Didn’t get sermon audio today

So sorry… I forgot my digital voice recorder and didn’t have the computer with me. I tried the voice note function on the BlackBerry, but the quality was so poor on playback that it isn’t worth putting up.

The topic was an introduction to the Epistles of John --

• John wrote the letters to address some problems with false teachers and their teachings
• John wrote the letters to remind Christians of Christ, the foundation of their faith
• John wrote the letters to help Christians discern between true and false teachings
• John wrote the letters to provide Christians with confidence and assurance in their faith

Anyway, that was the essence of the sermon. I don’t have notes or even an outline since today was the first time I attempted preaching without any. I read about it in Leadership this week and how doing so can help the preacher better connect with those listening, and how the preacher can be better led by the Holy Spirit all the way through the delivery. In sermons with notes and/or outlines, and particularly with those that are manuscripted, the sermon is “done” when the last word is written, but in a sermon without any kind of notes, the sermon is not “done” until the final word is spoken. A preacher often feels he cannot deviate much from a scripted sermon, but in an unscripted sermon he is free to go where the Spirit leads at delivery. Those were some of the positive elements.

Some of the problems with this kind of preaching (because no notes are prepared even during the preparation phase) is that some might be tempted to skimp on the preparation. However, this kind of preaching takes at least as much preparation as a scripted one, and perhaps even more. Another problem is that speakers who have difficulties putting together a logical discourse may find it difficult to tie up the sermon at the end. Finally, this type of preaching may not be for speakers with a tendency to ramble because, well, the tendency to ramble and hit too many topics without making a point can be great.

I’ve been doing more of preaching closer to this over the last several months (though with basic outlines and/or a short page of notes), and have felt that some of those have felt more connected than ones I’ve spent hours outlining and manuscripting. The Leadership article gave me the courage needed to go all the way. The problem with taking even a basic outline and notes is that I found myself pausing to read through them to see if I missed anything, and if I did, try to figure out how to put the missed item back in without affecting the flow of the sermon up to that point.

Anyway, this is probably something I’ll be doing more, and next time, with a voice recorder.