How do I prepare to preach?’
The question brought me up short. I have been preparing sermons for over 30 years. Preaching is embedded in my being, as is preparation, so how do I prepare? Life as one of Jesus’ followers is the fertile ground of preparation with all the joys and tears of circumstances, the challenges of faith, trust, belief, doubt, confusion and questions of a woman seeking to live a faith-based life in the twenty-first century. I am a nightmare to friends as I am always on the lookout for preaching illustrations; outings are often interrupted with, ‘Oh that will make a brilliant illustration for a sermon’. I no longer have oversight of a local church, as I am in a learning and developmental role for the Methodist Church, so my preaching is usually as a visitor, which gives a different dimension
