Holding myself accountable for blogging most days has given me new respect for many things, including a few professions. Perhaps my biggest surprise has been how I now view members of the clergy.
Ever consider the effort it takes to develop and deliver a sermon or homily every single week? Think about it:
* You're often speaking to many of the same people each week (How soon can you recycle stuff?)
* You're drawing your material from the same (admittedly rich) source material each time.
* You're speaking in a very quiet space, so aside from an occasional crying baby, no one interrupts you. Net result: Every mispronounced or misused word is heard; lapses in logic or flow are noticeable; cliches are in high relief; etc.
* You're talking for 10-15 minutes non-stop AND you have to draw a compelling conclusion.
Look at that list. How consistently well do you think you could do this? I've been in front of people as a musician, teacher, speaker most of my professional life. But when I think about meeting all the requirements on that list, it gives me real pause. There are additional parallels with blogging - staying fresh, remaining relevant, keeping people interested/awake. Thank goodness I don't rely on people tithing to keep this gig.
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
I have always been extremely appreciative of an excellent sermon, to the point where twice I felt compelled to write a letter expressing my admiration of the feat. The first time, the priest called me on the phone to say he had never received such a detailed and glowing report on anything he had said on a typical Sunday. We spoke for a while and he sincerely thanked me. In the second case, a different priest sent me a letter of his own in response to my praise. It was a bit tongue-in-cheek; humor was his strong suit.
ReplyDeleteNow allow me to draw a parallel to your blogging. When a person comments on a post of yours, your friendly response back to them is similar to the phone call or the "you're welcome" written reply. The reader will get the feeling that he or she is appreciated. Your readers certainly appreciate you, Pat!
Marianne stated the point extremely well! I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteI don't know you, Peter, but thanks! You made my day!
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