Preaching? Me?

Today I preached my first sermon at seminary! It went well. I'm mostly just relieved it's over! It wouldn't have been such a stressor if we weren't required to memorize the whole thing. That's right, no notes. My next sermon is in two weeks and I'm already stressing about memorizing that one :)

Tonight I'm reflecting on the whole preaching thing. I never imagined I would be preaching. In fact, I still get uncomfortable being called "preacher." I guess it's a negative connotation I used to associate with the word. I used to view preaching as being pious and stuffy, something only for "religious" folks. I never looked at it as something practical for everyday life. My view has changed over the past few years, largely as a result of hearing some great sermons. In addition, Christ has opened my eyes to the real virtue of biblical preaching. Essentially, it's a message about life. I don't mean that to sound trite. What I mean is that a good sermon is aimed at how to live right. It's relevant for everyone because the Bible is relevant for everyone (yes, even in modern times!). Biblical preaching guides us through the Bible, our life instruction manual, which is our source for a joyful and fulfilling life. To me nothing is more exciting.

I'm thankful for this fresh view of Biblical preaching. I have a zest for learning the craft and a new found respect for those who do it well. Yes, I'm learning it is harder than it looks. For one, a good preacher lets the audience in. He lets down his wall and is authentic to the core. This could be the hardest part... -More on this in a future post.

GrantJ