One of the things I noticed in my churchgoing time was a delightful change in the tone and content of the sermons during the last year of a minister’s career.
Understanding their time of delivering sermons was coming to an end seemed to bring out the best in them (imho) as they said exactly what they’d always wanted to say.
They didn’t have to worry about being fired (they were about to leave anyway). They didn’t have to worry about upsetting the congregation with their opinions and Mrs. Whatshername couldn’t do anything about their opinions. They didn’t have to stick to the list of “official sermons” or they could modify them to their heart’s content. This last year was the last kick at the can and the closer to the end, the better and more honest the words.
I note every church has a Mrs. Whatshername and if you go to church you can easily identify this individual. If you can’t – it might be you. But I digress.
That last year was the time I really paid attention in church (admit it, your mind wanders too) 😉
So What’s The Last Year Of A Minister’s Career Got To Do With Anything
I’ve adopted the idea this is my last year of writing before I retire.
To be honest, it may or may not be. But if I treat the words and ideas as if they were the last time I could say them… well…. I’m going to enjoy myself a whole lot more.
And for the record, I’m already retired or as retired as a writer ever gets.
I’m Now Writing For Me.
I’m not writing for Google rankings or using SEO (search engine optimization) techniques, I’m just writing the words that come out the ends of my fingers.
And from one morning to the next, I no longer know which words will decide to rise to the challenge. Or, even if they’ll come out. Or whether I’ll publish them.
It’s like having twenty years of writing ahead of me but with each day being my last.
The Questions
Two questions spring to my mind: 1) Why I didn’t do this sooner?
And, 2) whether you have the same problem and haven’t broken out of it yet as well?
or 3) have I misidentified what happens in the last year of a minister’s career?