What has happened to Sermons and Prayers?

I am sad to say that I have not managed to post a sermon to this blog since Lent 2011. This is because something has changed in the way I preach. I used to write all sermons out in full, and this made it easy to post them on the blog. However since Lent I have found myself preaching without notes, or at most with just a full bullet points. It seems to me that, when I preach in this way, I communicate much better with the congregation because I am actually talking to them rather than reading. Also I think I am much more dependent on the Holy Spirit this way, and I am sure that that is a good thing! I do find that preaching this way I am less accurate and I probably miss points out and repeat myself a bit, but it is still worth it because I am sure that more is communicated.

The sad thing is that I am left with no sermon text to post on the blog. I have felt sorry about that for a while. So one time recently I did try to write a sermon out in full, but then I found it changed a lot in the actual preaching and really needed a complete re-write.

So although I still produce a sermon every Sunday (sometimes two!) I can’t post them to the blog. Hopefully the situation will develop and a way round this will be found. I would love to video sermons and post them on Youtube, but we are not at that point yet!
Fr Patrick, 11th September 2011

The Revd Patrick Gerard
Rector of Baddesley Clinton and Lapworth
Diocese of Birmingham
Church of England