What Sermon Prep Actually Looks Like
Jared C. Wilson Blog | May 9, 2012
Monday AM - Day off. Hike to the waterfall with a mug of coffee and Bible. Hear from the Lord.
Tuesday AM - Coffee shop. Arc the passage in a moleskine to the sweet, sweet sounds of Bon Iver.
Tuesday PM - After all that hard work, spend afternoon in deep
Wednesday AM - Staff meetings are for suckers. Hand out git'r'done lists to deacons. Give people funny face when they ask you what you do all day. Dictate sermon notes to Siri.
Wednesday PM - Listen to a bazillion podcasts. Think, "Amateurs."
Thursday AM - Take notes, notebook, Bible, and open laptop. Receive word from on high. (It's from on high when the light gets brighter and an angelic chorus is singing. Anything else is probably a bad burrito.) Sermon is done, yo.
Thursday PM - Open up some commentaries on your passage to see what they got wrong.
Friday/Saturday - Windsurfing, or, you know, whatever.
Sunday 10:45 AM - Preach.
Sunday 11:15 AM - "Awe comes down."
Sunday 11:45 AM - Shake hands with the people who can find you through the shekinah glory.
Sunday PM - Start reading through all the emails of thankfulness for your excellent sermon.
Monday AM - Day off. Wake refreshed and rested and ready to do it all again. Isn't preaching awesome?
Comments:
May 9, 2012 at 11:47 AM
Man! Sign me up! DeYoung tries to hard. Kevin, there is no try, only do. Do or do not. There is not try. Learn from Master Jared my (De)young padawan.
May 9, 2012 at 11:03 AM
It could happen, couldn't it? God Bless Now! Maybe we as a congregation have more to do with your joy than we think.
"And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all."
(2 Corinthians 2:3 ESV)
God Bless Now!
May 9, 2012 at 10:50 AM
I would appreciate your not ruining a good gig, dude!
May 9, 2012 at 10:41 AM
All of a sudden, I'm feeling the Holy Spirit call me into full time ministry. Isn't it funny how that happens?
May 9, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Wow! Now if you could only bottle that and sell it, you'd be rich and the pastors of the world would be sending you all those emails of gratitude.
May 9, 2012 at 10:22 AM
I was thoroughly amazed at how I completely resonate with this week. Take out the windsurfing and waterfalls, insert golf and ultimate frisbee, and you have my week exactly.
May 9, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Yeah... if only
May 9, 2012 at 10:05 AM
Exactly how it goes for me, bro.
May 9, 2012 at 05:29 PM
shaking my head.
May 9, 2012 at 04:47 PM
ha ha ha this was so hilarious!! Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Especially when you had to , 'Shake hands with the people who can find you through the shekinah glory.'. Great piece
May 9, 2012 at 01:52 PM
Only difference for me is that I get to do it three times a week. So multiply the glory times three, and you get an idea of my sermon prep each week!
May 25, 2012 at 12:20 PM
[...] to sermon prep over at his blog. Kevin DeYoung tells us how sermons are really prepared. Finally, Jared Wilson tells us how sermons are really [...]
May 14, 2012 at 07:43 AM
[...] What Sermon Prep Actually Looks Like by Jared C. Wilson [...]
May 13, 2012 at 09:28 PM
[...] Kevin De Young maps out the emotional and productivity patterns of the week long process of sermon preparation. Monday – I’m so glad it’s my day off. Yesterday’s sermon was terrible. Maybe this week will be better. [...]
May 11, 2012 at 05:35 PM
yes. yes it is.
May 10, 2012 at 09:55 AM
Thanks, Jared - I appreciate a good laugh!
May 10, 2012 at 03:30 AM
The rest of the office staff think I'm crazy because I was laughing so loud as I read this! Very good Jared... Would it be possible for you to arrange to have your shadow fall on me so I can receive the anointing and transform the tediousness of shepherding sheep into windsurfing?
June 14, 2012 at 09:33 PM
..."shake hands with the people who can find you through the shekinah glory" --- LOLOLOLOL, I wasn't expecting such concentrated hilarity as I zoomed through the list. What a hearty laugh. Thanks for that!
Chris
May 9, 2012 at 12:44 PM
"Dictate sermon notes to Siri" Now if you could do that WHILE windsurfing....