Seth Godin had a thought provoking post today on “The Myth of Preparation.” The main point I took from it is that becoming an expert at anything is hard work that most people skip over. They remain novices and never get around to really doing their absolute best. For a Pastor, speaking every weekend can be a HUGE challenge. Preaching/Teaching Pastors must spend time honing their craft. The Spirit enables and gives the Message, but it takes a lot of hard work to deliver a Message that is Transformative. Now, if that’s what you’re called and equipped to do and you love doing it then it’s a joy when you’re in the moment. My fear is that many pastors who are great and gifted speakers at some point are stunted in their growth and remain in the “novice” stage when God has called and equipped them to be experts. How many pastors tell the same stories and use the same examples all the time(I just raised my hand in case you were wondering)? I also know that my funniest lines the past two weeks were totally off the cuff. “Sun Trust ATM’s are soooo 2008. They expect me to fill out a deposit envelope. Are you kidding me? I don’t have time for that!” One of the lines in the Lion Chasers Manifesto says,”criticize by creating.” I will quit critiquing other pastors form and style and work on perfecting my own. The challenge for us, no matter what our field, is to get into the expert stage and do what only we can do. What are your thoughts? What has God created you to be an expert at?