"One shot" preaching is often occasioned when a preaching pastor cannot or chooses not, for a variety of possible reasons, to deliver the sermon in a particular service of worship when he or she might otherwise be expected to do so. Clustered into this category of preaching may also be invitations to address congregations during special events or for particular emphases that call for a single sermon by a guest preacher.

When the invitation is unexpected and preparation time is short, what is a preacher to do? When there is only one sermonic "shot," what is a guest preacher to say? When an invited guest has little or no direct and on-going relationship with a particular congregation, how will he know what to preach? Of course, no one teaches this in seminary. Even (or especially) someone who has preached many years may be placed into such a puzzling circumstance pregnant with possibilities, possibilities of squarely connecting with the listening congregation or missing them altogether, possibilities of fully and powerfully using the preaching occasion for good and grace and God or of missing the hope of many who gather to hear a word from the Lord. My dad's long ago advice comes to mind, "Aim carefully ... and take your best shot."

It may be the only thing to do is prayerfully dip into the sermonic barrel and hope whatever comes up will somehow communicate once more. Perhaps the sermon that best "connected" in some other church on some other Sunday will again "connect" ... a sort of "If lightning fell once, maybe it will fall again" philosophy. Or it may be that a current topic of interest, issue of concern, favorite scripture passage, exciting word study, or personal struggle in the guest preacher's own life could provide the direction needed. Perhaps the story of one's own spiritual journey could be just the thing to grace the sermonic offering. If invited for a special occasion, it will be the nature of the occasion that points toward a suitable sermon topic.

While leaning on the Spirit's guidance, trial and error and reasonableness have profited my decisions about and practice of "one shot" preaching more than anything else. Three simple and obvious questions now guide my praying, thinking and sermonic choices when invited to preach "one shot" sermons: 1) What do I know about the church? 2) What can I surmise about the church? and 3) What do I not know about the church? Each question provides it's own set of hints that inform the guest preacher in preparation and delivery.

What do I know about the church?

Even a guest preacher who has never been to a particular church can easily ascertain certain basic information that is helpful in sermon preparation or choice. Likely through general observation answers to the following are already known. If not, a simple inquiry to the pastor or local judicatory leader can glean the needed information.

What are the obvious characteristics of the area where the church is located? Is it urban, suburban, county seat, open country? Is it a community in transition? Is it dominated by industry, shopping centers and malls, active farming, high or low-end housing? Is the area known as a place where urbanites and/or professionals live, congregate, and/or work? Is it known for its proximity and/or ministry to university or seminary campuses or other sociological groupings? Is the church located in an attractive or deteriorating setting? For what ministries or events is the church known?