I have rarely responded, through the lines of this regular essay, to living writers. I have, often, responded to dead ones. I have responded to ones that I adore (Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Albert Camus) and to ones I dislike (John Milton, Henry James, Ayn Rand), but I don’t recall ever responding to a living writer. I have no stomach for the literary swordsmanship writers (and preachers) used to so enjoy. The great thing about responding to a dead writer is that they have ceased to write, so you always get the last word. Today, though, I feel strongly enough about something recently written that I feel I must respond.

David Button gave me a weekly bulletin from our sister congregation in Hopewell, VA, and it contained an article taken from Sound Words, by Kevin W. Rhodes entitled “Why Being a Preacher is Fun.” The title bears no small burden of sarcasm, because the article is a list of the ways preaching can be a frustrating, knuckle-busting thing to do. I have nothing against sarcasm. Jesus used it. Paul used it. I use it every day. But sarcasm is a sword used to battle the Devils henchmen; Arrogance, and Empowered Stupidity – not against the kindly-intentioned people we serve.

Mr. Rhodes does give a nod to those kindly-intentioned folks at the very end of his article – saying that when we experience their love and support “being a preacher really is fun.” But his conclusion is that: “A gospel preacher does not preach because it is fun or easy. He does so because he loves God, loves his Savior, loves his brethren, loves all men’s souls, and loves the truth.” I would argue that doing something you love is the very definition of doing something fun.

I preach because it is fun. By that I mean that is challenging, enjoyable, and satisfying. If it were not fun, I wouldn’t do it.

God help the congregation whose preacher takes more frustration than joy from his work. We who have the opportunity to make our life’s work the service of the Word of God are the most blessed of men. We are the earthen jars given the task of bearing the treasure of God (II Corinthians 4.7). We are with God’s people at the most significant moments of their lives – births, deaths, weddings, new births, emergencies, sorrows. We are there as God’s representative, and as such are wanted there. We are given the comfort of the Sunday to Sunday rhythm of life until God returns, and yet the variety of every individual day, and every individual life we serve. In a week I may, in the service of the Lord: read Greek, play dominoes, eat cherry pie, rock a baby, perform a baptism (!), hear great stories, shoot hoops, sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” in pre-school chapel, debate the effect of the Sermon on the Mount upon 19th Century social reform movements with my college students, pet numerous cats and dogs, play “sardines” with the youth group, give appreciated counsel and comfort, do things that make a difference, and kiss the bride. I preach because it is fun.

And I have left the greatest joy of preaching for last. I have done so because this last, great joy informs and enables all the other things I have mentioned. It is the joy of God’s Word.

A preacher is a man who pursues a craft, and is only as successful as his mastery of that craft. The craft of the preacher is the understanding and communicating of the Word of God.

“Work very hard to demonstrate yourself approved of God, a workman without shame, handling properly the Word of truth,” (II Timothy 2.15)

Humans were created for activity. “Cultivate and keep garden” God told Adam (Genesis 2.15), not “you can hang your hammock over there.” The curse of work given in Genesis 3 is the curse of difficulty, and frustration. The work of a preacher is difficult and frustrating at times, but mostly it combines the blessings of labor with the blessings of creativity – in service to God’s Word. When Tevye, in “Fiddler on the Roof” sings about the joys of being a rich man, he says that having time to study and discuss the word of God “would be the sweetest thing of all.” It is.

Oh how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day…How sweet are Thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Psalm 119.97,103

It is the sweetest thing of all, it is what I do, and it really is fun.