Preaching Essentials: Chapter 1- Why Keep Preaching?

CHAPTER 1

WHY KEEP PREACHING?

Some are suggesting that preaching has run its course. They say the craft served its purpose back when we were a word-based culture but today a monologue seems like an outdated mode of communication. The proclamation of words from one talking head to a nodding (or sleeping!) crowd for 20-30 minutes or, worse, 40-50 minutes, is a bygone byproduct of a different era when words mattered. Today, we are an image-based culture. The plethora of words we encounter every day, online or in print, has caused words to become meaningless. Music and other art forms have greater potential to impact people than the traditional sermon! And why should the pastor be the authority on matters of biblical interpretation? Dependence on the preacher was appropriate back when many people were uneducated and illiterate. Today, however, biblical resources abound and are accessible to everyone. Why limit ourselves by listening to only one voice week after week when there is a multiplicity of voices in the Church? Simply put, preaching is a useless and, therefore, unnecessary tool for the development of disciples. An internet blogger named Kevin says it all when he writes, “We have hardly had any preaching at Grace Church for the last 3 years - haven't missed it!”

Why would anyone keep preaching in a 21^st century American context that seems to value preaching less today than ever? While I believe preaching must change in substantial ways, here are a few reasons why I keep on preaching and encourage you to do the same:

preaching is biblical

According to the biblical story, words matter. God did his best work through words. Through words God formed the world and everything in it. For centuries, the Old Testament prophets communicated messages from God to his people essentially through words. The primary ministry of Jesus and John the Baptist was preaching (Mark 1:4, 38; Luke 8:1). Jesus recruited the apostles to preach (Mark 3:14; Luke 9:2) and the first century church, according to the book of Acts, focused significant attention on the ministry of proclaiming good news. According to the Bible, words about, from, and for God proclaimed to a group of people through a called and anointed person will always be meaningful, relevant, and powerful even when considered passé. That is why we preach!  

preaching is a portal for God

Will Willimon, seasoned pastor and prolific author, reminds us of the impossibility of preaching: “Getting up to preach was like trying to put out a thousand acre forest fire with a garden hose.”  Thanks Willimon! Preaching is crazy. Arranging choice words in the right order because of a call from God, knowing full well that those words are dead bones unless God speaks through them, is utterly ridiculous. While we study and work diligently in our homiletic craft, we recognize that the power of preaching is more dependent on God showing up than the preacher.
 
Ironically, the ridiculous nature of preaching may be the very rationale in support of its ongoing practice in the life of the Church.  The practice of preaching reminds us over and over again that God can accomplish the impossible through impossible methods and means, that he just might decide to show up through the so-so words of a so-so preacher and transform so-so people into disciples who change the world! It makes sense that God might do this through music, a dramatic sketch, or an inspiring piece of art. It doesn’t make much sense that God would use something as common as words to come to us, but he does. Just like he comes to us through the common bread and wine of Communion, so God comes to us through common words strung together by some common being we call preacher. That is why we preach!
 

preaching sets people free

The preaching of Martin Luther King Jr. enabled African Americans to re-imagine themselves as people set free by Jesus Christ. Because of that re-imagination, an oppressed group sought for the liberation that they, through Christ, believed they already possessed. The act of preaching, words woven together to passionately proclaim the Gospel, started the Civil Rights ball rolling with so much momentum that nothing but God could stop it. And why would he, since he is the one who got that ball rolling in the first place!

Preaching inspires middle aged women and men to leave lucrative careers and go to the most frightening places in the world to build schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Preaching does that! Preaching rescues couples whose marriages are hanging by a thread so that instead of calling it quits they hold on “for better or worse.” Preaching does that! Preaching brings hope to a lonely and lifeless teenager so that she resists the temptation to commit suicide. Preaching does that! Preaching causes a high school drop-out alcoholic to believe that God just might use him as a pastor. Preaching does that! Maybe we haven’t seen as much liberation as we long to see, but perhaps we’ve seen it often enough to convince us that preaching still has the power to bring freedom to the prisoner and recovery of sight to the blind, to set captives free by proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor (See Luke 4:14-21).

preaching purifies the preacher

The practice of preparing and presenting sermons on a regular basis has done wonders for my soul. God used the practice of preaching to breathe the winds of hope back into the deflated sails of my life on many occasions. The act of preaching has, over and over again, given me the audacity to believe what I am tempted to stop believing about God, myself, and the world. Preaching helps me to imagine a whole new world that is more real than the “virtual reality” within which I am sometimes compelled to live. The practice of preaching keeps bringing me deeper into the church, gets me more involved with the church, causes me to give sacrificially to the church, and prevents me from giving up on the church. The call to preach stimulates me to move toward purity and away from self-centered narcissism. I’m still not “all that,” but you should have seen my life before the practice of preaching laid its hands on me!  
 

CONCLUSION

I know I’m preaching to the choir. Maybe you don’t need to be convinced that every moment you spend preparing to deliver your sacrament of words, as heart-wrenching and nerve-racking as it is, will be well-worth the blood, sweat, and tears you pour into the homiletic task. I, on the other hand, need convincing at times. Does preaching still matter? If you’re a preacher, you better believe it!

 

EXERCISES

1. Decide which one of the reasons for the ongoing practice of preaching listed above is most compelling to you and why.

2. Add some other reasons to the list in support of the ongoing practice of preaching in the life of the local church.

3. Reflect on how preaching has changed your life. What impact has the practice of preaching had upon you and/or through you?

A Covenant for Church Board Members

Here is a covenant that board members of the local church I most recently served were asked to sign. The goal of this covenant was to raise the bar of spiritual leadership for board members in the local church. I wanted to empower them to be more like biblical elders than micro administrators. I encourage you to modify this for your church board members. I believe that when the bar of Christian leadership is raised, lay people will rise to the occasion.

In consideration of the confidence placed in me by the local church for the leadership role I now fulfill, I hereby covenant to do the following:

-Character: I will model Christ-like love and leadership consistently by not gossiping, “speaking the truth in love,” and following through with my leadership commitments.  I realize that more important in ministry than giftedness is godliness. 

-Confidentiality:  I recognize that our board meetings will often include discussion about matters that should be kept confidential to protect the reputation of individuals and the church.   

-Unity: I will be a team player who realizes that my ministry is only one part of the big picture vision God has given the church to “help seekers become servants of Christ.”  I will do everything I can to throw water and not fuel on the fire of conflicts that may arise.

-Attendance: I will attend corporate worship services with my brothers and sisters every Sunday morning, unless sick, traveling, or emergency situations arise. I will also attend those events outside of the Sunday morning worship services that are important for board members (ie. Concerts of Prayer, All-Church Fellowship Events, Local Church Conference in May).

-Growth: I will attend to my own development in Christ as I lead others to a deeper walk with Christ through my ministry.  This means I will devote time alone with God on a regular basis through prayer, Bible Study and devotional reading.  I will also pursue growth through more communal means of discipleship suxh as growth groups and accountability relationships.

-Support: I will do whatever I can to support the vision God has given the church to “help seekers become servants of Christ.”  I realize this support includes prayer for my church and tithing to build God’s kingdom through my church (tithing is the biblical principle of setting aside 10% of one’s income to support the ministry of the local church).  I will also support the church by being involved in a hand’s on ministry outside of my service on the board.

-Reliability: I will be faithful to God through my leadership on the board by demonstrating the Five P’s: Punctuality (on time to serve), Preparedness (ready to serve), Passion (excited to serve), Persistence (finishing my turn to serve) and Perfect Devotion (committed to serve).

-Competence: I will pursue the skills needed for Christian leadership through ministry leader forums and retreats, as well as conferences, books, etc., so that I reach my leadership potential for Christ.

-Accountability: I understand and accept that I am accountable to the leadership of the church (Pastoral Staff and Board) if I consistently fail to abide by this covenant.

Signed: __________________________________________________ Date:_____________

Changing the Cultural DNA of Your Local Church

Pastors are called not merely to grow a church by developing programs. They are, instead, primarily called to architect a church culture that aligns with the values of Christ. Working in collaboration with God and the leaders of the local church to architect a culture is pain-staking and time-consuming. Usually the fruit of cultural architecture doesn’t bloom through the ground for 3-5 years, the average tenure of pastors in America. If this is true, too many pastors resign from their local church too soon.

I was privileged to be a part of a local church that turned a significant corner toward becoming a vibrant movement. This church which was, for a long time, known as an insular holy huddle became a part of the 1% of churches whose growth came from conversion. In fact, as the church tripled in size more than 50% of its growth came by way of conversion not transfer. Energy once devoted to pot-lucks and hymn-sings was re-assigned toward feeding the hungry, housing the poor and helping the addicted. This church, once known nationally as a racist flock, became one of the most multi-ethnic churches in its community.

Programs didn’t change the cultural DNA of this church. So, how can a pastor partner with God and lay leaders in architecting a kingdom-aligned culture? Glad you asked. Here’s the journey one local church made in the quest to become a culture congruent with Christ:     

-Pray it: When a ship gets off course for many years, it takes a miraculous act of God to redirect it. Significant change in the cultural DNA of a local church will not happen unless the people fast and pray, not just for the healing of Aunt Sally’s bunion, but for the empowering of the Spirit upon the church. Frequent prayer gatherings (concerts of prayer, vigils, 40 days of prayer, retreats) can cultivate the soil of the church for the rain (and reign) of Christ which brings cultural change.

-Communicate it: The local church I reference above focused significant time on preaching and teaching from Luke 4:18-22, where Jesus describes the anointing of the Spirit for the sake of the marginalized. Communicating cultural values through preaching, teaching, testimony, and small group curriculum is imperative. This allows the church to wrestle with the biblical and theological foundations that undergird their cultural transition.

-Embody it: What the leadership team embodies and values, in word and deed, will determine the cultural DNA of a local church. It doesn’t matter what the vision plaque on the wall states, if the elected, appointed, and hired leaders in the church do not embody the values of a culture congruent with the character of Christ, positive cultural change will not happen. For example, if you want to become a church that cares for the poor and addicted but the leaders never spend time sharing life with the poor and addicted, cultural change will be unlikely.

-Budget it: Cultural change in the local church happens when the church puts its money where its mouth is. So, if the church says it values the poor but it quickly decides to upgrade music equipment instead of helping a single mom with four kids pay her electric bill, does it really value the poor? If the church wants to become a culture of global generosity but decides on a new, and unnecessary, projector while postponing the adoption of a village in Africa, the cultural change it longs for will not happen.

-Schedule it: The church calendar says a lot about the culture of a congregation. Lots of churches want a culture of care for the “lost,” (a term they should not use if they want to actually reach the lost), yet their calendar is void of any intentional contact with people who are lost. They reserve space on the church campus for the Christian Business Men’s Association and the Senior Women’s Bible Study, but don’t allow groups like Narcotics Anonymous or Gamblers Anonymous to corrode the church carpets. Make room in the calendar and on the campus for the culture God seeks.

-Recruit it: Take your time hiring, recruiting, electing, equipping, encouraging and empowering the kind of people who value the kind of culture you believe God is calling the church to embody. That culture-transitioning congregation described earlier hired an ex-convict to be one of her pastors. It made complete sense for a church that wanted to foster a culture where “captives were set free.” As you fill positions in your church, avoid the warm body syndrome that simply seeks to find someone, anyone to fill the gap. Instead, take your time and prayerfully select people whose values align with the culture God is calling the church to embrace.

When all of the dots above connect consistently for 3-5 years, culture tends to happen. Connecting these dots demonstrates to God that we are serious about becoming the church he is calling us to be for the sake of the world. And, when we do our part God will show up for “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chron.16:9).  

Consider sharing this with your leadership team and discussing the following questions:

-In which areas above are we hitting a homerun?
-In which areas above are we striking out?
-How can we maximize our strengths and address our weaknesses to foster the kind of culture that is congruent with the Christ’s values?

Tips for Camp and Conference Speakers

I just returned from speaking at a camp in Iowa. Over three days I spoke six times. I’m exhausted but rejuvenated. Go figure. As I reflect on this most recent ministry adventure and previous speaking opportunities at camps and conferences, there are several insights I wanted to get “on paper” while they’re fresh in my head. I am blogging my thoughts to initiate a conversation with other camp/conference speakers, especially those with way more experience at this sort of thing than I have.

·         Pace yourself with cat-naps: The amount of energy it takes to deliver a passionate message to people expecting a life-giving word from God through you is substantial. If you speak more than once each day, the exhaustion is even more severe. A 15-30 minute nap once or twice each day, especially an hour or two before you speak, can replenish your energy reserves.  

·         Take opportunities to minister outside of the speaking events: Public speaking, though exhilarating, is energy-draining and gut-wrenching. However, despite the fatigue, look for the chance to counsel and pray with people outside of the speaking events. Your most significant ministry impact may occur in those one-on-one meetings.  

 

·         Take your family with you: Even though your primary ministry will be to those who attend the event, perhaps you can invite your family along for the adventure. Of course, you cannot do every activity with your family that they would like for you to do because of the time you will need to counsel and pray with people, as well as to prepare for speaking. It’s important to communicate to your family your time limits and primary focus, but taking them with you allows for ministry memories and a mini-vacation of sorts.

·         Internalize the message early in the day: Most preachers have their own particular ritual for internalizing the message for delivery. If you don’t, try waking up an hour or two before breakfast and begin internalization early. This will give the message more time to simmer and, during delivery, come out of the speaker fully cooked.

·         Express public appreciation to the group and her leaders: Sometimes the camp/conference speaker comes across as an arrogant expert, God’s gift to the unclean masses. Humility goes a long way in getting a hearing and receiving a future invitation. One of the ways the speaker can express humility in an authentic way is to appreciate the group and her leaders with a few thoughtful sentences beyond the typical “thank you,” “you’re a great crowd,” and “what a good looking bunch.”  

Healthy Preachers S.H.E.D.

The preacher who develops a healthy plan to S.H.E.D. the super-hero, messiah complex that leads to stress and burn-out will endure in ministry. Preachers are, of course, just as human as everyone else and the rigors of the preaching life require healthy patterns of sleep (S), hobbies (H,) exercise (E), and devotions (D).

SLEEP

The hours of sleep one enjoys before midnight are the most refreshing. Early in my ministry, I was a night owl. But that pattern took its toll on my body. As my responsibility increased, the earlier I had to rise in the morning just to keep up with my increasing responsibilities. No more sleeping in until 7:00 or 8:00. For a while, I was burning the candle at both ends by rising between 5:30 and 6:00, and going to sleep between 11:00 and midnight. Eventually, I made an attempt to be in bed between 9:00 and 10:00 so that I could get a good night’s sleep before waking up around 6:00. When I maintain this sleep pattern my body feels rested, my mind is more alert, and the creative juices flow as I engage in the sermon preparation process. Don’t underestimate the value of sleep for creative sermon development and energetic sermon delivery.  The Saturday night nerves make falling asleep a challenge for some preachers. If you hop in bed at 9:00 and don’t fall asleep until 11:00 because of nerves, at least your body will be rested and ready to stand up tall as you proclaim Christ the next morning.

HOBBIES

Some pastors, almost as a badge of honor, refuse to have a hobby. They’re too busy building the church and saving the world to have a hobby. Perhaps I’m less spiritual, but I enjoy a hobby or two as a release-valve to free my mind at times from the pressures of life and ministry. I recognize that hobbies can become a cover for laziness in ministry. Hobbies can also turn into idols that we run to for escape and peace when God is the dispenser of those treasures. A hobby is healthy when it is neither an idol nor a cover.

One of my favorite hobbies is fly-fishing. When ministry pressures are building or the church is in a busy season like Advent or Lent, I find that a couple of hours standing in the stream casting flies to trout refreshes me, even if I don’t catch any fish! Golfing with a few buddies can also rejuvenate my soul, despite the frustration of trying to hit that tiny white ball in that slightly larger hole. Golf, I have discovered, only refreshes me when I don’t care how poorly I play. When I start to care about my game too much, golf quickly leads to the stress which defeats the purpose of the hobby. The goal is to find a hobby that refreshes you. It should be something that is relatively stress-free and allows you to forget, at least for a few hours, the struggles and strains of life and ministry.

EXERCISE

During one of the busiest and most challenging years of my ministry I gained nearly 20 pounds! I was trying to lead a struggling, but potential-laden church in making a turnaround toward vital mission in the community. Of course, as is almost always the case with change, conflict ensued and meetings increased. Progress was an uphill climb and I was exhausted. I was, frankly, struggling with depression. One of the first things that fell by the neglected wayside was my exercise routine. I replaced exercise with frequent “pizza and a movie” nights. The weight piled on and my energy level diminished, which only compounded my discouragement. One of the ways to combat weight gain, limited energy, and deep depression is to schedule and commit to an exercise plan. Engaging in exercises like jogging, weight training, racquetball, tennis, or swimming, to name a few possibilities, for 30-60 minutes three times per week is an effective remedy for depressed, exhausted, and out-of-shape preachers. You could multi-task and add devotional time to your exercise by, for example, listening to sermons or worship music as you run outside or on the treadmill. You can breathe prayers to God and memorize Scripture as you swim laps.

DEVOTIONS

Not only is the preacher tempted to let her body go when ministry gets busy and life becomes stressful, preachers are all too willing to forego the feeding of their own soul in order to focus exclusively on feeding the souls of others. The primary problem with this pattern is that preachers who neglect their own soul will find they have little energy, creativity, and passion to address the soul-needs of others. In Mark 3:14 we read that Jesus “appointed twelve-- designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” This is a clear reminder that the first calling of the preacher is to “be with [Jesus]” and the second is “to preach.” I’m convinced that the best preachers are those who have honed the habit of simply being with and enjoying Jesus. Can you commit to spending at least 30 minutes each day intentionally and intimately being with Jesus? What spiritual disciplines, books, and other resources will most cultivate the soil of your soul for the rain (and reign) of Christ? If you are a person who likes variety, incorporate a variety of tools to help you connect with Christ. If, on the other hand, you like routine, then select a devotional tool that you enjoy daily.       

CONCLUSION

Preachers are human, perhaps even more human than most people because our vocation requires that we dive redemptively deep into the pain, angst, and junk, the hopes, dreams, and potential of humanity. If we refuse to S.H.E.D., our mind, body, and soul will suffer. When the mind, body, and soul of the preacher suffer, the preacher’s ministry to the congregation will eventually suffer too. So, take care of yourself and you will be doing your congregation a huge favor.

EXERCISES

1. Which component of the S.H.E.D. plan have you most frequently neglected? What biblical and theological insights can reinforce the importance of S.H.E.D.-ding?

2. Develop a S.H.E.D. plan. Maybe you can try an experiment in which you sleep from 9:30pm-6:00am for seven straight days and observe the difference in your energy and creativity levels. Schedule time to enjoy a hobby for a few hours at least every two weeks. Detail an exercise plan that will guide you three times per week for 30-60 minutes each time. Decide on a devotional plan to feed your soul daily for at least 30 minutes each day. Go ahead and schedule this S.H.E.D. plan in your calendar. You, your family, and your congregation will be so glad you did!

Lifeway bookstore recommends Preaching Essentials

While I was in Lexington, KY someone told me that my book, Preaching Essentials, was on the "recommended" shelf at Lifeway bookstore. Here is a picture with my son Zach pointing to the book.

Wesley Seminary New Zealand Cohort

Over the past few days I have had the fantastic privilege of journeying with our new students in New Zealand through the Pastor, Church, and World course. Although we are meeting in New Zealand the group of students pictured below represents well the diversity that exists in the Pacific Region of our world. Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and America are represented by the students in this new Wesley Seminary cohort. In the Fall, this Pacific group will join into a cohort of North American students so that the two become one! God is opening up doors for Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University to invest in Christian leaders around the globe. To God be the glory, great things He has done and is doing!