How Many Points Should a Good Sermon Have?

 

On a Sunday night during my seminary years, we would pack into the old van of a classmate and head off for a visit at the home of a professor.  This particular night, it was a trip to visit with Dr. George Buttrick, visiting professor at our seminary.  This noted scholar and preacher, former pastor at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, and later a Harvard professor, graciously welcomed us into his home.  I do not remember much about the visit except that I was in awe of being in the presence of such a notable person.

We sat in his living room and fired a barrage of questions at him, only one of which I recall: “Dr. Buttrick, how many points should a good sermon have?”

Without a moment’s hesitation he answered: “Methinks at least one!”

While that might have seemed a disappointment to those of us who were expecting a dissertation, this nugget of wisdom has stuck with me through a half century now.  This was reinforced some time ago when one faithful member of a church I had pastored for eleven years observed, “Dennis, all your sermons really had only one point, ‘inclusion’.”

“Well,” I answered, “if there is only one point I could hope my congregation might have learned, it is that God’s love includes everyone!”

I do not preach much anymore, but when I do I remember Buttrick’s answer to that question and try to have at least one clear point or theme the congregation can take away.  As I look back and re-read some of my old sermons, I must confess they are more like one friend described as a “Texas Longhorn sermon.”

 “And just what is that?” I asked my friend.

“A point here and a point there and a lot of bull in between.” 

 

 

 

Keep Chasing Those Dreams!

 I doubt seriously that I will be a professional basketball player.  That was my dream at age ten, but it is a ridiculous dream at age seventy-two!  But I might dream of going to a professional basketball game sometime, or even watching one of my own grandchildren play on a team.  Dreams are an important part of life.  The loss of a dream happens to all of us at some point, and with the loss of a dream comes grief. It’s just that way.

But do we stop dreaming because of it?  An article for the Tribune News Service, by Judi Light Hopson, points out that the pleasure of a dream is in the planning.  “It’s uplifting to fantasize about what could happen,” she says.

Our dreams and fantasies definitely change as we age.  It might even take some practice getting back into dreaming about some positive future goal.  Maybe it is reading more novels, or writing one!  Maybe it is learning more about the world, its geography, and planning a trip, regardless of whether you will be able to go.  I remember having fun as a nine-year-old riding my bike to many continents and countries of the world, right in my neighborhood.  There was nothing like racing my neighbor across the lawn to Madagascar or Hong Kong or Australia! 

Judi Light Hopson says that the chasing of dreams can actually reduce stress. She suggests having some big goals, but breaking them down into small steps. You might want to visit Santiago, Chile, but COVID and other factors prohibit it right now.  Maybe you can research Chile, find the best beaches in January, or the various means of transportation (are there sleeper trains or river boats?), or the best restaurants in a given city.  Keeping a file on your research is a first step toward realizing that travel dream.

I have a friend who has been married for fifty-one years.  For the last three years his wife has been in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s disease.  She cannot speak to him, but he sees her and visits regularly. There are no dreams they are able to share together, but he has decided to dream again despite what seems like a hopeless future together for them. He dreams of playing golf and enjoying the beauty of nature as he plays. He recently purchased a second home, a small condominium on a lake in a golf community, where he can get away and go enjoy a round of golf.  It was one way to invest some money, as well as to provide some needed respite.

Can you go ahead and dream without the worry about whether you’ll see the dream fulfilled? Could you allow the dream to carry you through any present difficulty you may be experiencing? Who knows, maybe dreams can come true, even in ways you never expected! And if they don’t come true, at least you have enjoyed the wonderful gift of imagination.