Three challenges I experience in preaching—and four opportunities

At the door of the church on a recent Sunday, I was talking to a parent of a younger boy. She said to me, "my son has finally connected with what you do! He asked me [about your preaching]: 'Is that his job?' I answered, 'yes, it is.' And then he said, '...what does he do the rest of the week?'"

Exactly. The answer—only partially tongue-in-cheek—is 'he thinks about preaching.'

Preaching is bizarre. Each week, a woman or man stands up in front of a group of other people and talks to them. Some preachers stand behind a desk and read. Some preachers jump and shout and don't have a written text anywhere nearby. Some preachers say what they need to say in 5 minutes or less—and it takes too long. Others go for 45 minutes or more and no one bats an eye.