Scary Preaching
This week I did something terrifying. I preached a sermon.
What's the big deal? You may ask. For all you ministry types out there I realize that preaching isn’t scary. You do it all the time. You feed on it. But as an editor who finds himself more comfortable behind computers than in front of crowds, it took all the courage I could muster.
The topic was chosen for me. My pastor was working through a series on the 10 commandments and needed a week off. He asked me to speak on the ninth commandment—the one about lying. My mind immediately started searching for a lie to get me out of speaking, which I took as a sure indicator that I could use some brushing up on this commandment.
When I got in front of the congregation my mouth went completely dry. My lips started sticking to my teeth. I was having a hard time talking, so I had to stop and ask for some water. After I got some moisture into my mouth (and made it abundantly clear to everyone how nervous I was) things went more smoothly, though I leave it to those listening to make the call on how I did.
In the aftermath I’ve been thinking about the role of preaching in the church. Some think preaching is kind of old school, something we should replace with home meetings, one-on-one teaching and more organic kinds of ministry. “Dialogue” is the word of the day while “preaching” has gathered a host of negative connotations. For many the word calls to mind sweaty televangelists strutting dramatically before gullible followers.
But regardless of the abuse preaching has suffered (or the negative connotations it has) I believe that nothing can take its place. Don’t get me wrong. We need other forms of teaching. We need to study the word. We need to discuss it. But something powerful happens when we preach it. There’s something irreplaceable about good old Acts 2 proclamation. Preaching was crucial to the early church’s growth and I believe it must continue to play a central role as we move forward. Preaching is worth the effort … even if it is kind of scary.
What's the big deal? You may ask. For all you ministry types out there I realize that preaching isn’t scary. You do it all the time. You feed on it. But as an editor who finds himself more comfortable behind computers than in front of crowds, it took all the courage I could muster.
The topic was chosen for me. My pastor was working through a series on the 10 commandments and needed a week off. He asked me to speak on the ninth commandment—the one about lying. My mind immediately started searching for a lie to get me out of speaking, which I took as a sure indicator that I could use some brushing up on this commandment.
When I got in front of the congregation my mouth went completely dry. My lips started sticking to my teeth. I was having a hard time talking, so I had to stop and ask for some water. After I got some moisture into my mouth (and made it abundantly clear to everyone how nervous I was) things went more smoothly, though I leave it to those listening to make the call on how I did.
In the aftermath I’ve been thinking about the role of preaching in the church. Some think preaching is kind of old school, something we should replace with home meetings, one-on-one teaching and more organic kinds of ministry. “Dialogue” is the word of the day while “preaching” has gathered a host of negative connotations. For many the word calls to mind sweaty televangelists strutting dramatically before gullible followers.
But regardless of the abuse preaching has suffered (or the negative connotations it has) I believe that nothing can take its place. Don’t get me wrong. We need other forms of teaching. We need to study the word. We need to discuss it. But something powerful happens when we preach it. There’s something irreplaceable about good old Acts 2 proclamation. Preaching was crucial to the early church’s growth and I believe it must continue to play a central role as we move forward. Preaching is worth the effort … even if it is kind of scary.
posted by Drew Dyck at 9:40 AM
1 Comments:
Drew, I'll never forget the first time I was asked to speak at a prison outreach here in San Diego. Along with the dry mouth, though, was the fear/expectation of the unknown setting. It's called maximum security for a reason! But it was a real blessing when it was over. I've since spoken in a number of So. Cal. prisons and in Mexico, and have found that each similar step out of my comfort zone comes with tremendous spiritual rewards (and yes, sometimes even a paycheck). Nice work.
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