Worship Notes: The Sermon

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Books, volumes, classes and professors can speak endlessly about the sermon: its art, various forms, preparation and examples. But the purpose of this series is to show how God is present in each part of the liturgy, and how the sermon fits into that liturgy.

Last month, I said, “Even the sermon is only commentary following the Word of Scripture.” I made that overstatement (or understatement) to drive home the point that the reading of scripture is a summit in worship; the sermon is the first path on our way back down. But truly, the sermon is not “only commentary.”

The sermon is more than a preacher’s opinions and ramblings (thank God!) about the day’s lesson and themes. I honestly believe God is present and speaking through the sermon, often in unpredictable ways. Luther D. Reed once wrote:

“The Liturgy …needs the sermon. The sermon, to realize its fullest power, must never be merely personal or independent of the Liturgy. Like the rest of the Service it must breathe the spirit of worship. Otherwise, no matter what its intellectual or moral strength, it differs little from the platform utterances of secular speakers on serious things. Only as the word of prophecy or of positive Christian testimony is it really powerful.”

God is actively present through the sermon. Many preachers and listeners can take comfort in that. We also need to be humbled. His presence doesn’t mean that God agrees with each literal word of the preacher. It does mean that he will work through the sermon, even if that means leading the listeners to a different—or even contrary—message than what they heard.

God is more likely to be heard and felt when the preacher and/or the listeners take to heart what Reed said above: the sermon “must breathe the spirit of worship.” The preparation and study of the sermon needs to happen as a prayer, “God, what are you telling me through this scripture, through my study, through others and my past experiences; what do you want me to pass on to the congregation?” But it stops there, useless, unless the listeners accept the sermon as a part of their own prayerful worship. Preacher, style and personalities aside, “God, what are you saying to me in this sermon?”

Many times, when someone tells me what they found meaningful in a sermon, I am delighted and surprised by the different directions that God spoke to them. It is usually in ways I hadn’t thought of or expected. Even on Sundays when you walk away, not feeling entirely inspired, I still believe God’s Spirit is working in a more quiet and gradual way. In the sermon, as in the entire liturgy, God keeps his promise: God is here!

Next Worship Notes: “The Creed, Our Statement of Faith.”

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