Holding myself accountable for consistently blogging for over fifteen years has given me a newfound respect for many things, including a few professions. Given my longtime agnosticism, perhaps the biggest surprise to me has been how much I've grown to appreciate members of the clergy.
Have you ever thought carefully about the amount of effort it takes to develop and deliver a sermon or homily every single week? I ask you to consider the following:* You're often speaking to many of the same people each week. So, 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, which means that aside from an occasional crying baby, nothing ever interrupts you. Net result: Every mispronounced or misused word is heard, every lapse in logic or flow is noticeable.
* You're the center of attention 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, and 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 regularly tithing to keep this gig.
* You're the center of attention 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, and 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 regularly tithing to keep this gig.
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