The Gospel According to Debbie Downer

This is another sermon that, while not officially part of my D.Min coursework, represents the kind of work I am trying to do. My second year project explores the notion of vulnerability in preaching. I think this sermon touches on that theme in two ways:

1. The use of self-disclosure as a means to bring the text alive. I am fairly transparent here about the ways that I avoid suffering in my own life. I think this is a decent example of the ways in which my decision to be vulnerable can enhance the effectiveness of the sermon.
2. The delivery. This was preached without a manuscript. That, in itself, is not that unusual for me, but I have been in the habit of memorizing my manuscripts and reciting them verbatim. I find that this habit that inhibits free and spontaneous expression, making my sermon delivery less natural. While I am certainly not speaking off the cuff here, this is the least-memorized sermon I have ever preached. Eventually, I hope to look back on this sermon as a significant signpost on my way to complete freedom from my manuscript.

Fair warning: I am getting over a cold in this sermon.

You can listen to it here (click on the link, then click again where it says "download"). The sermon starts at the 9:10 mark, but do yourself a favor and enjoy the Plymouth Chancel Choir's rendition of Roger Ames' arrangement of Amazing Grace. You can also read the sermon here.