Gary Manning
Nov 4 · 2 min read

Bangers & Mash Preaching

In 2011, on my first sabbatical, I had the opportunity to spend a few days waking around Dublin, Ireland. The first evening after my arrival, I strolled into a very nice restaurant, took a seat at the bar, ordered a pint of Guinness, and the slowly perused the menu. When the bartender returned to take my dinner order, I requested “bangers and mash” (sausages and mashed potatoes with gravy).

Upon hearing my obviously American accent, the bartender replied, “You know, sir, we have better options on the menu.” I somewhat sheepishly countered, “But I like bangers and mash.” My server ruefully shook his head, and put in my order. For the record, this restaurant’s version of bangers and mash was delightful! The sausages were solid with a minimum of filler, the potatoes were smooth and substantial, and the gravy was rich and subtly seasoned. All in all, a very filling meal, even if somewhat straightforward and perhaps lacking in the gustatory sophistication the bartender would have preferred to serve on his restaurant’s behalf. I guess my choice of meal said more about me than it did about the restaurant anyway.

Since I have returned from Sabbatical 2019, I have preached every Sunday except one (18 out of 19 Sundays since July 7). Since there are two liturgies every Sunday, that’s thirty-six preaching attempts. The good news is, I’m the only person in the parish who’s had to listen to every one of them. As I’ve reflected back over the past several months of homiletical effort, I hope the sermons were substantive enough to provide something theological to chew on. I pray there was a minimum of filler. I worry that they have been too bland and too easily forgettable. Such is the life of a preacher, I suppose.

Yesterday, I wound up in a Facebook discussion about the state of preaching in the Episcopal Church. Some of my conversation partners are concerned the tolerance for mediocre preaching is only exceeded by the sheer volume of mediocrity. As I watched the conversation unfold, I found myself feeling more and more uneasy. Exactly what constitutes “excellent preaching”? I suspect the answer to that question is as varied as the folks who gather on any given Sunday morning to willingly lend their ears to listen to a few minutes of oratory from their local preacher. God bless them!

Of course, I don’t have too much time to engage the various theories of “what’s wrong with preaching today,” because it’s past time for me to get back into the sermonic kitchen. Sunday is less than a week away and I’ve got some prepping to do. I hope no one notices its bangers and mash again.

    Gary Manning

    Written by

    Episcopal Clergy Person; Coach and Consultant