Recent Sermons:
Check out my personal YouTube channel, and the one for St. Andrew’s to find recent sermons and devotional videos.
Sermons:
https://www.youtube.com/@st.andrewsepiscopalchurch9907/videos
Personal Channel with Devotionals:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDFkASr3KIhYYeD2xCMZiyg
Thought’s on Preaching
I do not claim to be a great preacher, (although I have a passion for it), so let me get that out of the way. However, I hope my sermons can be sources of inspiration for their readers! Perhaps they can give some busy pastors/priests a few ideas as well.
What’s a good sermon?
I’ve often wondered what makes a sermon a “good sermon.” Over the years, many people offered me their opinions. Some are very successful pastors with churches that have thousands in attendance on the weekends, some are pastors of churches in rural communities, and some are seminary professors who never served a church as a pastor. All taught me lessons that I use regularly.
I think a good sermon is one that speaks to people in their daily context.
I grew up in a Pentecostal pastor’s home. I’m familiar with passionate preaching. However, I’m an Episcopal priest. That eclectic background offers a unique snapshot of preaching in two different traditions.
As one friend joked, “Your sermons are caught between two worlds.”
I think it’s important to believe what you preach. I know it seems simple, but it’s not. Preaching that connects does not need to be fancy or loud, or even academic, but it does need the Good News of Jesus.
I was the associate pastor of three churches, a military chaplain in two branches of the U.S. armed services, and I have served as rector of two parishes. My current parish is the kindest group of parishioners I’ve ever served. They allow me to be myself, and they are interactive during the sermons. The parishioners of St. Andrew’s make preaching easy. All of these opportunities have informed my approach to delivering a timely sermon.
I put an effort into non-verbal communication.
I watch TED Talks for communication. I’ve recorded myself to observe how body language can impact the emotional mood of a room. My preaching evolves because I try to tailor it for a particular context. Today I consider my homiletical style a hybrid of sorts.
I follow the lectionary and try to preach positive sermons that provide an application for the congregation. They usually last 15 mins, since that is the normal attention span.
Inspirations:
The Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, inspires me to preach love. Bishop Curry’s sermons admonish people to follow the way of Jesus. I think that’s the message of the Gospel. Jesus is the good news and should be the heart of a sermon. My former military bishop, James Magness, taught me to preach with passion. Bishop Magness taught me that Episcopal clergy should believe what we preach and trust God to transform lives through their sermons.
That said, the most influential preacher in my life was my grandfather because he helped me prepare my first sermon. He believed a sermon should start where people find themselves. He was a Pentecostal pastor without a college degree or a seminary education, but his sermons spoke to people’s lives. His preaching style taught me to, as he said, “bless the people.” I wrote a blog post on the occasion of his 62nd wedding anniversary. Give it a read (Reflections on Grace), and you’ll see how his life has been an inspiration to me and countless others.