The holidays are here and that means plenty of opportunities to focus the topics of your sermons on things seasonal. Do you?
I avoid sermons based on holidays like the plague – no Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, etc. I just think that you can only say so much in a sermon aimed at a holiday before you begin to repeat yourself the next year or two. Then you have to fight to be original.
The exception? For me, Easter and Christmas. In fact, I do Advent. Four sermons targeted at the coming of Christ and what it reveals about God and it starts next week, the 30th of November.
Am I schizophrenic, or is there a method to the madness?
What about you?
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Quinn Hooks
on Nov 19th, 2008
@ 9:41 pm:
Christmas, Easter, and 4th of July for me.
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Micah Fries
on Nov 19th, 2008
@ 10:43 pm:
Art-
We’ve touched on this before, a bit, but I also avoid seasonal message, primarily. Mainly because they break up my normal series’ so doggone often. I do preach special series on Christmas & Easter, however. This year’s Christmas series is “God in a box”. We’re talking of the gift of Christ. Should be fun!
Rick Boyne
on Nov 20th, 2008
@ 9:25 am:
I’m with Quinn; Christmas, Easter and 4th of July. Although, this year, I did do Mother’s Day and Father’s day, but probably not again for a long time. Oh, I always have a special Sunday Before Thanksgiving message, too.
Rick Boynes last blog post..Attention Please!
Marty Duren
on Nov 20th, 2008
@ 9:29 am:
“God in a box”? That must be in the Greek somewhere. I thought He was in a manger.
“Am I schizophrenic”? Only the Shadow knows.
I tend to target only those holidays that people still actually equate with church in some way. Unfortunately, those seem to be narrowing; in most instances C&E still certainly apply and in some cases Mother’s Day is still big. Most Father’s Days will see the golf course instead of church. Beyond those it would be hard to make a wide spread case.
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Michael
on Nov 20th, 2008
@ 10:02 am:
I usually do a brief series leading into Christmas and Easter. I have done Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in the past but found myself repeating quickly so I’ve moved away. My last church had a HUGE service and outreach on the 4th of July so I’ve usually avoided it on Sundays thus far. On Thanksgiving I have very abbreviated messages and open up the rest of the service for individuals to praise and thank God publicly. With the exception of one gentleman the first year, this has gone very, very well and been a tremendous service.
I like to preach through books so unless I can time it perfectly to end on a certain week these special sermons sometimes feel like hiccups. Of course I have interrupted series for special sermons God has laid on my heart concerning the church a few times as well.
Joseph M. Smith
on Nov 20th, 2008
@ 8:22 pm:
I have found great joy in doing much of the liturgical year. I do not follow the lectionary, but I do observe Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week and Easter, Pentecost, Trinity … and this coming Sunday, Christ the King. For me there is still plenty of time to do series of all sorts … in fact, nearly all of my preaching involves series of from 2 to 6 Sundays.
I normally do something with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but confess I have to do some contortions if Mother’s Day and Pentecost are on the same Sunday!