How to Write a Sermon on a Handheld

As a Pastor people often ask me how I go about writing a sermon. Well, it isn't an easy process but my Palm handheld is very useful in the process.

Ideas come to me all over the place, so I need a convenient place to write them down when they come to me. I have a Memo in my handheld that is just used to store ideas- usually a sentence or two- that I can come back to later.

In down times, like when I'm waiting for an appointment, I can take a look at the Bible. I use the open source Bible+ program. Not only are there many Bible translations available for this program, but it also allows me to read the greek and hebrew. The greek version (with morphology) is particularly useful.

With an idea and a passage from the Bible I create a more specific Memo where I can put some specific ideas for a series of sermons or a particular message. When I later sync my handheld to my desktop system I can cut-and-paste things around and start writing more specific notes.

Of course, preparing a message is more than writing a speech. I have to contact people and get the music for the service that matches the message and make sure the volunteers know they are needed and when and where to show up. All this I can do from my Treo as well.

It use to be that a pastor had to spend time in his study to prepare a sermon. Thanks to my handheld, that is no longer true. I can be out with people and still be working on my message. In fact, I think its more productive to take a book with me to the coffee shop and write than alone in my office.

And that's how a 21st century pastor writes a sermon on a handheld.