Preacher: Ken Nash
Sermon Title: Own Your Story
Original Sermon Link: hashtageverydaymatters.com
It is difficult to talk about pain well, much less preach about it. Hamburg Wesleyan’s relatively new lead pastor, Ken Nash, navigates this sermon with grace placing it within a larger context of the series “Every Day Matters.” Mixing video, social media, live presentation, and more this series shows a lot of relevant cultural connection points while staying rooted in the deeper wisdom of ancient Christian thought. For this particular sermon, here are a few things Ken does well.
Ken’s gestures add to the sermon.
When preaching, you might find it easy to move your hands around more than a little, especially in moments of excitement. You should ask, are your gestures purposeful? Or do they simply give your hands something to do? Have your gestures become more of a distraction for people than a helpful preaching tool? Ken Nash, for significant words or phrases uses his hand gestures as a tool to of emphasis or clarification and keeps the audience engaged without overly distracting unnecessary movement.
He tells one story that isn’t his own, as well as one personal story.
In general, we know that it is good to try to use as many stories as we possibly can that are not our own. We look for related stories from history, film, literature. These stories remind us (and our congregation) that the Gospel is not all wrapped up in us, and certainly not focused primarily on the preacher. It is worth noting, however, that on a Sunday on which he preached specifically about pain, he told two stories. One was not his own, and one was a personal story.
Before you went into ministry, did you ever imagine that your preacher surely had his/her life all put together? That surely they did not deal with the same things you did, and if they did then they certainly went about it in a way that was much more holy and unattainable? It’s not hard to place preachers on unhealthy pedestals. Pastor Ken displayed healthy vulnerability by sharing a piece of his own story, reminding us that he’s a real person who has seen real suffering. Moments like this show what could be a great harvest.
He allows them time to sit.
While much of this sermon is for those who have already walked through fire and come out on the other side (and he asks them to minister to others as they own their story), Pastor Ken Nash acknowledges that there is another group in the audience. There are those who still walk through deep hurt. He doesn’t demand that they move immediately forward, telling them that they should do as the rest of the congregation ought to. He asks them to take time to sit and be comforted by God. This is absolutely essential for those in the congregation who are still suffering. In doing so, he shows his pastoral heart in preaching. When preaching about pain, make it clear that the next step isn’t always “do,” but sometimes simply, “rest.”
Here are three things we can do (one in general, and two related to preaching specifically about suffering) to follow Pastor Ken’s preaching example.
Mark your movements.
“Stopping.” “Ever-changing laws.” “Oppressed.” You can probably imagine in your mind what gestures Pastor Ken might have used to make these words and phrases come to life. Before you print off your sermon outline/manuscript this week, ask yourself this: What are 5 key words from your sermon this Sunday that you could place gestures with to help you make your point and make it more engaging for your audience? Perhaps when you have begun to do this well, you can begin to mark other body movements— movement across the stage, kneeling down. What gestures can you add that will best help make your point? If you’re unsure, practice in front of a mirror and look for any sign of inauthenticity, overly dramatic flair, or awkward uncertainty.
Tell Two Stories
Of course you will not fully understand every circumstance that the people in your congregation are dealing with. You may not yet know what it is like to lose a parent, or to have a wayward child, but you have faced other struggles that God has brought you through. The next time you preach on pain or suffering, allow yourself to share a moment of healthy vulnerability. Let your congregation know that you have experienced pain and tell them how God brought you through it. This is a golden opportunity that can swing wide the door for further opportunities to have meaningful conversations with people about their own struggles. When people know you have been through suffering, they will be more likely to trust you with their own. Be careful that you do not share a minor suffering and imply that you therefore understand major sufferings. This can back fire in very hurtful ways. Also be careful not to share things that would make those closest to you uncomfortable in appropriately. There are some things we experience that we might be willing to share, but that those who experienced them with us are not.
Don’t skip ahead.
When preaching on pain, do not skip to the end of their story. Ken Nash acknowledges that while this is a passage talking about comforting others from the comfort we have received, that some people aren’t ready for that stage yet; the wound might still be present. He suggests to his congregation that if they are still in a place of deep hurt, that they seek comfort. He talks about what to do when they do receive healing, and how they use their struggles in the Kingdom. But Pastor Ken is sensitive to the struggle. His entire time of response is not for those who have received comfort and are now able to minister. Instead, that time is for those who are still suffering, and he asks them to come forward and receive comfort. You can’t skip to the end of the story. When preaching on pain, implore people to walk through it and receive comfort from God.