How Not to Write a Sermon:
I have no holy credentials. Well, I have a certificate from Cathedral College declaring that I’m an official Spiritual Companion, but aren’t we all spiritual companions in our own ways? And a few years ago I took seminary classes on spiritual formation, but never finished the certificate because I got chicken pox. A sign that I was not meant to pastor?
Anyway, only an unaffiliated rag-tag group of Jesus followers like the ones at my church would allow me to preach a sermon. It didn’t start out as a sermon, it was supposed to be a “story,” one in a series about hope. Initially our pastor (who also did not graduate from seminary, by the way) asked me to talk for ten or fifteen minutes about finding hope in grief and loss. No problem, I thought, I’ve blogged about that. Then I was told that it was to be an entire thirty-five to forty minute sermon.
So that’s where my head’s been the past few weeks, and why I haven’t been blogging. Sorry about that. I hope you’ve been managing OK without my brilliant insights. I’m afraid I have none for you today, either, but I’m trying to avoid writing this sermon, so here I am.
Attention Deficit, Depression, and a Drum
In typical ADD fashion, I began in hyper-focus mode, completely re-living my mother’s death, my brother’s death, and even my dear friend’s head-on with a tractor trailer that resulted in a nine-month coma and then death. I sat at the computer from 9 a.m. till the sun went down two days in a row, writing about hospitals and death.
Then, of course, I plunged into depression and stopped writing completely.
I became terrified by the whole project. How am I stuck writing a sermon about a trifling matter like finding hope in death? I’m not even a pastor. But maybe that’s a good thing, because a pastor might be tempted to rely on Bible verses about angels and resurrection and the afterlife, and I don’t even know how to find those verses. (I love the Bible, I just never remember chapter and verse.)
Heaven and eternal life are good, but I want to help the people sitting in chairs on Sunday morning to cope with the very real, very present, very today challenge of grieving life’s losses. “Everything will be OK once you’re dead, and not before,” is not comforting to me, and I don’t believe it. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is here, now, among us, at hand. But how does that help us grieve? Where does one find hope?
I’ve now pulled out of “the sads,” and my ADD has flipped from fierce focus to bouncing puppy mode. I sit surrounded by dozens of pages of unconnected scrawls and phrases like: Mom-Beth-orange slices; Willie, Uncle Rolphe, winged creatures; MVA letter, gym, miracle; and, I bought a drum. They meant something when I scribbled them.
So that’s where I’ve been and that’s where I am. My deadline looms. Today is the day I must pull it together or be in serious trouble. Which is why I decided to write a blog post instead. Please pray for me!
Writing with Spirit 
Nov 08, 2014 @ 20:31:55
Hey, sister. When I’m stuck I remember Jesus telling his friends not to plan what to say. The words will be given. Bet you’ll speak “given” words. Bet they’ll be the truth. Peace, John
Nov 08, 2014 @ 20:51:54
My goal is not to sob through the whole thing. 🙂 Although that would be truth.
Nov 06, 2014 @ 13:52:37
it’s really good to know what is going on. will we see you tonight? i forget who said what on the thread.
jane 202 236 8282
Nov 06, 2014 @ 14:07:24
I plan on being there. But…right now I’m not in the head space to get there. Spending the day reading and writing about grief. It’s more the metro I dread. Perhaps I’ll drive and honor my introverted self. Hope to see you!
Nov 06, 2014 @ 13:52:28
Have you found said hope? Or did you never lose it? Or are you just hopeful there’s hope? What should someone (like me) know about hope?
Nov 06, 2014 @ 14:06:10
Complicated question and complicated answer, Elesa. I would say I have found the hope. Yes, I have. But – to explain it, to capture it in words, is another story. Plus, it waxes and wanes. I have to catch hold of it while it’s strong so I can examine it. If you’re still here on the 16th, come to my sermon and you’ll see what I’ve found. If not, I’ll fill you in on where I’ve landed. 🙂
Nov 06, 2014 @ 15:14:24
I think you need to include your response to me in your sermon somehow. Waxing and waning is true for so many aspects of our journeys and very relatable. I’m leaving on the 13th. If you need someone to practice on before then, I can volunteer myself 😉
Nov 06, 2014 @ 15:16:46
Thanks! Yes, in the larger transcendental sense, grief is one of those rhythms of life, waxing and waning, and so is hope.
Nov 06, 2014 @ 12:28:58
Sounds like quite a task! As a guy with ADD who writes sermons regularly, the pressure of a deadline sometimes helps a lot. I usually start with a passage of scripture and work outward. That way I have a point to come back to over and over again, so my wandering attentions don’t dictate the direction of the message. Thanks for sharing about your mom. Reading your post, it seems like on e of the big ideas is “Eternal life starts now and continues after we die… not just after we die.” Just sharing. Thanks for the interesting post.
Nov 06, 2014 @ 12:30:29
Thank you – this is very helpful. You may have saved me!
Nov 06, 2014 @ 12:31:35
I appreciate that your response wasn’t: Stop being a busy body. Thanks for having grace.
Nov 06, 2014 @ 12:38:52
🙂 I’ll take help wherever I can find it! I’ve done two sermons before, but the topic of this one has thrown me for a loop. I checked out your blog – great food for thought – I’m following.