Published on February 24, 2020  

Jeanna and I attended a standing-room-only session last Friday afternoon, listening to Dr. Robert Smith, Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity, speak about the elements of sermon preparation.  He initiates the process by reading the biblical text at least 50 times.  Next he fills notebooks with his own questions and thoughts, preparing himself intellectually and spiritually to “have conversations” with commentaries and scholarly articles.  Only then does he “begin” the composition of the sermon.  In the case of Dr. Smith, I suppose a 40-minute sermon must consume 80 hours of study . . . and a lifetime of preparation. 

The world is better because of the discipline, intellect and spirit of Dr. Robert Smith.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.