I don’t usually use this space as a blog – a place to share my thoughts and perspectives in a format that is longer than a tweet or facebook post allows. But I have been thinking a lot about my sermon writing process, and how to remove barriers for folks who want access to the sermon.
Prior to the start of this year, I was posting the text of my sermons. Since I wrote them all out in advance and used them as a script on Sunday mornings, this was easy. But this winter, I came out from behind the pulpit and started using notes instead of a full script. Sometimes the notes are very fleshed out, sometimes not so much. I started including the audio more regularly.
I know a few of you listen to the audio, so I don’t want to get rid of it. Plus it captures the experience of being in worship to a degree better than a written script.
At the same time, however, I am feeling the lack of having a written sermon that I can easily share with others.
So this week, I did something a bit different. I wrote the sermon out as if it were a script, and then stripped it to an outline and delivered it extemporaneously. It seemed to work well, so I will be posting the full sermon in script and in audio later this week.
I can see how this will further change/refine my writing process. Rather than waiting to write my sermon on Friday or Saturday, I am going to try to write it on Tuesday or Wednesday so that I have time to integrate it even more.
I am a have-my-cake-and-eat-it-too kind of person. You will have to let me know what you think about the results!
Good idea. I hope this works out. I think that I will like having a full script to read on those Sundays I’m not able to attend.