Today, I am preparing for a ski retreat where I will be the proclaimer and I can’t help but wonder what it’s going to be like. I have so many questions going through my head:
- What do preachers wear at retreats? I know it’s more casual, but should I wear my ski gear?
- Are the students going to be too tired after a day of skiing to listen? What are they going to be thinking about?
- How is this different than a Bible study? Surely, proclaiming is more important and weightier, but how do you make your message convey that?
I recount these questions because even though I have preached pretty frequently this year, there is always something new to the experience. This is a new place and a new group. This is a completely new setting as well and if I don’t think through this and allow my brain time to question, then I’m not adequately preparing for who I am about to meet.