From student to preacher

*This article first appeared in the 2010 edition of the Ќηρυξαtε magazine

In one month, members of our senior class will be graduating from the seminary and,
God-willing, receiving their first call into the public ministry. The months to follow will bring a flurry of life-changing events for these men. While the changes will be swift and exciting, their preparation to serve God’s people has been methodical and thorough. Pastor Brett Krause, a 2010 graduate, reflects on his journey from hearing God’s Word to proclaiming it.

I have a vivid memory of the first time I stepped into a pulpit to preach a sermon. It was during the final stanza of a hymn. I remember—after pleading with the Lord to use my mouth to communicate his message without my nervous voice and stumbling lips getting in the way— taking a deep breath and looking out at my listeners. Looking back at me was a room filled with 14 seminary classmates and one professor, ready to critique the sermon that I had spent the last two months preparing.

Did I properly convey what this text was saying? Was my law preaching rightfully convicting? Was my gospel preaching specific to this text? Did it predominate in my message? Was Christ front and center? Did my introduction grab their attention? Did my rate of speech, my voice inflection, my body language in any way detract from my listeners’ ability to hear what God wanted them to hear?

As I launched into the first words of that first sermon during my first year of seminary training, everybody in that room was asking those same questions. Because everybody had one goal in mind: to make me a better preacher. I have a vivid memory of the first time I stepped into the pulpit during my vicar year, too. As the final stanza of the hymn was sung, I remember pleading that same prayer, taking a deep breath, and looking out at my listeners.

Looking back at me this time (no offense to my classmates and professor) was the most beautiful group of God’s people I had ever seen, eagerly waiting to hear God’s Word. If I could have paused time for just one minute, I would have thanked God for those 14 classmates and professor who cared enough about the people sitting in front of me to have taken all that time and effort to make me a better preacher. All that practice and training was necessary because these people needed to hear what God had to say to them in his Word. They needed to hear law that really convicted their sinful hearts. They needed to hear the specific words of gospel that this sermon text was conveying. They needed to see Christ in that sermon, front and center. And what they didn’t need were distractions from God’s message because I lost them with the introduction, or because my rate of speech or voice inflection or body language detracted from that message in any way. As I launched into the first words of that first sermon during my vicar year, I had one goal in mind: that God’s people would hear what they needed, God’s message.

I’m sure I’ll have a vivid memory of the first time I step into the pulpit as a pastor, too. But I don’t expect much to change. As the final stanza of that hymn is sung, I’m sure I’ll plead that same prayer, take that same deep breath, and again look out at God’s beautiful people. Yes, the faces will be different, but their needs will be the same. They will still need to hear God’s message: convicting law, specific gospel, Christ front and center. As I launch into the first words of that first sermon as a pastor, I know that my seminary training will have prepared me to communicate that message clearly. What a privilege it is to be the mouthpiece through whom God has chosen to speak his message!

Brett Krause serves as pastoral assistant to the Nebraska District president.