[These brief words were shared with a group of ministerial students some months ago. They do not describe the technical side of sermon development or ministerial life but, rather, offer the young minister a small set of helpful principles with which to process life in "professional" ministry. I hope they are found to be helpful. I further hope that other ministers will feel free to add their best counsel in the comments section below. God bless all who "minister before the Lord and His people. -Ol' Suit]

HARD-KNOCKS HOMILETICS
The Trail Version

    First, a word of explanation. I began my ministerial journey in the “wild and wooly” American West. Among the roles I assumed in order to provide for myself and my growing family was that of cowboy. Although I was frequently involved in moving large herds of cattle from one place to another, only rarely did I participate in multi-day cattle-drives. Such drives are fire in the daytime and ice at night with nothing more than bare earth awaiting you at the end of the day. There are no showers, no soft hotel towels, no nice, nearby restaurants, and no soft, comfortable beds to look forward to after the long hours of straddling a saddle and moving sometimes errant (and persistently stubborn)bovine.

    But there was camaraderie and a real brotherhood borne out of the shared experiences of “the trail” and a mutual respect for each other and the skills each brought to the work. It is that which prompts me to label this “The Trail Version.” It is my hope that for every “long drive” of your life, you will have the wisdom to make wise choices and be blessed with reliable companions.

    If you find yourself caught out on a particularly rough trail without the “ranch-hands” you need to get the job done, drop me a line at oldsuit@gmail.com . I’ll be happy to be part of your prayer support team. Who knows, we might even meet up . . . a little further down the trail. Happy Trails!  and God be with you, friend!

-Ol’ Suit

 

1. Choose carefully the proper chart/map. (Psalm 119:105)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

            During the span of your life you will encounter many fads and systems which claim to be “the right way to do things” and promise to deliver “the truth.” There is only one completely trustworthy source of spiritual enlightenment. That unfailing source of light is the Word of God. Others may, indeed, have bursts of light here and there but the shadows of error and human blindness always mar them and, in the end, make them an unreliable source by which to chart your course.

Three Stages of Ol Suit.

The Word you preach/teach has endured the attacks of the ages. It has been proven in the real-world circumstances of the living and dying, the weak and the powerful, of individuals and nations. Trust the wisdom and truth of the Word of God totally. Trust it as a believer, a Christian leader, and in whatever other capacity God opens for you to fill. You may always and with great confidence close your reading of the Scriptures with the declaration, “This is the Word of God for the People of God.” And be sure of this: The world awaits a word from a loving God!

 

2. Choose carefully the proper Guide/Helper. (John 16:13)

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

            There are a lot of people who will offer advice to you. Listen most closely to those whose lives vibrate in harmony with God’s Word and passions. But even these will be insufficient in your greatest trials. Then you have One upon whom you may rely – the Holy Spirit who lives within your believing heart.

            In your weakest, blindest moments, He will not fail to be with you, guiding – chiefly through His Word but also by countless other lesser ways – even when you do not sense His presence near. (Romans 8:26a)

 

3. Choose carefully your traveling companions/friends. (Eccles. 4:7-12; 1 Cor. 15:33)

“Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business! Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

            Life’s journey was not designed as a solo excursion. We need, and will reflexively seek, companions…friends to share the journey. Friends will lighten the burdens and brighten the shadows. They will be warmth and shelter when life seems to turn cold and dangerous. Everybody needs a buddy.

            Choose your fellow travelers carefully. If you do not share a common Chart and a common Guide it is likely that one of you will influence the other toward their way. On the other hand, a good and well-chosen friend is a treasure house of blessings. When one can’t, two will. When alone you’d fail, two will succeed.

            (I cannot count the times when an evening of light-hearted fun among friends, sprinkled with serious discussions of some perplexing situation, has served to give me what I needed to tackle a challenge and win over it. Real friends don’t just tell you what you want to hear but what you need to hear. And they love you as much as before.)

 

4. Choose carefully the high road. (Isaiah 35:8, 42:16; Romans 12:18)

“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”

“And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

            There will be times when you will encounter undeserved criticism and thoughtless behavior on the part of others. Do your best to ensure that it remains “on the part of others.” Our lives and attitudes are the best homiletic either for or against what we verbalize.  I have not always succeeded at this and you may find yourself coming up short here, too. Whenever I have disappointed myself or failed to live up to the high standards of charity and forbearance toward those who disagree with or oppose me, I am under obligation to make amends. The Good News produces the fruit of goodness. (Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9)

            [I had an event in my first church in which I acted ignorantly. I didn’t see my error immediately but blundered on for some time, assuming that I had “delivered the Word of the Lord” to the offender. But God in His faithful, gentle way does not fail to go through our junk pile and, eventually, He went through mine. Under His persistent probing I saw the sin of ignorance I had committed against the other person. Then and there I pledged to do all in my power to restore what my immaturity and willfulness had damaged. I am happy to report that all was forgiven and amended, the other person being so much more gracious than I had reason to expect.]

 

5. Enjoy the journey!

            Remember that God designed us for pleasure as well as preaching. Surely we must be careful to maintain a balance between our mission and our mirth, but don’t let your joy leak out or dry up. Enjoy your companions. Love your spouse. Dream and scheme. Listen for God’s voice. Although you live for eternity, live in the moment, too.

            Eccles. 11:9 “Young man, enjoy yourself while you are young, make the most of the days of your youth, follow the prompting and desire of heart and eye, but remember, God will call you to account for everything.” (Jerusalem Bible)

            Psalm 16:11 “You will teach me the path of life, unbounded joy in your presence, at your right hand delight for ever.” (Jerusalem Bible)

 

6. Remember where your truest Home is.

            All the joys and toys of earth, fascinating and pleasurable as they are, are destined to fade into oblivion. “The Preacher” (of the Book of Ecclesiastes) knew this well and cautioned that, no matter how enjoyable the things of earth may be, they are not ours to keep. We have better things being prepared for us and a land yet in our future – the only land where the word “satisfaction” is truly fitting.

            “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.

            If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for something else of which they are only a kind of a copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.”  -C. S. Lewis, ‘Mere Christianity’

 Look for me along the trail . . . or when you get Home. God bless you!

Love God. Share life. Cherish your calling. Never quit. The best is always ahead.