writing and delivering the sermon.

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!