Save your sermon, preacher

Quick, anyone know where the title of this blog post comes from?

The Sheriff of Nottingham says it to Friar Tuck in the classic animated film, Robin Hood.

“Save your sermon, preacher, it ain’t Sunday you know!”

Recently when my kids were watching the movie, I heard that line and my thoughts were something like what follows: “This is what much of the world thinks of preachers. We only have anything relevant to say (if we ever do) from a pulpit on Sunday. Maybe someone will put up with a decent homily for a few minutes on one day, but the rest of the week, in “real-world-time”, they think we should leave the opinions and heavy lifting to people who know what the real world is about.”

That perspective of what the world thinks, and why, can certainly be true, sometimes. But after thinking it over there’s another option. Perhaps folks don’t want to listen to us because we (wait for it…) talk too much.

There, I said it! Do you know any pastors (of course, not you, but, you know, a friend) who not only speak with authority from the pulpit, but think they speak with authority—24 hours a day, 7 days a week—in every little detail of life? Have you ever seen a preacher who won’t ever stop preaching, so instead of having meaningful dialogue, they talk to everyone as if from a pulpit? Do you know ministers who’s opinion is indistinguishable (in their own mind) from the Word of God?

Don’t misunderstand me, it’s right for a man or woman of God to walk with confidence, authority, and the boldness of the Holy Spirit. It’s a good thing for pastors to speak a Word-of-God-immersed perspective into every day life. But it’s no good for a preacher to be a blow-hard, whether in the pulpit or out of it.

Well-considered and Holy Spirit inspired sermons can be good, but constant sermonizing can be a manifestation of arrogance. And, sometimes, better than preaching at people is speaking to people. Sermons have their time and place; honest and loving dialogue is appropriate at all times.