Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Sermon Revising for a Contest

Yesterday I found out about a Frederick Buechner Writing Competition, which closes today.  I was particularly intrigued by the wide range of types of writing the judges will consider, but this passage made me decide to enter:  

"The editorial board will give special consideration to pieces that discuss Buechner’s work and themes, to literary and theological essays, and to sermons — the written sermon being an undervalued art form that was particularly close to Frederick Buechner’s heart."

I decided to take that last part as a sign and to enter a sermon--but which one?

I didn't need to think too long.  The sermon on Mary and Martha that I delivered in July got more positive feedback than any other sermon I've done; you can read or view it in this blog post.

My spouse helped me yesterday; he viewed the recording, and he made changes to the sermon manuscript.  I've been doing some tinkering, and I'm about ready to submit it.

I have no idea what my chances are, but there's no entry fee, so it seems worth trying.  If the editors hate my poem, it's not likely to hurt me as I move through ordination and beyond.  So let's see what happens.

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