No, I'm not going to write a review of the interesting, quiet movie starring Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson - though it is a good movie. I'm going to talk about going from seminary back to church.

A month or two back, I interviewed for a ministry position, and during the interview, I realized that every other word I was speaking was all theological. Hey, this is a natural reality of going to seminary. For the past three years, I've been writing papers, reading books, thinking critically, and asking big questions. Seminary is supposed to train you to become some sort of theologian. But... my challenge now is to translate that theology back into words and images the church can understand.

I've always heard that when you preach, you should preach on a 5th grade level. A lot of folks can only comprehend on that level of comprehension. It's not that they are dumb, it's just that the people in our pews have been raised in a variety of educational settings. Some were homeschooled. Some went to public school. Some dropped out of school to make money for their family. Others just haven't had to write or read a lot in their particular line of work. Others have gone on to do college or graduate level work. It's such a wide gap between those levels of understanding, a pastor has a difficult job of making God's message applicable to everyone.

And I know that I can drop big words and big ideas in a heartbeat. The hearer's response is to stare at me with that glazed look in their eyes, and I realize that I've lost them. It is always a humbling wake up call to slow down the communication and pay attention to what I am saying.

This whole thing is harder than it seems. It's not just about using smaller words - it's about using everyday concepts to make the complex known. It's like what Jesus did with parables. Good preachers tend to have some great parables from their own life and the world that can bridge that gap. Sometimes, those parables come with life experience, with mistakes, with successes. Those parables can also come from watchful eyes and clever minds.

And sometimes,  it's just the Holy Spirit that can make comprehension easier.

I suppose I am at that stage where these questions become more important than ever. I want to be a generous pastor who can relate to all those who God brings into my life. I want to sow seeds in fertile soil. I know and trust that the Holy Spirit will be part of that solution. I also figure that it's going to mean that I need to work hard at it and listen to how those in the pews (or couches) respond.