Fifth Sunday of Easter

How to Listen to a Sermon

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Our Thursday morning Bible class studied the Pastoral Epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy, along with Titus, this year.

One of the main ways every parishioner comes in contact with the pastor is through the preaching of God’s word. So we took some time to read over and discuss an article entitled, “How to Listen to a Sermon — Even When It’s Hard.”

Let’s face it, even when we’re in the Divine Service each Sunday, many distractions can occur… Maybe it’s the voice or the tears of a child. It might be your phone ringing or vibrating in your pocket. Or the person behind you whispering something to their neighbor. Or there could be a sin that has gripped you, a frustration you have with someone, and the devil is using this to lead you into the Lala land of distraction.

When any of these things happen, how do you take away something from the sermon?

Well, start by eliminating distractions, leave your phone at home or in the car. Prepare for the service ahead of time by reading in advance (the scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday are included in the weekly newsletter), taking notes, listening for Law and Gospel, paying attention to the hymns, holding tightly to the liturgy, and listening for one key takeaway.

These are just a few of the suggestions from the article we talked about in Bible Class. If you’d like to read the article more completely, you can find it by clicking here.

And while we should always strive to be attentive during every Divine Service, don’t be hard on yourself (or your neighbor) if something distracts you at any point. Instead, see these as opportunities to support one another, to pray for the church, and remain anchored in the cross of Christ Jesus.

Your unworthy undershepherd,
Pastor Rogness