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Why Do I Preach?
by Captain Sharon Sandercock-Brown
Australia East, Chatswood Corps Officer
My
Story… Why do I preach??
On a Friday afternoon as I pick up the kids from school and
muse over the fact that my sermon for Sunday is only half
written, I often wonder: why do I preach? I never seem to have
enough time to think through what I feel needs to be said and
how it should be communicated. The demands of so many other
things throughout the week crowd in on the time I really
should be devoting to studying and soaking up God’s word in
order to share it faithfully. It was fine at college when I
was in that zone! Once you hit the ‘real’ world the focus
shifts and it is a discipline to say no to other matters in
order to schedule in enough time for sermon prep. On
reflection, I would have to say that time isn’t the major
factor concerning this question. The answer, I know, is much
deeper…
Although throughout church history the place of women
preachers has met opposition and produced a variety of
opinions, it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t preach as a
Salvation Army officer. I don’t think it was totally due to my
upbringing in the Army although that certainly had its
influence, but rather because of the accepted norm of women
working in the workplace. As a graphic designer prior to
Officership never once did my gender decide whether I was
appropriate to fulfill the role. In our marriage, my husband
and I always understood the ‘contract’ to be a partnership. We
did, and still do, share domestic duties and parenting
responsibilities. Both of us had good jobs and careers we
enjoyed so we both continued working when children came on the
scene. When decisions had to be made, we both had a say in the
matter. When God first put the idea of Officership into my
thinking, this concept of being partners in ministry was
discussed [and re-emphasised] with my husband.
This help explains why I preach but there is still something
more. I can remember my first sermon. Just a talk really. I am
sure I have given talks before but this one felt different
because it was at a time when I was really focusing on what it
meant to be a Christian. I was re-evaluating my commitment and
wanting to get serious about my faith. As the leader of the
group leading this particular Sunday service the task came to
me by default. I cannot remember what I said except that I
shared a lot about what the Holy Spirit was doing in my life.
[I do remember that the DC’s of our division were present in
that meeting and I felt a bit sorry for them having to sit
through my rambling talk.] The amazing thing was that when I
finished speaking people moved to pray at the mercy seat. It
definitely had nothing to do with my polished performance or
any expertise in communication skills! Yet somehow God was at
work even though my ‘talk’ seemed rather inadequate.
Well, training college gave me the formulas needed for a well
structured sermon although I still find it hard to sometimes
stick to these methods. My creative spirit reacts to the
confines of such guidelines… I just like to do things
differently. These differences are quite evident when you
compare me to my husband. He is well read and articulate,
loves the written word and is ready to share his thoughts on
what he knows. With a background in teaching he had no problem
standing up to speak publicly and was able to do a good job
communicating his 3 point sermon right from the very beginning
of college life. It didn’t come so easy to me. Even now, with
quite a few sermons under my belt, I still freak out before I
start to preach. I remind God that “I am a poor speaker”
[Exodus 6:30] yet he stills calls me to lead the people of God
[even in the wilderness].
At this point, it sounds like I am struggling to find the
actual reason why I preach. Apart from knowing that God has
used my flawed efforts in the past, why should I continue to
preach? Does scripture provide an explanation? Does it confirm
things like women preaching to blokes? In his first letter to
the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul gives us plenty to
argue over concerning this matter. He proposes a ladder of
authority interwoven with what he calls the ‘traditions’.
[1Corinthians 11:2F] Yet I notice that the same man who can
make distinctions between the Godhead, and a man and woman in
a Christian assembly can also claim that in Christ there are
no distinctions. [Galatians 3:28] Luke tells us that Paul
worked with a wife and husband team. Both of them were
involved in sorting out Apollos when his religious education
needed an update. [Acts 18:26] There appears to be no
distinctions there! According to my own tradition, my
impression of the Founders is that Catherine was very much an
equal with William and their partnership flowed directly into
ministry matters. Catherine’s intellect and outspoken ways
brought public recognition for women and their right to be
involved in ministry leadership. Her strong sense of justice
in this matter has created a new tradition that The Salvation
Army still follows. Women and men stand side by side to fight
for God.
So why do I preach? Since my first class in theology [when I
spent half the lesson getting my head around the title] the
Word of God has burned in my heart. As I study and grapple
with what I read in the bible my faith has deepened and
expanded. As I understand more and more of God I find I have
more and more to share. There are still lots of things I don’t
know and realise there will be some things I will never know
fully, but that does not stop me from knowing some rather
profound truths of God. Big news items like grace and
redemption and hope. As I prepare each sermon God speaks to me
and gives me something to say. As I proclaim the good news,
whether it is in a Sunday meeting or at the Tuesday bible
study or at the local Primary School, it is God who should be
the main focus. Primarily I preach because of God and not
because of me. Time, gender, marital status, rank and
expertise are secondary factors! And the more I preach the
more I know that God is at work in my life. He is changing my
perspective and claiming my allegiance to win the world for
Christ. I preach because God has chosen to use me. [I didn’t
put my hand up!]
Sharon Sandercock-Brown
PS: Thank you for reading my ‘ramblings’. I am not sure if my
writing abilities are any better than my oral recitations so I
appreciate your effort in making it to the end!
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