What God Does Best

Sometimes sermon preparation reminds me of Holy Week, especially Holy Weekend.

The week begins much like Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, with promise and hope.

I already have an idea for my sermon. I may have even sketched out a storyboard of major sections and moves. I anticipate something glorious will soon emerge from the keyboard and appear on my screen.

Yet, as the week progresses, my writing sessions yield nothing but disappointment, frustration, and cursing (like Jesus does to the barren fig tree).

If by Friday afternoon, my sermon isn’t working, isn’t interesting, or is just plain bad, I’ve learned it’s too late to do much about it. Assuming I’ve put in the necessary work throughout the week, all that’s left to do is place my dead sermon in the tomb.

There I leave it, in the care of the Lord, hoping the Spirit will breathe some life into it.

What emerges from the tomb on Sunday is not perfect (there are scars), but it is alive.

Without fail, the sermon I gave up for dead on Friday speaks to someone. (And sometimes it only seems to speak to one, but that is enough.)

Preachers, do the work.

Study.

Pray.

Write.

Pray.

Edit.

Pray.

And then, when you judge all your hard work to be in vain, put your lifeless sermon in the tomb and trust God to do what God does best.