PeaceBang
The manic mind of the minister -- Auntie Mame Meets Cotton Mather. Blogging about Unitarian Universalism, UU Christian spiritual practice, occasional cultural and political ravings, and the inner life of ministry. PeaceBang is the alter ego of a small town pastor serving an historic New England Unitarian Universalist congregation.
Preaching Without A Net
June 3, 2007 on 2:31 pm | In Joys and Concerns, Liturgy, Mind of the Minister | For the first time in my ten year parish ministry, I preached without notes today. I went down the stairs from the pulpit and picked up a microphone and gave a sermon called “Showing Up In Love.”
I structured the sermon around three stories and in response to Isaiah 6:8.
Some thoughts:
- It took just as long to prepare as any of my written sermons, but of course the preparation was much different.
- It felt incredibly intimate and more emotionally engaged to me than most of my sermons.
I realized halfway into it that it was a very evangelical presentation, embodied, as I walked around with the mic and — freed from a manuscript text– could just bring myself unvarnished and unfootnoted.
It occurred to me that part of the reason I am so devoted to written manuscripts is that I’ve been afraid to be to say too emphatically what I really feel! Better to be a bit more temperate, you know, well-researched, carefully crafted. So this was really scary and exhilarating.
I felt extremely exposed. I am glad I waited to do this until I felt experienced enough to do it, and that I risked this with a congregation who knows and loves and accepts me. I knew that if I bombed and needed to go back up to the pulpit to look at my notes, they would have been patient and supportive.
I am really, really proud of myself for taking this risk. I started the sermon by saying, “If you don’t do things that scare you, you can’t grow. I’m doing something today that scares me.”
We recorded it for podcast, and I can’t wait to hear it. The congregational feedback in the receiving line was overwhelmingly extremely positive and appreciative, so even if I think it wasn’t great, I will take the risk again.
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You go girl! I have no reason to feel pride, but I do. So proud of you…
Sean
Comment by Sea — June 3, 2007 #
Congratulations - both for the sermon and for doing something that scares you.
Comment by jinnis — June 3, 2007 #
I am not surprised that you got such positive feedback from the congregation. This happens for me when I choose to do the same thing (which is semi-regularly). The intimate connection with the gathering of people whom I love and love me is a prime motivation for getting out of the high pulpit and getting up close and personal with them. Plus, the ability to state my views with genuine enthusiasm is something I relish. I’m glad that you gave yourself and your congregation this gift since I’m sure that you have many powerful and wonderful things to share with them.
Comment by Ian — June 3, 2007 #
Yeah!
Comment by John — June 4, 2007 #
You go girl!!!
It will take years for me to feel brave enough to preach without a manuscript. You are the wind beneath my wings.
Comment by God Guurrll — June 4, 2007 #
Hey, girlfriend-in-clericals,
I totally resonate with your comments. I rarely preach without notes, but when I do, from the aisle (it would seem awkward to be in the pulpit if I don’t need it to hold the paper), I feel more engaged with the congregation. Yes, prep time is actually longer, and pre-delivery can be nerve-wracking and distracting from the Liturgy of the Word, but on the whole it’s a good thing to do.
For a couple of years I celebrated at a lovely Episcopal convent once a week. I never prepped a sermon. They knew I was “using” them to stretch my wings, and there were certainly some “misses” in my ad hoc homilies. But there were times when I felt so deeply connected to the message of the Gospel that I’d have a hit. And thanks be to God for those moments!
Comment by Padre Wayne — June 5, 2007 #