In today’s
media age, we are constantly bombarded with messages, whether on TV, via our
hand-held device or computer, and through a continual onslaught of traditional
in-print advertizing. This has caused all of us to be rather selective in our
attentions, forcing new-casters and product peddlers to coat their pitches with
entertaining stories, visual pleasantries and a pretended informality.
Then we find
ourselves on a Sunday morning listening to a sermon. Today’s preachers are
forced to compete (at least by subconscious comparison) with talk show hosts,
comedians and some of the country’s most creative and talented (and often
heretical) preachers, otherwise known as televangelists. Certainly, all of
these cultural considerations should demand that preachers take their task even
more seriously and work both on improving their content and how they deliver
it.
Yet, as
Christians, we each have a responsibility to make the most of every sermon we
hear. The sermon is an opportunity to explore the themes of Scripture more
deeply; to be challenged and comforted by God’s Word, and just maybe, to hear
specific instructions for our life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are
eight suggestions for how you can make the most of every sermon you hear.
First, get a good night’s sleep. It is far easier to focus on the
liturgy and to worship our Lord after having had enough rest. Of course, there
will be times when we come half-awake to worship merely out of habit and
commitment and this is a good thing, but we will have far more ability to take
in the sermon and to be alert for the Holy Spirit if we are wide awake.
Second, arrive early and settle in. If you’re in the parenting stage of
life arriving early and settling in will be more difficult, though not always
impossible. Being there early allows you to breathe and push aside distracting
thoughts. When we come late or barely on time it often takes half the service
(including the sermon!) for us to clear our minds and give our full attention
to what is happening in the liturgy.
Third, review the Scripture readings
ahead of time. Some
people do this as a personal practice on the Saturday night before worship.
This isn’t a bad idea and could be a way for individuals or families to get
ready for Sunday worship. More people do this prior to the service which
highlights the importance of arriving early.
Fourth, pray. Prayer could be listed along with
every other suggestion I’m making in this article. Pray over the readings, pray
that you will be awake, pray that God will speak through the preacher to you,
and the entire congregation. Pray after the sermon that God would give you the
strength to live out its message.
Fifth, stay focused during the
sermon. This, as
most worshippers know, is not as easy as it sounds. Make an intentional choice
not to look at the person walking in or to stare at the baby in the pew ahead
of you who is playing with her mother. Depending on your day and how things are
going, it’s also easy to just fade away into distant thought or into a sort of
trance. Even if the preacher is not engaging, you have a responsibility to
listen and hear what God might be saying.
Sixth, talk about the sermon
afterwards. This is
a good habit to cultivate. Spouses and family members can do this on the ride
home, as can friends out a lunch after worship. Knowing you are going to have
to talk about the sermon with someone will help your retention considerably. In
addition, these sorts of conversations can be spiritually uplifting in
themselves and often your conversation partner will have been moved by portions
of the sermon you weren’t.
Seventh, on occasion follow up with
the preacher about the sermon. Preachers usually receive little meaningful feedback about
the sermons they deliver. Following up with the preacher to ask a question or make
a comment will help you to digest God’s Word more easily. In addition, you may
provide some much needed encouragement to a preacher who is wondering why he or
she bothers to spend so much time in preparing sermons that no one responds to.
Eighth, review the sermon later in
the week. This would
be a good discipline to do mid-week to check how much you remember and more
importantly, how well you are living out the message of the sermon in your
daily life. You could review your sermon notes (yes some people take these!) or
listen to the sermon again via a podcast or a CD made available by the parish.
Certainly, a written manuscript would also be helpful, though most sermons are
designed to be heard rather than to be read.
By
recognizing the importance of the Word of God and by implementing one or more
of these suggestions you will be more likely to fulfill the Anglican vision for
engagement with Holy Scripture: “Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures
to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn,
and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed
hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen“(BCP, 236).
