Preaching to the Choir

These are some sermons, but mostly lectionary discussions. It also has prayers for some Sundays.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Getting input from those reading our sermons

I got asked by Amy Forbus,who is putting together an article for the Methodist Reporter about people who post their sermons, some questions about my postings.
I haven't posted a sermon in a long time. I just don't take the time to do it.

Here are her questions; The topic, at least as it stands now, is pastors who blog, and how that makes a difference in their preaching or other elements of worship.... especially if any parishoners have taken the opportunity to enter into discussion about a given sermon topic through the blog. I know Adam Hamilton has been engaging in a preaching/blogging crossover with his Seeing Gray series and has gotten a pretty good comment thread going a time or two. But do you know anyone else who's doing it? Are you doing it?
For those of you who have posted your sermons online, what kind of response have you gotten? Do your parishoners take advantage of being able to re-read or re-listen to something they've already heard? Does it deepen the experience of worship at all? Or, if you haven't tried anything like this, do you know a pastor who has done so and would be willing to talk about it?

Here are my answers to her questions: As far as it goes, I have been sporadic about posting my sermons. I find I may go into the pulpit with a written manuscript and then that is not what I preach, instead it is a spring board for preaching. I wish I taped the sermons so as to post a pod cast, an audio of the sermon or even some kind of video.

I do like the idea of Adam's of engaging in a preaching/blogging crossover with his Seeing Gray series and has gotten a pretty good comment thread going a time or two. But do you know anyone else who's doing it? Are you doing it? I am not doing it now, but it might be worth doing, since I have the church reading through the Bible and I am preaching from a scripture that fits that week's reading. I don't know anyone else who does this. If you look at Mike Slaughter's sermons, his has a bible study written by laity that goes along with sermon.

I have gotten pretty positive comments on my sermons. I know that several revgalblogpals post their sermons.

I think I am going to start posting what I am going to preach on and open it up for comments. See what kind of response I get.

And so, since she asked and got me thinking about it, I think I am going to post the passage I am preaching on for Sunday and see what kind of comments, thoughts or ideas people share. I have a friend who leads a lectionary study group, and he says it has enhanced his preaching a lot.

So what are your thoughts?

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