Over the past forty plus years, I have been a lay preacher. In that time, I must have penned several hundred sermons. I am not claiming they were particularly good sermons. Many were rushed and relied heavily for inspiration on the work of far better theologians than I could ever aspire to be.
When I first started out, the internet had not come into being, so I relied on weighty tomes, a well-worn Concordance, the Book of Common Order, and of course, the Bible.
The reason I came to be a lay preacher was because I had been appointed as teacher/missionary on a tiny Scottish Island. My day job was as sole teacher in the island’s school, and on Sundays, my task was to preach in the island’s tiny chapel. What this entailed was to write and deliver a new sermon of about twelve hundred words each week.
For the first few years of this work, I did not even own a typewriter, so my sermons were handwritten. At that time, the chapel only had gas lighting, and when the cylinder began to run low, the light was weak, making my attempts to read what had been hurried scribbles quite a struggle. (Oh, how those faithful few must have suffered!)
But, despite all this body of work, the question I am inclined to ask is this: Do sermons count as writing or just a tool towards achieving an end?
I appreciate that writing takes many forms, from factual accounts at one end of the spectrum to every genre of fiction at the other, with some grey areas in the middle.
Come to think of it, does report writing, minute taking, form filling, letter writing, emailing, or even texting count as writing? They all require the use of the written word but are intended for a limited audience; sometimes just one person.
Pens Around the World deals mainly with creative writing, and it is a privilege to read the work of its dedicated members. That said, I can’t help wondering how you would react if I were to post one of my sermons on here!
Photo by Douglas Forrest
I’m tempted to respond, “Try it and see, Doug.”
BTW, have you read Patrick Gale’s A Perfectly Good Man? If not, you should do so. I’ve just finished reading it, and am now in the process of trying to put the chapters into chronological order to reread. However, having read it once I realise exactly why he placed the chapters in the order he did. The main character is a priest.
I’d say, of course, sermons are “writing”! They are essays for the purpose of saving souls or helping people in times of trouble and sorrow. What could be more noble?
I’d love to read one of your sermons, Doug.
Many thanks for your comments. It makes submitting a blog feel worthwhile.