Preaching tomorrow

Tomorrow I have the opportunity to preach for the first time at "big church" shall we say. My preparation time this week has been a great time of worship. As tomorrow morning is quickly approaching I have been thinking about the weight preaching. It really is a priveledge and an honor to do this. So as I was thinking about this stuff I turned to my old dead friends, the Puritans, to see what they had to say about preaching. Enjoy.

"A Minister's Preaching"

My Master God,
I am desired to preach today,
but go weak and needy to my task;

Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth,
that an honest testimony might be borne for thee;

Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,
with heart uplifted for grace and unction.

Present to my view things pertinent to my subject
with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,
proper expressions, fluency, fervency,
a feeling sense of the things I preach,
and grace to apply them to men's consciences.

Keep me conscious all the while of my own defects,
and let me not gloat in pride over my performance.

Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,
and to leave sinners inexscusable in neglecting thy mercy.

Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,
and to set before them comforting considerations.

Attend with power the truth preached,
and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.

May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted,
and help me to use the strongest arguments
drawn from Christ's incarnation and sufferings,
that men might be made holy.

I myself need thy support, comfort, strength, holiness,
that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,
and be able to do something for thee;

Give me then refreshment among thy people,
and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way,
or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a redeemer,
or be harsh in treating of Christ's death, its design and end,
from lack of warmth and fervency.

And keep me in tune with thee as I do this work.


Now I promise that I'm not going to preach in Elizabethan english but I am so encouraged when I read these guys. They were truly sold out. What I love about them is that their passion and joy was theologically informed. In today's Christendom, where we just want to get excited and have a good time at the expense of theological depth, these guys show that theological depth and joy in Christ is a "both/and" not an "eaither/or". So, may we press on in His Word and daily search the riches of Christ and by this we will experience joy and fulfillment on a daily basis.