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Concordia Theological Monthly

Publication Date

9-1-1944

Document Type

Article

Keywords

sermon, illustration, parables, preaching, congregation

Submission Type

Bible Study; Lecture; Sermon Prep

Abstract

Introduction: The sermon's the thing-more than anything else in our ministry. ''Nothing contributes so much to keeping the people with the church as a good sermon," declares the Apology of our Augsburg Confession. If those were right who say that a pastor ought to devote one hour of preparation for every minute of preaching, it would follow that at least one half of his working hours are to be spent upon it. This is an exaggeration, which, nevertheless, serves a good purpose in emphasizing that none of us devotes too much time to his sermon preparation and many too little. The sermon should in every week be the masterpiece of our labors; it must be our chief concern, and yield not to a prize-winning garden nor to a book on how to play bridge nor even to some of the other good and necessary works of a successful ministry, such as well-planned visits and meeting or a successful campaign to pay off the church debt. On Sunday mornings and also at the time of other services the people come to us heavy laden, in need of, and ready for, instruction and exhortation, eager for an uplifting, inspiring, and comforting message, and we must not fail them.

Disciplines

Practical Theology

Submission Cost

Free

Submission Audience

Laity; Ministers; Scholars

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