The Lord allowed me the ability to make it through tonight's message. Tonight I shared again from Mark chapter 6 regarding the Miracle of feeding the 5,000 men, in addition to the women and children, from the subject, 'Use What You Have'. The Lord spoke this evening; but one thing has grown apparent to me--something I have no desire to admit or even confess. It is also a struggle for me altogether. I can no longer take a manuscript with me into the pulpit. I should say - there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with a preacher using a manuscript in the pulpit. I have done it for 15 years for the most part. In actuality, I have done both. I have always been diligent in typing and documenting my messages. My sermons run anywhere from seven to 9 pages. Most recently - they have even gotten up to 11 pages or so.
Most recently - particularly the past 2 years or so - I have just simply found myself doing more of what Spurgeon called, 'Impromptu speech'. That is, my experiences and studies have given me insights that the Spirit brings to my remembrance 'on the spot'.
Here is what I am finding. My introduction and background, etc. captures me and it flows together - but I notice that I may only be on my 3rd or 4th page - 30 minutes into the message - and HAVE NOT even gotten to my points.
SO...when I realize that my time has been far spent--I find myself shuffling, trying to wrap 7 extra pages into 10 minutes. AND...for me...that is frustrating.
My issue is this. I carry my manuscript with me to the pulpit--because I believe ALL of the information I have written down is VERY important and I dont want to leave anything out because of my 'forgettory'. However, when I end do what I mentioned above - all of the information goes uncommunicated anyway. Footnote: I rarely have this problem at home. Manuscripts work well for me at home; and if I go for an extended period of time, I just continue it for the next week.
I should say that--in my own view--the Lord still blesses the message. But, like any minister of the gospel--when we sit down--we catch something that we left out, know we could have done better, etc.
I see some of the guys--including some of my blog friends here--one of whom I have caught on youtube.com, who are able to retain their thoughts with what seems to be great ease and flow.
If any have suggestions, I will welcome them here. I would also like to know what works for you.
10 comments:
I can so relate to what you wrote here. I know when I study to preach, I feel the message that God gives me is important and the people need to hear it. I too take my pages of notes to the pulpit, and often I miss or don't get to those things that I feel are important. I talked to my Dad about this about a year ago. He has been preaching the Gospel for 34 years. His suggested that I narrow down my points and not to elaborate to much on one certain thing. But I have found that there have been times when I have been preaching and when I got to a certain point, the Lord led me to elaborate and to say things I hadn't even written down. I can tell by this post that you do a fantastic job for the Lord! And remember there is always next time! Bless you brother!
It seems to me that this could be a family trait :-) I can appreciate the elaboration that is done within the prepared manuscript. As well as the hard work that is put into preparation of the sermon itself. As a hearer and listener in the pew, I can literaly see the Lord at work in the message when this is done. It captivates my spiritual intelligence and admiration for the insights of the preacher, while I grasp the point that's being made. As a true believer I know when this happens it is of God. You are a very studious preacher which causes you to gather a lot of written information. We know with life comes experiences and wisdom. You have more and more to incorporate of life's experiences into the sermon. I think this begins the time for you to use less manuscript, and more notes to insight memory, then "trust" God to fill in the rest and let the combined information draw upon the conclusion of the text.
I am not a preacher. And I DON'T want to be one. It takes one to truly relate to this situation so, I am just offering my insight of years of "being on the inside" and my two cents worth.
You are an amazing Proclaimer of the word. I am impressed that you continue your efforts to improve for the cause of Christ and your assigned calling. I love you. Be Blessed.
As well I can relate so very well, especially being bi-vocational. I'm learning to learn more faster and write powerfully less. As preachers, we can get so caught up in our study that we want to carry all of study to the pulpit. My suggestion is keep it simple. Messages that require a detailed explanation take your time and explain. I use a rule of thumb that says if my introduction is too long then I don't have good handle on the text and further study is required. It took me 3 weeks to preach 1 Peter 3:15 because I could not pull it together. The intro was too long, my points were too long, and I found myself doing more explaining then providing personal application. So, I waited until I got a good handle on the text. I still preach with a manuscript but I manage the manuscript and don't let the manuscript manage me in the pulpit.
I appreciate your transparency and sharing in this particular matter. I have often struggled with this dilemma as well. Ultimately, I believe I have come to the conclussion that I prefer to take as short an "outline" I can. I have started to use one 4x6 notecard. I like this size because it is just a bit smaller than the cover of my "thinline" bible and I can paperclip it inside. I then place short "phrases" under the headings "intro," "point," "close," etc. These phrases are just primers or cues that remind me of the "chunk" of information I had prepared for that section. So, this really ends up being a guide/coach to remind me of the stream of the message. Of course, this is most possible when I have had the day or so it takes me to internalize that manuscript in a general sense. And as Mom has pointed out, this gives space and acknowledgement to the Holy Spirit to use our life's experience, etc. to make the message "quick and living." I have often felt a little boxed in when taking the full manuscript into the pulpit. I don't think this is because it is in any way "wrong" to do so. I have seen several preacher/pastors, C.E. Richardson Sr. for example, do it with an eloquence at which I can only marvel. So, in the end, I think it's a matter of what works for you. I have seen, heard, experienced your gift in preaching and the Lord has always used you and blessed your diligence to "rightly divide."
You guys have helped me out SO MUCH, beginning with Holcombe. I value this blog so much now. IT provides me with a forum and true 'practicum' that is lacking in seminary. Your words of wisdom, experience and insight are helping and aiding me immensely. I also agree with my brother Kevin. There are Pastors and Minister who use a manuscript very well. Interestingly, I have just changed. I used to use it with great skill, etc. One young man mentioned the fact that being a bi-vocational pastor - has allowed him to be flexible. I am guilty of what he has said - I take ALL of my study material into the pulpit. If I SEE it in study, I type it out and write it down. Another thing I have concluded is - I need to develop my thesis for the text on Monday morning; and use only material I gather that connects to that thesis as a part of the sermonic presentation. Thank you guys. I ask for others who haven't commented to share your words of wisdom and experience as well. We ALL can benefit from your words. Thanks!
Kraig, you should be commended for your honesty, I used to never enter the pulpit without a full manuscript which caused me to become totally married to whatever I wrote on that paper.
But then something changed in me about 4 years ago. I was with my Pastor, Joe Carter in Gary, IN during their Simultaneous Revival, when Dr. Charles Emory asked me to preach the Late Night Service the following night. Me being a manuscript preacher, I went to the computer center of the hotel to print out my manuscript. But to my surprise, none of their computers had MS Word on them.
So I sat in my car for 2 hours reading over my manuscript until I had committed as much as I could to memory. I talked the Lord and low and behold, not only did I remember what I knew I retained, but the Holy Ghost gave me the entire message back to my memory.
All I am saying my friend is, study, do your lesson, write your sermon, talk to the Lord and watch God do what he always does...show up right in the nick of time.
P.S. Who was the friend on youtube that you were referring to.
Lance
And....? My comment Pastor Kraig? I mean, since you acknowledged everybody else's. I thought... maybe?... Oh well. I love you.
Momma
I agree totally with the members of our blogging community. Continue to write your manuscripts, just don't become a slave to it.
A good, heartfelt and honest blog.
I believe the sum of the whole matter is that you must do whatever it is that works for you in the way that God leads you to do it. Now there are some things that might help, at least it has helped me over the years.Something I have and continue to wrestle with from time to time is long introductions and extensive background. What I finally concluded many years ago was that this is the teacher in me. I love teaching,I love the Word and I love information. So,even after all these years, I have to constantly review, condense and shorten these areas. What I do is challenge myself to apply what I call the "Paul" principle. Paul had the ability to put a whole lot of information into a few words. This has always amazed me. So I make a feeble attempt to weed out unnecessary words,phrases, etc.
Now I admit that sometimes I am successful and sometimes I am not but I constantly challenge myself to do this. To present the same information in fewer words. And, yes, as one brother so aptly said, you have to manage the manuscript and not let it manage you. This applies whether you physically carry the manuscript to the pulpit or not. You have got to "manage it" either way. And, yes, we must always allow time and space for the Holy Spirit to inject the stuff that is not on the paper. But the bottom line is this, as that great preacher,Billy Sunday, once said "we are out to get them" (them being the lost and the hurting). Now if it takes a few more minutes to get the job done then so be it. Yes, we should do all that we can to be timely but the greater challenge and the greater priority is to allow the Lord to use us to "get them" and to "help them."
The late Dr. C.A.W. Clark and the late Dr. E.V. Hill,just to name two, were never short in their preaching as it relates to time but,man!,God used them to "get them" and to "help them."
Well, I will close with that since I know that I am guilty of making this too long - LOL. God bless and "preach on." Go out there and let God use you to "get them" and to "help them." If you do that God will be pleased and the "time" really won't matter.
Thanks to all for their further comments and words of wisdom; they mean much. In summary, many of you have said, to quote my dad, 'Manage the manuscript; don't let it manage you'. By the way, the preacher I was referring to was Pastor Lance Mann, who you can find on youtube by typing in the name.
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