Sermons: The Further I Go, The Longer I Get

No, I’m not talking about the length of the sermon, but of course that might apply too.

What I’m talking about is sermon composition.

When I was first starting out preaching, I didn’t manuscript my sermons; I outlined. These outlines usually ran about 3-4 pages and were the result of week-long prep in study and composition. Back then, I assumed that the more experienced I got at preaching, the shorter my outline would get. I would be better at preaching from memory and rely on my notes less.

I’ve actually found the reverse true. I dare not say whether I’m a better preacher now, although I suspect I am — things like this being somewhat relative — but I have found the pages I take to the pulpit with me to preach increasing and containing more and more composition. I am not quite at the “word-for-word” manuscript stage, but I am definitely heading that direction. I typically take a 6-7 page manuscript with me and largely stick to what is written. Where I speak extemporaneously tends to be in the way of illustration or joke or remark to somebody in the congregation related to the subject at hand or an appropriate quote that suddenly comes to mind.

I cannot entirely explain this, except that the more experienced I’ve become, the more I value forethought and less I trust my ability to speak “off the cuff.”

I would also note, interestingly, that the further I go in preaching, the less time I actually spend in the composition of the sermon. Isn’t that odd? It used to take me a couple of days to produce a 3-4 page outline. Subtracting the study time in preparation, it now takes me about 3 hours to compose my 6-7 page manuscript.

Preachers, what’s your experience been like over time?

Related:

Here’s a compelling piece from Jeff Medders on why you should manuscript, a summation of his ebook on the subject.