Eating the Sermon

Two Years Ago I Was Challenged to Give Up the Manuscript


“There’s no doubt you’ve become much more focused on us as the congregation—the change is super noticeable.” A member at Faith OPC.


“Get rid of your sermon manuscript.” A fellow OPC pastor.

I was challenged to get grounded in the vocabulary and the flow of the English Bible text from which I'm preaching, use the verses as my sermon outline and know the points of explanation and application well—that is, know what I want to say. This pastor friend of mine finished: Your congregation wants to listen to and feed off the sermon, not watch you looking down at your notes.

I have had to work against my fears about this:

1. I am extra nervous on Sundays and I fear that I will forget what I want to say.

2. My notes become a crutch.

3. I am a perfectionist, and therefore, I think using a manuscript will satisfy my hunger, as an obsession, for control and polish. Does someone smell idolatry?

4. I didn’t see this modeled for me growing up through the ranks of younger buckhood to middle ager buckhood. Can I do this? I’ve not seen it done.

5. Is it OK to forget a point, get mixed up a little? My pastor friend said, “You’re the only one who’ll know you forgot something—get over it.”

6. Don’t be afraid to make use of insight and application that the Spirit brings for illumination while in the execution of preaching the text. There have many times where there’s been illumination while reading the passage or preaching the passage, and they are truths or points that I had not seen while preparing it.

This challenge has been good for me. I do want to be prepared. Prayer is huge to be sure. I am learning to preach to God’s people, not be so tied to notes.

Last thing—I do have notes in the pulpit with me. Over time in the pulpit, I’ve gone from 13 pages, down to 10, down to 7 and the past 2 years down to 4 ½-5. I try to take into the pulpit the basic grid and helps that I need.

G. Mark Sumpter