When I was a teenager, I spent summers at my mom’s house in Las Cruces, NM. Mom and my step-dad paid for a summer membership to a local country club for a couple of those summers. My brother and I would spend hours swimming and relaxing with some of the rich and famous in the Mesilla Valley. Invariably, there were girls present at the pool whom we wanted to impress. So, we’d climb to the top of the high dive. We’d make sure they were watching, then I’d do a front flip off of it and Craig would do a back flip off of it. Flips were one of those things we could do that the other boys could not do. However, not even our high flying antics were impressive enough to win the hearts of the girls.
Do you have an impressive talent or something unique that you can do (or used to be able to do)? If a girl/boy, an employer, a teacher or friend said, “Impress me!” what would you do, or at least say you could do given the right circumstances? Roll your tongue? Juggle? Solve a math problem in your head without a calculator? Do a magic trick? Hold your breath for two minutes?
How about the opposite question? What’s something impressive or unique that you can’t do, but you wish you could do? Sling webs like Spider Man? Sing songs like Shakira? Swim laps like Phelps? Swing bats like Aaron? I have to admit–my own list is pretty long. There are a lot of things I wish I could do but cannot do.
Let’s apply these questions to Jesus. As you reflect on Jesus and his ministry, what’s the most impressive thing Jesus ever did? Rise from the dead? Not smite the Pharisees? Heal the daughter of Jairus? Not turn those stones to bread? The Gospels provide example after example of things Jesus could do that no one could ever equal. At times, it seems there’s nothing Jesus couldn’t do.
But what about Jesus’ inability? Can you name something Jesus could not do? Let’s put aside all morally questionable actions. Can you think of something not evil that Jesus could not do? And, let’s put aside all logically impossible actions, like making a round square. Can you imagine a task given to Jesus by an employer, a request made to Jesus by a neighbor, or a need brought to Jesus by the crowds to which he would have to reply with “I’m sorry. I’m don’t possess the ability to do that”? Not “I don’t want to do that” but “I cannot do that”? It’s hard to imagine this scenario. Yet Jesus painted it for us. Consider these confessions from Jesus about his inabilities:
* “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.'” (John 5:19 ESV )
* “So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.'” (John 8:28 ESV)
There are at least two things Jesus cannot do. He cannot act on his own. He can only do what he sees his Father doing. And he cannot speak on his own. He can only say what he hears his Father saying.
Elsewhere Jesus uses different words to describe the same inabilities:
* “So Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.'” (John 7:16 ESV)
* “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” (John 12:49 ESV)
* “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. (John 14:10 ESV)
Jesus cannot act on his own. He watches the Father and then acts out what he sees the Father doing. Like an apprentice watching the Master, Jesus imitates the Father’s behavior and enacts it in his own ministry to people.
And, Jesus cannot speak on his own. He hears what the Father says and then speaks that message to others. Like an apprentice listening to the Master, Jesus absorbs the Father’s teaching and shares it with the people.
In other words, Jesus’ divine communication flowed directly from his divine connection.
Fred Craddock might say that what Jesus shouted publicly from the housetops about God he first heard privately in a whisper from God [based on Fred Craddock Preaching Abingdon, 1985, 52-55].
Jesus could not teach what he had not first been taught. The Father spoke. Jesus listened. Jesus spoke.
Sermons were not something Jesus conceived but something he received.
Preaching was not something Jesus created but something he consumed.
What he heard from heaven he taught on earth.
Jesus would go on to apply this same principle to us: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5 ESV)
It’s not that we cannot do some things. It’s that we cannot do anything. We are incapable of bearing fruit apart from Jesus. In context, “fruit” refers to the ministry of doing good works and sharing good news. We can do none of this unless we abide in Jesus. Four times Jesus says it: Abide in me; unless it abides in the vine; unless you abide in me; whoever abides in me. Abide. Abide. Abide. Abide. If you do not do that, you cannot do anything.
In other words, our divine communication will flow directly from our divine connection.
Anything we shout publicly from the housetops about God we must first hear privately in a whisper from God.
We cannot teach what we have not been first taught.
Sermons are not something we conceive but something we receive.
Preaching is not something we create but something we consume.
What we teach on earth we hear from heaven.
This means that we cannot truly speak of “the spiritual life of the preacher.” This phrase creates the impression that “spiritual life” is one of many components of “preaching.” We could imagine additional components: “sermon research,” “sermon rehearsal,” “finding illustrations,” etc. But “spiritual life” is not a component of “preaching.” The reality is just the opposite. “Preaching” is merely one component of the larger “spiritual life.” Preaching, and all else in life, flows out of our life with God. We can do nothing, absolutely nothing of eternal impact, without that vibrant and nourishing life with God.
This means that job #1 for the preacher (and any Christian) is to abide in Jesus, dwell in the Father, and rest in the Spirit. The first task of every week and every day in that week is connecting meaningfully with God. This connection Monday through Saturday is the only thing that makes possible our communication on Sunday.
How do we abide? The answer may depend on your personality, your season of life, and the current state of your life with God. I will share, however, two practices which are essential to my own preaching life.
The first is Lectio Divina. I especially practice Lectio Divina with my preaching texts. It’s a way of allowing me to enter into the text and to hear God’s voice in the text before and during the writing of the sermon. It consists of four basic steps:
Read – First, select a biblical text. Choose one that is just a few verses in length. Before reading it, get into a comfortable position and maintain silence for several minutes. This prepares your heart to listen. Now, read the text slowly. Savor each word. To help you hear every sentence and through, consider reading it out loud. When finished, read it two or three additional times. You might attempt to imagine yourself within the text, standing in the shoes of one of the characters. What do you see? Hear? Smell? Taste? Touch? What feelings arise in your heart? As you slowly read, be sensitive for one word or a phrase that sticks out and begs for more of your attention. Your goal is to hear one word or phrase that speaks to you or that piques your interest. Keep reading until this word or phrase comes to you.
Reflect – Now reflect on this word or phrase. Slowly repeat the word or phrase that has caught your attention. Meditate on it. Chew on it. If you keep a journal, write the word or phrase there. Ask questions of it: “Why did this word or phrase catch my attention?”; “What is it about my life that needs to hear this word today?” Your goal is to identify why God has placed this word or phrase on your heart and what God may be asking you to do or be through it. Is he calling for some action? Is he requiring some repentance? Is he granting some insight? Is he highlighting a reason for praise?
Respond – Here you respond to what you’ve heard from God. God has spoken to you by means of the word or phrase that you’ve identified. Now, you speak to Him. If God has convicted you of sin, respond with prayerful repentance. If God has given you a new understanding about something, respond with prayerful gratitude. If God has called you to action, respond with a verbal commitment to begin the action.
Rest – Finally, rest. Just as you began with a few moments of silence, so now finish this heavenly conversation with a few moments of silence. Rest quietly in the grace and presence of God.
Lectio Divina has become the foundation for my sermon preparation. The more my finished sermon flows out of this experience, the more natural it is for me to deliver and the more impact it has on listeners, because it is shared as a matter of experience not merely research.
Another practice remains foundational to my life as a preacher: the Examen. The Examen provides a way for me to see and hear God not only in Scripture but in the course of my daily life. The Examen consists of four steps:
Recognize (the presence of God) – The first step is to recognize that you are in the presence of God. While we are always in God’s presence, the Examen begins with an intentional remembering that God is present at this very moment. Frankly, during a typical day we often forget God. The Examen is a systematic way to bring God back to mind at key moments. The first step in the Examen is to recognize the presence of God. This might be done by spending a few moments in silence or by praying for God to help you know that he is with you right now.
Request (enlightenment from God) – In the second step we request enlightenment from God and his Spirit. Specifically, we ask God to fill us with wisdom and discernment as we move into the next step of the Examen. There, we will be reviewing a portion of our day. We wish to conduct this review with an eyesight and insight only God can grant. Knowing that in our weaknesses we are likely to miss something God wishes us to see, we now request that God, through his Spirit, opens our eyes and our hearts. We implore God to illuminate the way. We put on his glasses before reading the “script” of a prior portion of our day.
Review (the day’s highs and lows with God) – In the third step of the Examen, we review the past day or half-day with God. Like an athlete and his coach watching a video from a recent contest, we and God watch the past few hours of our day as they are projected on the screen of our minds. At various points, we pause the video to stare more closely at an event, or rewind a segment in order to see something we may have missed. As we gaze, we ask questions and take mental notes. We are striving to assess not just what happened in the past day or half-day. We are hoping to gain insight into emotions and motives that drove our behaviors and what God was up to in the midst of these behaviors. We are hoping to observe divine patterns or human habits that teach us something about ourselves and our God. There is much flexibility regarding how we perform this review. Adele Calhoun’s six questions, however, may provide a helpful structure. We might choose one or two of these questions to ponder as we rehearse the past day or half-day:
1. For what moment today am I most grateful? For what moment today am I least grateful?
2. When did I give and receive the most love today? When did I give and receive the least love today?
3. What was the most life-giving part of my day? What was the most life-thwarting part of my day?
4. When today did I have the deepest sense of connection with God, others and myself? When today did I have the least sense of connection?
5. Where was I aware of living out the fruit of the Spirit? Where was there an absence of the fruit of the Spirit?
6. Where did I experience “desolation”? Where did I find “consolation”?
Ultimately, we are endeavoring to become more conscious of the ways in which God showed up during our day and how we helped or hindered God’s activity. These questions enlighten us as to how God is moving in our day. They help us learn what God may be saying to us through the routine of ordinary events.
Resolve (to live for God) – In the final step, we move from pondering over the past to planning for the future. Having reviewed the highs and lows of the past day or half-day, we now consider the half-day or full-day in front of us. We prayerfully ask, “What is God teaching me through this review that will impact the way I live in the next half-day or full day?” If the Examen has revealed some sinful habits, we now consider how to address those habits in the hours before us. If the Examen has brought to mind some recent blessings of God, we now ask how we might live in gratitude and praise during the moments ahead. Based on the review, are there relationships to mend? Are there sins to repent of? Are there tasks which need doing? As we leave the Examen, we resolve to live the next day or half-day in light of what we’ve learned from the past day or half-day.
Last summer I spent thirty days in silence practicing the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. I didn’t study preaching. I didn’t research theology. I simply tried to abide. Silently. For thirty days. And on the Sunday after I returned I preached. What astounded me was the response to the sermon. I had actually written this sermon before the thirty day sabbatical. I did very little revision before preaching it. But people went on and on about it. And I realized something: the sermon hadn’t changed. But I had. And that, in turn, changed everything.
