Just this last week, I finished writing my final sermon that will be delivered as the pastor of Oldham Bethel Church. I have been here just over 12 years as pastor and, in a couple of months, my pastorate will come to an end. I still have a few to deliver, but the scripts – whilst probably wanting an edit – are all there and essentially ready to go.

As I look at my folder of sermons, I’ve got 525 sermon scripts. That averages around 44 sermons a year. Not all of them were preached at Oldham Bethel Church, some will be preaching away, but the overwhelming majority were written for the people I pastor and delivered in our church. On average, there were only about 6 Sundays a year I wasn’t in a pulpit somewhere.

The truth of the matter is, I always loved preaching. I enjoy writing sermons and I enjoy delivering them. I like preaching and teaching and I have come to think I’m not too bad at it either. When I move into my new role, the thing I am going to miss most (I think) is preaching the Word with that sort of regularity.

There are a number of reasons I enjoy preaching. In no particular order, here are some of them:

• It pushes me deeper into the word in ways ordinary devotions and reading just don’t
• I understand books of the bible much better when I have preached through them
• I think I am a decent preacher and it is satisfying to do what you are good at
• I enjoy helping other people understand the word and love seeing lights go on for them
• I am frequently more moved by the word when I preach it than when I just listen to it

I think I should probably make an important note on that last point. I don’t suppose I am moved most by the word when I preach because I am such a great preacher and everyone else is bad compared to me. I think it is most likely due to the greater levels of preparation when preaching, the time spent in the word and the particular reliance on the Spirit as one delivers it that makes it impact more on the speaker.

I am convinced the preacher is almost always the one who get the most out of any sermon which is, perhaps, why I selfishly like preaching more often than not. It is perhaps even why quite bad sermons that we all wish would finish sooner than they do, or ones that are so boring lots of us fall asleep, are not wasted because they have likely done some quite helpful things in the one speaking. At an absolute minimum, I would rather be the deliverer of a bad sermon that helped me as I prepared it than on the receiving end of a bad sermon I haven’t prepared and isn’t helping me as I listen!

I am sure I am going to miss preaching with the kind of regularity I am currently used to doing. I am sure I will still preach and I am also sure there will be lots of other things to like about what I will be doing. But if there is something that stands out as I step down in a couple of months, it is this: I like preaching and I will miss doing quite as much of it.