physcial, intellectual, emotional and spiritual) is normally expended on the preparation of services and the facilitation (I hope) of corporate worship. It is slightly weird not doing this - even though at the moment despite oodles of time, I have insufficient energy of any kind to contemplate anything more demanding than a PAYG "Examen" (thanks be to God for podcasts, MP3 downloads and contemporary Ignatian spirituality I say!) or some '"Godly colouring" (thanks be to my friend Julie who sent this):
It was as I sat and coloured, that my mind wandered off to all sorts of directions about preaching: myself as a preacher; the purpose of preaching; the task of the preachee (what do you call the person who listens?); what makes a sermon 'good' or bad' or are these categories valid anyway; does style matter and what is helpful in a post modern, digital age.... and so on and so forth.
I have a long list in a notebook that I hope to ponder over the next few days and weeks, and perhaps this is a good place to do that pondering.
In the meantime, I am relishing the opportunity to listen online to the two preachers who are doing my "cover" at the Gathering Place. Very different from me, but carefully, prayerfully prepared and lovingly delivered explorations of Scripture to which I listen, open to the possibility that God has some teeny tiny nugget to offer me. Perhaps an idea I've never heard or have long forgotten. Perhaps something that disturbs my complacent ease. Perhaps a word or rebuke or a word of encouragement. Perhaps... well, who knows, that's the mystery and majesty of preaching, God's Holy Spirit is active whether or not we recognise the fact; sometimes the hardest task of peacher or preachee is "to let go, and let God" as the charismatics put it.
I hope you'll join me in this ramble around the wilderness, pondering stuff around preaching... and if you are able to engage/respond by comments (or emails if you know me in life) that'd be fab.
I need a rest now - but later today will hopefully post my first 'brain dump' :-)