Preaching

Sunday after Sunday, well-meaning clergy around the world ascend the pulpit or go to the broad step, and seek to preach. After the service, those same clergy stand at the door of the church, and greet worshippers. Pleasantries are exchanged, and some offer the clergy a brief comment about the sermon. Sometimes, the feedback is very specific. Sometimes, the feedback is very general. This has me wondering. What are we really looking to receive from a sermon?

I know what I am trying to accomplish, as a preacher. The texts for the day speak. My hope is to articulate, in a compelling way, the meaning of the text.

Part of the task is translation. The Bible contains various types of literature. In the Bible, we have history, poetry, letters, and let’s not forget, Good News. Our challenge is to become clear about the way these ancient writings are applicable in the present. As Christians, we claim the Bible is the foundational story. So, we seek to engage the Bible seriously, and the unique truth claim it has on the Church.

Hopefully, we find our efforts as the Church validated and authenticated in the scriptures. As we seek to be faithful, how and what we do should be based on biblical principles. This is, of course, a double edged sword, because there are those times when we are not living up to the biblical vision. Then, we are called to repentance and to amend out lives to the normative vision provided through the Church’s engagement with the Bible.

That said, we of necessity, continue the translation. We have to wrestle with issues of intent which transcend the peculiarities of a particular text. For instance, Jesus embraces and heals lepers. Lepers were seen as sinners and were to be avoided. Who are the lepers of our age? Surely, we are called to minister to the untouchables of out time, and not just seek to embrace lepers.

The Gospel and the preaching of it are intended to produce action. The author, Edward Abbey, said something like, “a kind deed is worth more than all the books in the world.” The Bible calls us to act.

We do not always like the demands that the Bible makes on our lives. Some of those demands create discomfort. The challenge to the present order is real and great. It is too easy for us to dismiss the preacher that makes those demands clear. She is an idealist. That is not practical. The faithful preacher cannot be deterred.

In my first parish, someone at the door of the church told me that he did not like one of my points. I remember my reply. “I did not say it for you to like it.” He said that he would have to think about that. And that, my friends, is the appropriate response to a sermon.