Saturday Night Theologian

Lately, I've been a Sat. Night theologian. Sometimes (like this morning) not even starting my sermon until Saturday late-morning. I had done a lot of study and thinking prior to this morning, but nothing was being formatted.

It's 6pm. I am almost done w/ my sermon. I've got some Bible Study planning to do. But, I'm feeling ready.

I have yet to be able to tell what makes a good sermon. I mean, I know mine aren't publish-worthy. I don't know that they would ever be. My writing style needs the right emphases and vocal tones - a lot of my sermon is what happens when I'm actually preaching (ad libbing included).

But, every time I think I totally bomb (or, rather, theologically, somehow block the spirit's work) someone comes up and says they think it was a great sermon. When I think I've had a good sermon, there is little to no response. I don't know what that means. Does it mean that people aren't sure what I'm saying? Does it mean that I can't get other people excited about what excites me? Does it mean I'm off base?

I get frustrated because it feels like I can't read my audience. And, because it's my job to connect, to get people thinking, I get frustrated that I can't seem to know how to do that - that I just stumble into it.

Unfortunately, it seems like I have a better success at stumbling into it when I do write my sermons on Saturday night. I'm not sure what that means either.