Across the Pastor’s Desk by Todd Walsh

Listening to a sermon can be a chore. It can frankly take some practice. And I say that as one who has delivered a few and heard a few. So I thought it would be good to share some pointers about how to listen to and get the most from a sermon.  Remember, these pointers are just my opinion. What works for me may not work for you.

First and perhaps most important is attitude. I have my ideas and feelings on how a sermon should go. I have my ideas of what a Bible passage is about. What I hear in a sermon also depends on how I am doing at the moment and how my week has gone. How I hear a sermon also has a whole lot to do with my own unique life experience.

Consider the predicament of the pastor who preaches. How is that preacher supposed to chime in on all the life experience before him or her?

So if a sermon goes in a direction I would not go or do not expect, that is a good thing. It means I have a chance to hear in a new way.  It means that even if I don’t agree with what is being said, I have an opportunity to be challenged and grow.

Second, don’t try to take in everything that is said.  We drift when listening.  We hear something and chime in with it. We then drift into other related thoughts while the sermon goes on. We stop listening for a few seconds…or minutes.  And we are drawn back into the sermon again by something that hits us.

Third, if you ask for a copy of the sermon, you may be disappointed. Some pastors like myself don’t use notes or may not even have notes at all. Or the notes may not be presentable. I have noticed reading a copy of a sermon that has really touched me does not work.  There is something to the initial emotional impact of that sermon. Reading it again may not bring back the moment.

Fourth, is it okay to close your eyes during the sermon? Yes, that works.  It can help us concentrate and take in the spoken word. But watch out that you don’t copy Alice.

Alice loved going to church. Even in her old age she faithfully shuffled into church. She watched and listened attentively as my sermons began. But then she would drift off to sleep. Her head would slowly tilt back until she was basically looking at the ceiling…with her eyes closed. She did this so often that I knew the sermon should be done when Alice sat in the pew with her head back looking straight up. And the hymn after the sermon usually began with her husband nudging her saying “Wake up! He’s done.”

So if your eyes are open during the sermon, do you look at the person preaching? Or do you let your eyes wander? Either one can work. The expressions and gestures of the preacher can be an important part of the spoken word. And sometimes we are better listeners when we let our eyes wander. I like to look at the architecture that is around me. That’s why so many churches are highly decorated; we run into visual sermons even when our eyes drift away from the preacher. And part of listening to a sermon is seeing and listening to the reaction of others around us.

Fifth, does it help to take notes during a sermon? I think so. It can help us listen. But realize that the experience of listening will be different because we stop listening so that we can write. Try taking notes during the sermon and then try taking notes after a sermon. The listening and the writing will be different. There is something to be said for the experience of just listening. And there is value in trying to capture the words of the sermon in notes. Some pastors provide a listening guide and that is a good way to help the listening. There is also something to be said for just taking notes from scratch.

Sixth, I sometimes look again at the Bible readings during the sermon. Many churches have Bibles in the pews. I have a Bible in my phone so I can look things up quickly. That infernal phone also gives me the ability to look up other things when the sermon triggers a question. I sometimes find that I listen better when I pursue what grabs my attention during the sermon. Just remember though that the baseball standings will be the same after the service as during the sermon. You can save checking the standings until after the service.

Seventh, what do you say to the pastor after the sermon? Be mindful that quite often there is a line of people greeting the pastor after a worship service. I don’t think it is a time to have a lengthy conversation about the sermon. I would suggest a “thank you” or a quick positive comment. If you have a negative or critical commentary, I would save it for another time when there is more time. An email, note or a phone call can work too. A note that is not signed is a conversation and growth denied.  Remember, the point of the conversation is to build up one another.

I once had someone say to me after the service, “Nice try.” I remember that sermon. She was being kind.

So is the sermon something that you just have to get used to?  Someone once told me the same thing about lutefisk. I do not understand the logic of eating a food that “you just have to get used to.”  A good sermon calls for an “Amen.” All lutefisk ever inspired me to say is, “Please pass the meatballs.”

 

The Rev. Todd Walsh is the chaplain at Thorne Crest Retirement Community.