Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt that something was a bit odd? Have you ever entered a space and felt immediately terrified? On the other hand, have you ever walked into a place you had never been before and felt a sense of calm, joy and peace?
There is a certain energy to spaces and the groups that inhabit those spaces.
What does this have to do with preaching? A lot.
One of the things we do intuitively as preachers is take the mood and temperature of the room and the congregation. It is important to acknowledge that there is an energy, a feel to the room well before we begin preaching.
What does the energy in the room feel like the Sunday after Thanksgiving? The Sunday after Christmas Day? The first Sunday of summer vacation?
What does it feel like on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday? During the Sundays of Lent? On an anniversary or special occasion for a congregation?
This week’s assignment is simple: Pay careful attention to the energy in all of the spaces and places you enter this week. What might preaching feel like in those places?