I’m sure those thoughts aren’t the ones that a speaker intends for her audience to think, and maybe I’m the only one who thinks that type of thing. Just mentioning it in case I’m not.

There might be a handful of people in any audience who will be impacted by a sermon rebuking a particular Sin. But I think people in general, within Church and Within all other subgroups, are thirsty to find a way to get connected to God. The church has a duty to provide a realistic, adaptable, means of obtaining that “wonderful Personal Relationship with our Heavenly Father, Jesus” or whatever. K, thats my thoughts..I just think Pastors need to forget about all the spin, and just go for real. The word has the power anyways, not ourselves. Amen!

The thing that gets me perturbed is when I leave thinking that I’ve heard the message 6 times before and it still meant nothing to me, not even in a metaphorical way. I feel kind of fulfilled, but my itch wasnt quite scratched…The tough work week is coming quick, Sunday is half over…. and I wonder if maybe the hour and a half would have been better spent (spiritually speaking) by sitting alongside the river, taking in the grandeiur of nature, pondering the wonder of God… Getting my sabbath on, ya know?

So, since we have all established this to be a safe place to air our thoughts on God, church, and whatever else, I’d just like to say a couple things that I wish pastors could realized from a congregant’s opinion. You guys and gals tend to do this thing that some comedians do.
Comedians will make a joke that is funny on a generalized level which will appeal to the majority of the audience. Then they proceed to make a series of statements which take the joke closer and closer to the line of unacceptable, until they’ve only got a crowd of 3 people who are laughing on such a hysterical level, that they have tears coming down their cheeks…. Now in comparison to sermons that commonly get preached in church… It starts with a great love story between God and the Church, then the pastor explains the sacred covenant that is also expected within a marriage,

One of the dislikes – re-preaching material – is actually something I rather enjoy.

People come and go in my church; the audience is always morphing and changing. I don’t assume people know my background or story, and I feel like re-telling some stuff is important. Since the Bible has a limited number of pages, if we’re preaching it, there’s no way we will always have new material.

I do feel somewhat jealous of the traveling guys who have their 1 sermon of the year – they perfect it and preach it at every conference… I feel like my preaching could be a lot more riveting if I only had to develop one sermon per year.

Truth is, I like the creative process. I enjoy writing and preparing. Love the challenge of it. I’m happy with my 35 or so sermons a year.

Thanks for sharing, for being honest, and poking back. I appreciate it!

I feel like your blog is a safe place so I’m going to put some things down that congregation members dislike about ministers: (when I say “you” it means pastors in general)

It’s seems like a show, we see you acting.

You joke with us but when we joke back with you we get told we should have more respect.

You act like you’re crying when you pray.

You don’t say what you really want to so you don’t offend people.

You put your ministry before your family, if you can’t take care of your kids while your wife is on women’s retreat, there’s no way you can take care of your congregation. (I’m sure I’ll take heat for this one)

You can sermons, meaning re-preach one that you’ve done before.

You travel for money instead of putting your congregation first.

You “fake it until you make it”

I guess through all of these the main point is BE REAL. We don’t want fakes in ministry.