This week's sermon wasn't really one that I think there are details or rabbit trails that had to be left aside to stay on track. Instead, we were observing the Lord's Supper. Rather than rehash the details, instead I would point you here to different types of sermons.
Some sermons are meant to push ahead and plow new ground. By that, not new Scripture, but rather introduce new concepts to the congregation. The way I understand preaching, that comes in helping people see the connection between the timeless truth of the text and a current application of that timeless truth. A good example would be revisiting the truth of James 1:27 about caring for orphans, connecting that application to the idea that we ought to be personally involved in such things, and showing a new pathway to meet needs for orphans in the community. It's a timeless truth connecting to a "new" application.
(After all, there's not 'new' truth in the text. There may be truths that we haven't talked much about or have overlooked, but it's all been there since the beginning.)
Some sermons are meant to push hard against a known problem, revisiting a well-known truth and a well-known application, but seeing that the congregation just, well, is not doing what the text says to do. An example would be found in the timeless truth that God's love is for all people and that eternity sees "every tribe, tongue, and nation" gathered around the throne in worship, which then helps us to see that judging some races as "not as good as us" is sinful. If racism is cropping back up, the sermons that push back are coming up again. It's a reminder, perhaps a rebuke.
Other times, though, the reminder sermon is more encouraging. The well-known truth is that God loves you and will never leave you alone. The application of this timeless truth is to trust in God as everything else goes crazy, and that we should be there to encourage and support one another. As plants close and jobs disappear, as chaos develops around us, that's easy to forget. So we need that reminder.
Lord's Supper Sundays hit another reminder: a time for reflection, a time for remembering all that has gone before us. A time for remembering that we are not the only Christians nor even the first Christians! Instead, we can remember that we are part of two thousand years of the work of God in this world.
And that's more what the focus was: a bit more introspective and contemplative. Now, whether or not it came out that way is another story! But that was the goal--every sermon seeks to accomplish a purpose. Communicating the basics of the Gospel should always be part of the goal: that Jesus died, Jesus rose, Jesus ascended, Jesus is coming back. There are, however, additional purposes.
One thing I've seen some preachers talk about is the value of doing a feedback group of mature church members, but I've so far not found a good way to approach that.
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