Listening to or reading the reflections of others on preaching is, for
most preachers, inherently interesting and stimulating (whether
positively or negatively). These reflections then are offered in the
spirit of the Golden Rule and only because the Editor is a long-standing
friend!
Forty years exactly have passed since my first sermon in the context of
a Sunday service. Four decades is a long time to have amassed occasions
when going to the church door after preaching is the last thing one
wants to do—even if one loves the congregation (sometimes precisely
because one loves the congregation and therefore the sense of failure is
all the greater!). How often have I had to ask myself, “How is it
possible to have done this thousands of times and still not do it
properly?”
Yes, I know how to talk myself out of that mood! “It’s faithfulness,
not skill, that really matters.” “How you feel has nothing to do with
it!” “Remember you’re sowing seed.” “It’s ultimately the Lord who
preaches the word into people’s hearts, not you.” All true. Yet we are
responsible to make progress as preachers, indeed evident and visible,
or at least audible progress (1 Tim 4:13, 15 is an instructive and searching word in this respect!). Continue Reading...
No comments:
Post a Comment