How I like to start and end a sermon

 In some circles, it is typical to start a sermon with a joke. But I can never remember any good ones. 

Or something from the newspaper. But I don't normally read one. 

I sometimes like to start by saying: 

"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

This reminds us all what we are about, I think. 

It gestures to the Proclamation Trust slogan that: "When God’s word is faithfully taught, God’s voice is truly heard."

Or in the words of the Second Helvetic Confession:

Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed, and received by the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God is to be invented nor is to be expected from heaven: and that now the Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; for even if he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God remains still true and good.

The preached word is the Word of God.  

The minister, then, speaks as Christ's authorised representative, his spokesman and ambassador. This reminds him what he is about. Not to entertain but to proclaim good news. 

We don't want best thoughts from the Vicarage or commentary current affairs. Give us the Word of God, preacher!

And I like to finish by saying: 

And so to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be all honour, and power and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 

I think I got this from The Revd Paul Blackham but if anyone knows anything about the origins and prevalence of this tradition, I would be interested. 

It is always good to praise the Triune God! But I like this ending because it reminds us that the sermon is doxology. It is worship, our response to God's Word and his grace. And it is oriented to worship: that we might love God with heart, mind, word and action. The sermon is not for information but for transformation. We pray that in the light of what is said, in this brief hour together and in the week ahead we might more faithfully live lives of worship to King Jesus. If the sermon is not to the glory of the Triune God, we'd better not bother with it. 

Just in case the preacher might enjoy being six feet above contradiction too much, this ending reminds us that it is all Soli Deo Gloria, for the glory of God alone. 

As we finish our sermons, we give glory to God and we encourage our hearers to do the same by adding their Amen and by responding to God's word in faith and gratitude. 

May God make the middle of our sermons more attuned to their beginnings and endings. Amen.