Jump Start # 3724

1 Corinthians 4:17 “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.”

Someone recently asked me if I get nervous when I preach. Generally, I don’t. Sometimes when I’m the guest speaker at a place I’ve never been before, I get nervous at first. Weddings and funerals still make me nervous, though I’ve done a bunch of those. And, when my fellow preachers are sitting in the audience, I get nervous. I’m thinking that I ought to be the one sitting in the pew and they ought to be the one preaching.

That got me to thinking about Paul and Timothy. They traveled together teaching God’s word. Paul, as our verse states, sent Timothy to different places to help those congregations. I’m sure Timothy heard Paul preach. I wonder if Paul ever heard Timothy preach? I can’t imagine what it would be to look out in the audience and see an apostle sitting there.

There was a time when it seemed that preachers kept preaching until they died. But now, it seems, many retire. And, that brings the interesting concept of “The Preacher in the Pew.” The old preacher retires and the congregation brings in a younger preacher. And, there every week is an experienced preacher in the pew. Have you ever thought about this? There are blessings and challenges with that.

First, few truly understand the world of preaching except another preacher. The pressures, stress, workload, responsibilities, working with shepherds, juggling a family, it’s not like most other jobs. So, the preacher in the pew can be one of the best friends and cheerleader for the younger preacher or he can be an absolute critic that crushes the heart of the younger preacher. Be careful with your comments. Pick your advice wisely. Don’t make the younger preacher feel like he is being mentored or is not capable of doing things.

Second, encouragement is what is most needed by a younger preacher. He will have plenty of people standing in line to remind him of the mistakes, the typos, the mispronounced words he uttered, how his shoes are not shined, his tie is ugly and his hair is a mess. For some, every Sunday is like taking a beating. Brethren do not realize this. Most have no clue what others have already said and they just stack on more guilt than a young heart can handle. The preacher in the pew needs to take the young preacher out to lunch and remind him of the wonderful things that he is doing. Encourage. Lift him up. The preacher in the pew has a lifetime of stories of brethren telling him things.

Third, the preacher in the pew can give the young preacher some book that would become a treasure to him. It would be something special that the young preacher holds on to for most of his life. A gift from the library of the older preacher sends a great message of trust and appreciation. It’s the steps of building a unique bond between the two preachers of different generations.

The preacher in the pew can be an advocate for the younger preacher to the shepherds. Times have changed. Preachers once were handed a live chicken for their work. I’m glad those days are over. Not sure what we would do with a live chicken. The pay is much better for preachers these days. Now, congregations need to think about benefits, retirement and that’s where the preacher in the pew can have a voice of experience to help shepherds do a better job of taking care of their preacher. Not long ago, many preached late in life simply because they had to financially. Preaching because you have to, most times, does not make a good preacher. Beyond a good salary most shepherds haven’t given a lot of thought about insurance, retirement and such things. The voice of the preacher in the pew can bring some positive insights to this discussion.

I expect one of Timothy’s greatest supporters was the apostle. Paul wanted Timothy to do well. Paul knew that the baton would soon be passed to Timothy and although Timothy would never be an apostle, the well being of those young congregations would be his concern and work. Paul had to have people that he knew would be dependable, knowledgeable, and committed to the work that would continue on. You just about have to imagine that Paul was in the audience as young Timothy preached. How else would Paul know?

Few words mean more to me than what my fellow preachers say about my preaching. They understand and they know. Their insights are rich and deep. They are such help to someone like me.

The preacher in the pew—something we ought to put some thought to.

Roger