I still remember the first pulpit advice I received. I was a teenager and had been asked to lead a meeting. I wasn’t preaching, but I was chairing the meeting, introducing songs, speaker, doing the reading, praying, etc. Afterwards my youth leader came to me and encouraged me that I’d done well. Then he offered this advice; “Don’t ever apologize for what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter who asked you, or how incapable you may feel, God has allowed you to be there so don’t apologize.”
The ingredients to a pulpit introductory apology tend to include feelings of inadequacy, any lack of preparation, feelings of humility, a desire to appear humble, a lack of planning for opening comments, nervousness, etc. The ingredients are understandable, but the result is not helpful. Don’t apologize. It grossly undermines credibility and can easily transfer your anxiety to your listeners.
If you are humble, it will show. But if you are nervous, unprepared, unqualified, incapable, etc., people don’t need that pointed out to them. They may notice, and they will usually be very gracious. Or more often than you realize, they will not notice at all. The first time I taught a lecture at seminary I mentioned that time was running low so I had to skip some material. My prof followed up on that, “Don’t tell them you are cutting stuff out, let them think they’re getting the full meal deal!”
What was the first helpful pulpit advice you received?
Biblical Preaching 
I completely agree with what you say. One prob I think there is with leading or preaching is that there is a huge temptation to read too much into the looks on people’s faces! You can be half way through and find yourself thinking ‘they hate me!!!’ I know a Minister who got stuck on this for years and it affected his relationship with the congregation in the end.
The first piece of advice for me was ‘don’t hang your personality on a hanger and try and be someone else’ Something I have tried never to do. I think that if people see ‘you’ then your message will carry more sincerity.
God Bless
Gary H
My pastor told me to be myself and stay true to the text. We spent an hour talking about the text of my first sermon, but the truth is in that statement: “Stay true to the text.”
I recall trying out a congregation after meeting with the elders the night before. Everything was going great, I thought. That afternoon I met again with the elders and then Sunday night came along, as I was preaching I noticed that one of the elders had a deep scowl on his face. I continued to preach but was startled and thought for sure that I had made some stupid mistake. After the services, the elders wanted to meet with me, again I thought I was in trouble.
It turns out they wanted me to become their local preacher and “hired” me on the spot. I learned later that the scowl was consecration.
My first advice was “Nervousness is the price that a race horse pays for not being a cow.”
I like that statement about Nervousness. I am always nervous before going into the pulpit. However, it always dissipates when I get going.
The most helpful Advice I received was from a retired minister who listened to my sermons. He told me that I used too many texts and treated them superficially…I was jumping from text to text spending seconds on each one. He encouraged me to use a smaller set of more connected texts and treat them more substantially.
what an interesting post. I have often wondered why, as a listener, I feel more inclined to think the best of my preachers until they start apologizing. I don’t want to hear they are unprepared. I don’t even want to hear that they are getting close to finishing (even though i know that’s usually a music cue). I really like trying to give them the benefit of the doubt that they are poised and informed, or just sweet, if I can listen purely.
good tip.
The first helpful pulpit advice I received? Don’t say “uh” so much.
This site and forum is really interesting. Thanks for all the advice, they are an inspiration!!
I have learned as a lay preacher not to jump or speed up too quickly while preaching a touchy or controversial topic, in the introduction of a sermon.
Start slow, general, and non controversial at the beginning. Towards my second or third point, would be the place to place the bomb.
This method is not for every sermon preparation, but works good for a very confrontational sermon, especially one given to a group of teens.
What do you think?
I asked my “retiree” pastoral-mentor for advice he gleaned from over the years. He gave me 3:
1) Visit your people.
2) Keep your commitments.
3) Preach relevant sermons (he had no problem being biblical)
I may have other advice for aspiring preachers, but have always meditated on the importance of Jimmie’s words of advice. Thanx JT!
chip.