The Fellowship Room

Weylan Deaver 9:03 am on November 29, 2011 Reply  

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  J. Randal Matheny 9:06 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

  My best sermons, poems, thoughts, were those lost in the wee hours of the morning. Just the other night I got up to jot down a thought, because I’d forgotten to put a pen and notebook at my bedside.

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  Ron Thomas 9:10 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

  I have not had that “blessing” like others have. Most of the ideas that come to my mind are in the office, but every now and again they come to when outside the particular confines. My greatest “hangup” is to get an idea and then have a few days come and go and, even though I wrote the idea down, when I look at it again, whatever I thought … well, I am just not inspired the same.

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  John Henson 9:18 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

  That’s why a pen and pad are near the bed. I will often have a thought on the basis of the day’s study (or something Randal wrote) and I try to joy those down before sleep.

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  Don Ruhl 9:42 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

  This is the curse of being a preacher! I am guessing that everyone of us does this. When we are driving down the road, walking or hiking, sitting in a restaurant with our wives (whom we are supposed to be thinking about), while listening to other preachers, watching a movie, in a conversation with someone, etc.

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    Ron Thomas 9:48 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

    Yes! I like that…(whom we are supposed to be thinking about). None have never been guilty of that!

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    John Henson 10:51 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

    Right, Don. On some smartphones (like the HTC Evo) there’s an app for that, a voice recorder might take away the need for a pad. (Found out this morning!)

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    Weylan Deaver 3:53 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

    I suppose, when you preach, you’re never more than four days from a major speech (either a Bible class or sermons, or both), so the pace is relentless. But now we know when bro. Don takes his wife to dinner, he is really formulating a sermon. I think you are on to something, Don, about preachers listening to other preachers differently than most members listen.

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      Don Ruhl 10:24 pm on December 2, 2011 Permalink

      Weylan, you are so correct about the relentless pace of facing a major discourse constantly! I feel that burden, and the joy of it also.

      The director of my school of preaching, Hugh Shira, also taught a homiletics course, and he said once that if 100 people are attendance and you speak for 30 minutes, you have used up 50 man-hours (representing all those people who have ceased their regular activities for the moment, to hear you speak). Therefore, you better have something to say.

      That made a deep impression upon me, and so I have always determined to have something to say rather than wasting people’s time.

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      Weylan Deaver 9:52 am on December 5, 2011 Permalink

      That is a good perspective, bro. Don (and, glad you are out of the hospital). I try to develop lessons that interest me. Maybe it’s a pointed truth brought out by a Greek work, or a challenging theological concept, or a fascinating historical detail, or a new approach to an old subject, or perhaps a biblical character rarely mentioned. I hope that, if it interests me, it will interest others. On the other hand, if I’m not sold on my own sermon, how am I going to be able to present it effectively to anyone? Nothing worse than delivering a sermon while, in the back of your mind, thinking, “this is not very good.”

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  Eugene Adkins 5:26 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply

  Absolutely! And often times the “flow” at that time is much better in my head than it is the next day when I start to write. Oh well.

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