I love to follow sports and one of the things I know is that most athletes have a structured routine that they go through on "game day" in order to be ready in all aspects to perform. As much as I love sports, God never gifted me with the talent to play them (Although my dream still remains to be able to use my God-given talent in communication to announce a game some day).
Yet, for me as a pastor, Sunday is kind of like "game day" in the fact that it is my big day of the week (that is not meant to mean that I see preaching as a performance). I have found that much in the same way that athletes have "pre-game routines," I have developed some as well on Sunday mornings. This routine helps me to prepare myself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It's kind of like stretching before you run. For me, a typical Sunday morning goes like this.
6:30-7:10 - Wake up, shower, dress and grab a cup of coffee to go
7:10-7:15 - Drive to church
7:15-7:30 - Check email and eat a breakfast bar
7:30-8:00 - Read over my sermon notes and read a few additional commentaries on the passage I am preaching on just to refresh my mind on the content and context of the passage
8:00-8:45 - Go to a back classroom and practice my sermon out loud. This typically is my 3rd run through. My goal each week is to practice my sermon on Thursday afternoon, Saturday morning, and then again on Sunday morning.
8:45-9:00 - Go up to the sound booth and grab my microphone. Then check in with the video room and with the Worship Arts Director to be sure everything is "all systems go" and nothing has changed from the most recent plan for the service.
9:00-9:15 - Go back to my office and prepare my heart to preach by singing out loud several of the worship songs we are using in the service that morning. Typically, I plug the song titles into YouTube, crank up the volume on my computer speakers, and sing to the Lord from the bottom of my heart and the top of my lungs.
9:15-9:25 - Head upstairs and mingle with folks as they arrive at church.
9:25-9:30 - Prayer with the service participants backstage
9:30 - The service begins!
1 comment:
I've always wondered what a pastor does on a Sunday morning. Thanks for sharing. It gives me a greater appreciation and depth of understanding of all that it takes to prepare yourself. Thank you Pastor Scott for being who you are and allowing yourself to be used by God in a powerful way.
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