Preacher to Preacher

From Dan Copp
Clergy Development Director

People often ask me if I miss being a pastor. I guess in my answering the question I expose my love for pastoral ministry, because the next question is usually “What do you miss most?” To which I quickly reply, “I miss parish-preaching!” I miss the profound privilege of journeying together within a faith community as we study, pray, discern, and gather regularly to be shaped by God’s Word. I miss leading a people into living as a journeying faith community standing together on tiptoes as we anticipate, see, and celebrate the real lives among us responding to the Word and being radically transformed by God’s grace. I particularly miss this parish-preaching privilege in the Holy seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter.

This issue of Preacher’s Magazine is intended to resource you and your church as you celebrate the upcoming season of Lent/Easter. Traditionally, Lent spans 40 days, not counting Sundays. Lent culminates during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) and Good Friday, concluding the Saturday before Easter Sunday. The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday. This somber day of reflection allows the people of God to embrace mourning and sorrow for the death that sin brings into the world. Today, Lent is usually a time of encouraging people to participate in fasting and praying as we reflect on the consequences of sin and death. Through these means we are considering how our lives may be more conformed to the image of Christ, as we grow in anticipation for Easter Sunday. Lent is an intentional time of preparation for celebrating the profound hope of the Resurrection.

Rev. Bethany Hull Somers is one of our preaching resource contributors for this issue of Preacher’s Magazine. As she prepares to preach for her congregation during this special season, here is how she envisions their journey together:
Lent is the season of the Church year set aside for discovering what it means to die. It is the opportunity for the Church to be practicing death over and over again so that, come Good Friday, we are readied to feel it. Then—hallelujah—come Easter morning, we are primed for glorious celebration.

I encourage you to prayerfully reflect on the resources provided here and elsewhere as God helps you envision His Lent/Easter journey for your faith community and how this shapes the pulpit ministry. What a privilege to be preaching in this special season!
Our preaching resources for Lent/Easter 2009 are provided by Rev. Bethany Hull Somers, Rev. John V. Megyesi, Rev. David Busic, and Rev. Jeren Rowell. Bethany is senior pastor of the Mount Vernon Church of the Nazarene in Mount Vernon, Washington. John is senior pastor of the Lowell First Church of the Nazarene in Lowell, Massachusetts. David is senior pastor of Bethany First Church of the Nazarene in Bethany, Oklahoma. Jeren is District Superintendent for the Kansas City District. I trust that these wonderful preachers will contribute to your Lent and Easter preaching!