Preaching and Preachers

Preaching and Preachersand the people, and your preparation, and many other factors arepeculiar to the regular ministry in one church.Another aspect of this romantic element is the endless possibilitiesof a service. Or, if you prefer it, the uncertain element in a service.There is something glorious even about the uncertainty; because ifyou are a true preacher you really do not know what is going tohappen when you enter a pulpit. If you are a lecturer, as 1 have explained,you do know; but if you are a preacher you certainly do not.And you will have most amazing experiences. You may enter thepulpit feeling really well, confident in your preparation and anticipatinga good service, only to have a bad service. There is somethingwonderful even in that because it shows at any rate that you are notthe sole person in control. You tended to think you were, but you havediscovered that you are not, and you are reminded that you are 'underGod'.But conversely, and thank God for this, you may enter the pulpitfeeling ill, feeling nervous, conscious of inadequate preparation forvarious reasons; and suddenly all is well, even physically. The effectof preaching on one's own health is quite remarkable. Those who haveread the Journals of Whitefield will have noticed that he often referredto that. He had not been feeling well-probably it was his hearttroubling him, or his excessivecorpulence in his later years-and youfind in his Journal, or in a letter to somebody a statement like this, 'Ishall not be right again until 1 have had a good pulpit sweat'. And itdid put him right so frequently-'a good pulpit sweat'. I have oftensaid that the only Turkish baths I have had have been in pulpits. Thisis something that literally happens, one is completely reinvigoratedand restored to health and strength by preaching, and you scarcelyknow yourself. 1 know nothing else that does this. However weak andjaded you may be when you enter your pulpit you may come out anentirely different man.I want to add one qualification to this, and once more it is a pointthat has interested me very much throughout the years. There weretimes when I could tell on a Saturday what was going to happen on298