Tag Archives: preaching

Death

05 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by in Church

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Death is rearing its ugly head.  Over the course of the day I will have presided at a funeral and talked with three other families about three different funeral arrangements.

And I will be exhausted.  Death has a way of sucking the life out of people.

In seminary, I took a preaching class on funerals and weddings.  We covered funerals first.  Each of the students got to pick the circumstances and then preach a funeral sermon.   There were 27.  We listened to them all in one day.  That’s a lot of funeral sermons.

And we were overachievers too.  Of the 27, eight were suicide sermons, one mass shooting, and a bunch other odd funerals.  There were a few “normal” funerals too.  They were actually a pleasant reprieve from the heaviness of us overachievers that wanted to challenge ourselves.

Listening to 27 funerals was a challenge.  By the end of the day, we were exhausted and drained.  But at the same time, we heard the promise of God over and over again.  It was undeniable.

I feel that at the end of the day today, the same will be true.  Death sucks, but it is not the end of the story.  It is not the end of our story.  It is the time in which we get to hear about God’s promises for us.  We get to hear the reality of death in our midst and the hoped for promise of resurrection.

These messages are important.  We shouldn’t ignore death or pretend that death hasn’t struck.  Instead, we need to acknowledge that death is in our presence.  But death doesn’t have the final say.  Jesus made sure of that.  And that means that there is more to this day than just sadness.  We mourn because the person we cared for and love is no longer alive and walking with us daily.  But we hope for a promised future in which death will be no more.  A future when pain will be more.  A future where God has transformed and renewed not just us, but all of creation, and come down out of heaven to dwell with us forevermore.

When I conduct funerals, I love to use the passage from Revelation 21 that speaks to this. It is one of the most hopeful passages of Scripture.  It paints a picture of what eternal life will be about – timelessness with the full presence of God.  And God doing what God has always done – God coming to creation yet again.  We don’t escape creation.  We are transformed and renewed with creation and dwell with God forever.

Death sucks, but the promise of resurrection gives us hope.  That doesn’t take away the pain and mourning.  Death means there is separation between loved one.  But in resurrection we look forward to a time when we will be reunited.  Thank God for this.

Preaching in a divided nation

23 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Yesterday I was at a training for pastors in their first call.  The focus was on preaching in difficult times – times when the nation is very divided politically, and in a number of other ways.  We see this play out within congregations too.

How does a preacher proclaim Good News in an era when some people start with suspicion.  Some people start with an assumption that what they are about to hear is more the advancement of a partisan political party’s agenda, rather than the Gospel.

I understand this concern.  There are many pastors out there who seem to be more devoted to their political ideology than their theology.  Someones a person is left wondering if the pastor preaching is confused as to whether they are a pastor proclaiming the Good News of Jesus, or a political activist proclaiming the Good News of political party.

At the training, we had great conversation and the sharing of wisdom of how to handle these times.  For one thing, it is remembering that this isn’t new.  Preachers in Germany lived through the Nazis – and some died.  Preachers in the US lived through the Civil War – exploring Scripture for support or opposition to slavery.  There have been other greatly divided situations throughout history.  And there will be more.  Anxiety and division aren’t new and they aren’t going away.

Two of the most important things that came out of the discussion was the importance of listening and relationship.  Listening for the sake of listening and understanding – not to figure out how to respond.  But we listen this way because of the relationship we have with a person.  If we care about a person, and care for a person, we listen to them.  We hear them out.  We listen to learn and understand.  We may not always come away with full understanding, but really, all that means is that understanding takes time – an investment of time.  There’s no hacking this.  There is only investing the time.

How do we preach across the divide?  Is the question any different from how do we live across the divide?  I think there are a few things – we listen and build relationships.  That’s two essentials.   But there are more.  In our American culture, we seem to oriented towards seeing things in pairs – there are only two options.  So often Americans and American culture only make room for two options.  In politics it is Democrat and Republican, liberal and conservative.  In religion, it is atheist and Christian believer, or mainline and evangelical, or Muslim and Christian.  In sports it is either my team or your team.  In food it is either healthy food or bad food.  Etc.

Yet, what happens when a person doesn’t fit into the nice, neat two options?  Our culture doesn’t know what to do with that person, except try to force them to pick sides.

I think one of the things we preachers can do (and really anyone can do), is break out of the forced division of two options.  I think the Gospel lends itself well to this.  The Gospel, and especially Jesus never really fit well into the choice of two things.  That’s because of something called Grace.  Yes, I know there are examples of Jesus saying things that push people into an either/or choice. But that’s not the majority of the time – not even close.

Often Jesus is given a choice between two bad options and he often reframes the situation to allow for a third option.  Jesus doesn’t buy into the idea that we have to pick between two bad options.  There is grace.  There’s always grace.

How do we preach in divided times?  We show the division for what it is and we offer an alternative way.  A way that moves us past the either/or to an alternative that is graceful to all involved.  There doesn’t have to be winners and losers for everything.  God sees children of God – not winner and losers.  And so should we.

Preach It!!!

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Church, Theology, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

Ok, so here’s just a piece of the silly humor that I like.  We were walking along the little trail from the parking lot to the overlook and I saw a garbage can.  Yet, the garbage can looked unique.  Being a seminarian, I couldn’t help but convert the garbage can into something else – a pulpit.  It just looked perfect.

dscn0380

How about we do a catchy caption contest.  There are no prizes – except my eternal gratitude that you have a sense of humor also.  What do you think the caption should be on the picture?

How long should a sermon be?

07 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Theology

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

pulpito

This has been the question since…well…since sermons have been delivered.

Here’s the thing – there is no one right answer.

That’s right – no right answer for this hot debate.  Just like there is no right answer to the question of what makes for a great sermon.  That’s because there are no universal standards whatsoever for what makes a sermon great, or even good for that matter.

Having said that, please understand there are some standards within denominations.  In my denomination, the mark of a good sermon is one that preaches Law and Gospel.  But go to another denomination and they have a different standard.  There are no universal standards within Christianity when it comes to sermons.

Getting back to the initial question, the Guardian ran an article in 2010 which claimed that the Vatican told its priests that they should keep it to eight minutes and “maintain eye contact.”

Maybe that’s right.  Then again, it’s more likely that this is just some kind silver bullet solution that will fail miserably.

That’s because large organizations have a different focus – on technique.

What’s the right length for a sermon?  The answer is that it depends on a few things.  It depends on what is being preached.  It depends on the people who hear the sermon.  It depends on how the Spirit is moving through the sermon.  It depends on so much more than this.

If shortening the sermon were the right answer always, then maybe we should just move all sermons to a bunch of tweets and be done with it.  But I’m willing to bet that as ridiculous as that sounds, no one will think that having some kind of universal standard of eight minutes will sound just as ridiculous.

What’s the right length for the sermon?  The amount of time it takes the preacher to deliver to the people what God wants them to hear.

 

Pushing the Limits

17 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in Seminary, Theology

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

On Sunday I was given what I thought was a compliment after my sermon – “You sure know how to push the limits don’t you?”  It was said from someone who meant it as a compliment, not a criticism.

Yet, today I’m wonder if it really is a compliment or is it something else.

What caused the statement to be said to me.  I’m guessing it was a part of the sermon where I defended LGTB individuals as people.  Sounds radical doesn’t it?  I used something I blogged on this past week and added it to the sermon.  Or maybe the statement came from the story I also used in the sermon about four women who went into a strip club to minister to the women who work there – women who no one else cares about.  Regardless, the statement came.  And since yesterday, I’m left wondering.

That’s because my supervisor and I are at the Festival of Homiletics.  There are some amazing pastors and preachers here.  Last night we heard two – one a pastor and seminary professor and the other a journalist.  The sermon and lecture were simply amazing and they preached the Gospel – well beyond pushing the limits.

Partly that is because this is a group of pastors and soon-to-be pastors – you can go beyond pushing the limits with this group.  What I realized is this: If the Gospel message is so life changing as pastors and soon-to-be pastors claim, then that means it is a message that doesn’t just push the limits, but breaks through the barriers completely.  It’s a message that can’t be contained.

As we heard from Anna Carter Florence, we all want to find where Jesus has been carried off to (John 20 – Mary at the tomb trying to find Jesus on Easter morning) to we can find him and put him back in the tomb.  That way we’ll be in control.  But that’s not how Jesus works.

Likewise, we heard from Leonard Pitts, Jr.  We heard an amazing message that touched on every issue we face today from anger to division and everything in-between.  He talked about the radical nature of Christianity versus the less-than-radical thing going around in politics that wraps itself in a Christian label.  What’s the radical nature of Christianity – doing what Jesus told us to do – feed the poor, wash the feet of the other, welcome the stranger, visit the sick and those in prison, etc.  When you do these things instead of blame people and judge others, you will receive criticism.  What a mixed up world we live in.

So I’m wondering, is pushing the limits enough?  Tough to say.  There’s no gauge standing next to you as you preach to let you know when you’ve gone too far.  The context of the audience that is listening is unique.  What would be too far at one location is only pushing the limits at another.  And what is pushing the limits at one place is not even touching the issue at another.  You just have to preach where the Spirit leads you to.  Because in the end, it’s not me that is the one who changes people, but rather God.  There’s a place and a community to everyone, but not everyone will fit into every place and every community.

Preaching Politics

07 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Church, Politics, Theology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Maybe it’s because I’m in seminary, training and learning how to be a pastor.  Maybe it’s because of my background in politics.  Maybe it’s a combination of that and so many other things.  Here’s one thing that really bothers me – pastors who preach partisan politics.

It just rubs me wrong.  It feels manipulative.  It makes me question what Gospel a pastor is preaching.

There’s a difference between preaching politics and partisan politics.  Jesus was political – he made political statements all the time.  What he didn’t do was attach himself to a political party or movement and made their agenda what he preached.  He found fault in the political system that promised so much, but in reality was a big lie.

I’m reminded of something I experienced many years ago.  We were visiting friends one weekend and I went to church.  I listened to the pastor go on and on about how wonderful Sen. Ted Kennedy was.  He completely neglected to mention that the guy was responsible for the death of a woman.  Didn’t fit the agenda of making Kennedy into a saint I guess.  I came away from church being really ticked off and wondering why I went in the first place.  I didn’t go to hear a partisan political speech.  Why go to church just to get ticked off?

Here’s another one – when I worked at a food pantry, we attended a conference on how to improve the way to get more food to more people.  That’s a great focus.  And it is political.  One of the speakers, a pastor, decided that wasn’t good enough though.  He turned it into a political party rally, getting most of the participants caught up in emotional political rhetoric and using the Bible to make his points – cherry picking what supported his pre-established way of thinking.  He obviously didn’t consider the fact that there were some in the audience who were part of the opposing political party and had supported the politician he was slamming.  I came away really upset at the pastor and about the event.  I didn’t sign up to go to a political party rally.  It felt like the event was turning the people into an irrational mob.

That’s not what church is about – or not what it should be. It’s one thing to afflict the comfortable, it’s quite another to piss people off to the point that they don’t want to come back.

When pastors, or really anyone in authority, use their position to influence people into voting for certain candidates or political parties, then they just sound like anyone else.

If you are a pastor, you are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus.  When you send so much time advocating for a candidate or for a political party, then you are preaching a different Gospel – the gospel of political party.  The gospel of the Democrat or Republican party.

You can’t preach both the Gospel of Jesus and the Gospel of the Democrat or Republican party.  The two do not align.  Sure, there may be some policies that happen to match up, but the reason behind why they are preached is far different.

Jesus’ Gospel is a message of hope and empowering those without any hope.  The Democrat and Republican Gospels are a message of hope for those with power and those that are members of the party.  Their ultimate message is an us versus them message.  Jesus’ Gospel is that there is only us.  There is no them.

Pastor or Political Party Activist

08 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Politics, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

As a seminarian, I’ve been exposed to a great range of people.  This is especially true of the number and types of other seminarians and pastors – across a spectrum of Christianity.  I’m grateful for all of these encounters.

And at the same time, I am left wondering about some people I have met.  I’m not sure if they are a pastor (or seminarians) or a political party activist.  Yes, I hear plenty of people say that a person can be both.  I disagree with that assessment.  Maybe I should clarify.

I have no problem with pastors and seminarians speaking out on political issues – I think it would be impossible not to and I think the church has a great deal to add to the conversations that occur.  These are important conversations and important issues that affect people’s lives.  Lord knows that I’ve certainly written about politics plenty on this blog.

The challenge I come across is when a pastor (or seminarian) makes it sound like one political party (that they happen to be a member of) has all the answers and is innocent as the wind driven snow and can do no wrong.  They’ve got all the talking points and use them very ably.  They make it known that they only consider candidates from one political party for election.  I have to wonder are they a pastor or a political party activist?

And political parties lap this up.  There’s nothing better than getting someone with some authority to parrot the lines they are fed.  I don’t think most people realize that people who do this are being duped and used.  And when the time comes that someone doesn’t parrot the lines, they will be thrown under the bus because politics is about power – anyone who doesn’t conform or meet the purity test is a danger to pulling power away.  It’s not about changing lives for the better – unless you are referring to the lives of people in power.

Oh I can hear it now – but what about this policy or that policy that’s designed to help people.  Sure.  And its a striking coincidence that the politicians who pushed that policy go around campaigning for office highlighting this policy in order to get votes.  It also helps that they also mention the people who opposed the policy.  The message comes across – vote for me – I gave you this.  If you want more things like this, you have to vote for me, not the other evil people who voted against it.  They support causes that benefit other people who are not you.

Recently, Dave Gipson, who is a pastor, wrote an article about politics in the pulpit.  Preaching politics in the pulpit is a big no-no (never mind the fact that politicians end up in the pulpit during election time – I have a big problem with this – they are preaching a different Gospel and churches that allow this should be ashamed of this practice – it’s the epitome of partisan political activism).

Here’s a couple of lines from the article that caught my attention and really captures my thoughts.

I believe things won’t improve until we begin individually helping to change lives, rather than just voting for generic “change.”

While I’ve seen the Gospel of Christ change lives, most politics is little more than talk.

Frankly, it’s sad how many Christians believe political reform is the key to bringing “spiritual revival” to our country. Why would God bless such idolatry? In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God never said “If the government” will turn back to me, I’ll heal your land. He said, “If my people…”!

Pastors are called to preach the Gospel message.  I just wonder what Gospel message some of them are preaching.

Now, if you are sitting there, reading this as a lay person (a non-pastor), and saying “right on” I have to point out something.  If you replace the word pastor with Christian, wouldn’t the same idea apply?  Aren’t we all called to live out the Gospel of Christ as Christians, not the Gospel of the the Democrat or Republican parties?  Does this mean I advocate separation of Christians from politics?  No. Be political.  But also recognize that politics is flawed – seriously flawed.  Recognize that our salvation doesn’t come through politicians and laws and government.  There have been too many instances of these things enslaving people over time and destroying lives, not helping them.  Recognize that politics is about power.  Is that where you really want to put your hope?  Or are we called to something else – something much higher?

 

 

Kings and Preachers

16 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by in Church, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

Stockholm Cathedral, as I’ve said many times, is very pleasing to the eye.  It is full of amazing art, impressive statues, and a plethora of gold.

One only has to look at the King or Queen’s seat to understand.

Stockholm CathedralAnd it goes from there.  What does a king get for his favorite preacher?

A nice gold pulpit.

Stockholm CathedralImpressive isn’t it.  Who wouldn’t want to preach from that right?

Of course, there is a price to pay for this.  It’s not paid in currency or gold.  The cost is the Gospel which preaches good news to the poor, the outcast, and the outsider.  In a church like this, and in any society where the ruling and governing class have sway over the church, what ends up being preached is a different gospel – one that preaches comfort to the comfortable.

What Makes a Good Sermon?

24 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Church, Sermon Prep

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

I read an interesting article the other day.  It was one preacher’s perspective on what makes a good sermon.

My initial reaction was one of agreeing with some of the things, and disagreeing with a lot of other points.  Here’s the five points the author stated that make a good sermon:

  1. Explain the text.
  2. Fewer stories, please.
  3. Leave your politics and social justice at home please, unless…
  4. Don’t sweat the time.
  5. Don’t preach same-old, same-old.

I was going to comment on each of these, but the commentary would make this blog post way to long, so here’s the short version of what I think about this.

There is no standard for what makes a good sermon generally.  There are some guidelines that each denomination teaches of what should be in a sermon. So, for example, Lutherans generally preach Law and Gospel.  Other denominations focus on other things.  But can you really compare different sermons if the criteria is different.

Here’s what I think makes for a good sermon.  But keep in mind, this is my preference.  I don’t pretend to say that I’m some kind of expert. I’m only preached about 20 times, which is not much in the grand scheme of things.

1. Keep your listeners engaged.  This doesn’t mean you have to do all sorts of theatrics or have an awesome inspiring story or anything like that.  It means, read the listeners while you are preaching to them.  Do you understand the context of who you are preaching to?  Are they paying attention?  Does anyone care?  Or are they off thinking about what’s for lunch when they get home.  It’s amazing that we have a message of grace and hope for a hopeless world and yet some preachers are able to crush those things and bore people.  In other words, be authentic and sincere and preach what you actually believe.  It will come through and people will listen because they will hear the authenticity of what is being preached.

2. Stories help.  It’s what people remember.  Bible stories and contemporary stories.  We are visual society, so telling stories connects with people and helps them to understand the point without getting all academic on them.  If it was good enough for Jesus, then it should be good enough for me.

3. Leave your politics at home.  People didn’t come to church to get a political speech, or be a mouth-piece for a certain political party.  They came to hear a message of grace and hope.  Politics is neither.  Does this mean we shouldn’t challenge our listeners?  No.  Challenge them, but leave the politics out.  When I go to church and hear a political speech, it just pisses me off.  That’s not why I went to church.  I went to hear about how God was active in the world and giving people hope, not how we should feel guilty because we aren’t activists for some cause that is in the news.  Jesus challenged the reigning authorities and ways of doing things.  He was political, but it was different.  It wasn’t a comparison of one political belief system versus an opposing one.  It was criticizing a political system that was opposed to God’s kingdom.  And when he did this, he offered a different vision for how life could be.  I hope I never preach in a way that seems to claim that God is a Democrat, Republican, or member of any other political party.  God is not any of those.  God’s ways are not Democrat or Republican ways.  God’s ways are better.

There’s more to a good sermon for me, but these are things that I think are essential.  As a Lutheran, I would also add in that a sermon should preach Law and Gospel.  But again, this is not a universal preaching thing – it’s Lutheran.

I’d love to hear what you think makes for a good sermon.  I would especially appreciate hearing the perspective of people who don’t preach, but listen week-in and week-out, those who don’t attend church often or rarely.  What makes for a good sermon for you?  Leave your comments in the comment section.  I’m looking forward to hearing what you think.  Thanks.