Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Weaving the Web

August 25, 2006
Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern

A member of the Committee on Ministry recently asked me two interesting questions about preaching, sermons and services. I wanted to share my answers with all of you, and hear your thoughts. When you evaluate your sermons and preaching, what criteria do you use to critique them?

I ask myself: Does this come from the heart? Am I being honest and digging down to something that is important to me? Is my delivery emotionally appropriate and genuine? A colleague whose preaching I admire says she guards against Preacher Voice – wise advice! Is everything clear and easy to follow? Am I saying enough? – is there depth and substance to the message? Am I being careful not to say too much? – there are only so many ideas people can think about in 15-20 minutes. (When I have too many, I put some aside for future sermons!) Is it intellectually challenging without being lecture-y? Are there stories and images?

Also, in choosing topics, I ask myself: Am I addressing issues that I know to be important to the congregation? For example, this year I will be including environmental concerns and parenting/family issues to support our Growing Green and Reaching Out to Families initiatives. I will also make sure to have sermons on transition to support the work we’re doing as a congregation to decide on our next ministerial staffing configuration. I also strive to vary the topics among pastoral concerns, history, theology, spirituality, current events, and social justice; to speak to the different demographics and life situations of the people in the congregation; and to vary emotional tone. Some sermons are weighted towards reassurance, some towards challenge, some towards inspiration … all are important.

The main question I ask myself as I choose topics, meditate on them, and write them is: Would I be inspired, changed, and helped by this sermon? What do you want worshippers to take with them as they leave a Sunday worship service? I want to give you something to think about – an image, story, approach to a question, etc., that you may not have thought about before. Something that touches your daily lives: decisions you might make, relationships you’re in, help getting through a challenging time. Both challenge to change, and hope. I want you to know the depth of my love and respect for you. I also want you to have the sense that this whole community is there for you, whatever is going on in your lives, and that this is a place where your questions, feelings, ideas and experiences will be greeted with respect. And I want to leave everyone with the sense that the conversation is not finished – that you can talk to me and each other about the things that have arisen in today’s service. It’s not the final word, but the continuation, or the instigation, of a dialogue.

So tell me more … what do you long for when you come to Sunday services?

— Blessings, Amy