ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 22, 2026
I learned something this past Sunday about my preaching. As many of you know, Paula was to preach this past Sunday, but because of her son’s death, I stepped back in to preach. This gave me 2 1/2 days to prepare the sermon, though I was not feeling well for part of those 60 hours. That’s all to say that I have a routine. It is not chiseled in stone; however, it starts a few weeks out. I have the text and general idea of where I might go, but I am constantly adding notes, thoughts, a potential story, and other useful ideas. Now when it comes to the actual sermon, 70-90% of all those ideas I jotted down make the cutting room floor. There is a constant process of refining and refocusing, trying not to bite off more than I can handle in a 18-20 minute sermon. I usually have some time away from the sermon, even if it is just a day or so, but it allows me to return to it with some fresh eyes that often see a lack of connection, a point that is not helpful, or an illustration that is more of a distraction. I did not have this time last week. I’m not trying to make an excuse for the lack of clarity and focus (which was very true about this sermon), but one of those good realizations about myself. I have certain habits that have served me well for the most part, yet I am reminded of the old saying, “A rut is nothing more than a grave with the ends kicked out,” and ruts can be unhelpful at times. However, in a lot of situations, routine helps with efficiency, focus, and the capacity to measure steps in the process. This is all to say that when our routines are interrupted, it might throw us for a moment, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. Interruption invites us to ask some questions that would not otherwise be asked, such as: Am I really being efficient, is this routine providing me the kind of focus I need, and is there another approach that would provide a better way of measuring the progress I am making? I can’t say that I have answered those questions fully, but an interruption to a routine is not necessarily a bad thing. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time…” (Ephesians 5:15). Wisdom is rarely acquired when your routine remains your routine.
Provide for me both peace and awareness in those moments when my assumptions for the week are suddenly interrupted. May your Spirit, Holy One, furnish the courage to look at those things that might have become way too comfortable. Amen.
