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PreachingNOW
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Vol. 8, No. 9 |
March 3, 2009 |
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Michael Duduit |
I've been reading articles about how lots of people have decided to give up Facebook for Lent.
Apparently they have decided that for 40 days they will sacrifice something that eats up enormous amounts of time and contributes little to their economic security or overall well-being.
Well, since that's the criteria, I've decided to give up email for Lent. If you plan to join me, drop me an email to let me know. (Oh, wait ... This is going to be tougher than I thought.)
OK, back to my second choice: giving up broccoli. We Baptists were never very good at Lent.
Michael Duduit, Editor
michael@preaching.com
www.michaelduduit.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MichaelDuduit
On this week's Preaching Podcast: Listen to our interview with Brad Waggoner, author of the important new book The Shape of Faith to Come (B&H), as we discuss the state of Christian belief in the 21st century.
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BORROWING ILLUSTRATIONS
In his article on "Ethics in the Use of Stories" in the New Interpreter's Handbook of Preaching (Abingdon Press), Raymond Bailey observes, "Preachers are notorious borrowers. Wise is the preacher who keeps a notebook to record interesting stories that may appear in short story, novel, newspaper, magazine or the sermons of others. Most preachers are flattered to have illustrations taken from their presentations and used by others in the service of the gospel ...
"The preacher should not hesitate to use the material of others, but only with integrity. Credibility is the most important virtue for the preacher ... A sermon is a special form of rhetoric, and the preacher must maintain integrity of attribution without surrendering to boring, detailed documentation. Often in a sermon it is enough to note that 'a biblical scholar has written' or 'the story is told' or 'I once heard a tale.' A rule of scant attribution serves as a good rule of thumb for the sermon." (Click here to learn more about the New Interpreter’s Handbook of Preaching.)
FROM PROGRAM-DRIVEN TO MISSIONAL
In a recent conference, Reggie McNeal described three shifts needed for churches to move from program-driven to missional:
Changing from internal ministry to an external focus:
This isn't an "either-or" situation, but a movement toward involvement outside the building. In the past, church-centric world, the assumption was excellent worship services and great preaching were the keys to drawing people to faith in Christ.
Today, it's much different. In the missional world, it's not about "doing" church but "being" the church.
Asking, "Are our people better off because of what we've done?"
The heart of this question aims at creating a people-development culture in which improving lives is more important than running them through a program.
"Are the programs helping, or are people just a resource to get our programs done?" McNeal said. "Wouldn't a fair scorecard be, 'How many better marriages do we have in the church this year than last?' (or) 'How many have figured out a way to love their neighbor instead of how many showed up and supported our stuff?'"
Moving from church-based leadership to apostolic leadership:
McNeal said his emphasis is on pastors moving away from acting as institutional managers toward leading a movement. In this model, instead of a minister saying, "I'm pastor of First Baptist," he or she would proclaim, "I'm pastor of the community and my support team is First Baptist," McNeal explained.
"In a people-development culture your time is going to be spent differently than in a program culture," he commented. "You're going to be engaged with people far more conversationally, and you're going to have to figure out how to disciple people."
"Any leadership is not positional, it's personal," McNeal said. "People want to know: Do you live this stuff, and are you willing to be accountable?" (From Church Health Today; click here to read the full article.)
INVEST A WEEK, PLAN A YEAR
Would you like to invest a week and come away with your year's preaching plan? Preaching magazine and Anderson University jointly are sponsoring the first Preaching Boot Camp, May 18-22, 2009, on the campus in Anderson, South Carolina. The focus of this year's camp is on planning a preaching schedule, and the keynote speaker is Stephen Rummage, preaching pastor at Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte and author of the book Planning Your Preaching (Kregel). Other speakers will include Mike Glenn, Michael Duduit, Ryan Neal and more. Built into the schedule is time for participants to work on their own preaching plan for 2009-2010. To learn more, visit www.preachingbootcamp.com.
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PERSISTENCE
There is a status in academic circles known as "ABD." Those letters stand for All but dissertation. That means a person has taken all the classes, passed all the exams and entered into candidacy for a Ph.D. However, at some point, and for a variety of reasons, they could not finish their dissertation, their extended paper that was proof of their mastery of the material in their field of study and their own contribution to that field. They had done a lot of work, but they did not finish; ABD.
There are all kinds of ABDs in this world; close but not complete. There were career goals that are ABD. There are financial plans that are ABD. There are relationships that are ABD. Life is full of people whose every other sentiment is if only, almost or I tried. (Marvin McMickle)
GOD WITH US
Tom Brokaw, in his book The Greatest Generation, tells the story of Mary Wilson, presently of Dallas, Texas. You never would know by looking at this modest woman that she was the recipient of the Silver Star and bore the nickname "The Angel of Anzio." When the Allies got bogged down in the boot of Italy during World War II, they attempted a daring breakout by launching an amphibious landing on the Anzio Beach. Unfortunately, the Allies got pinned down at the landing site and came dangerously close to being driven back into the ocean. It looked like another Dunkirk was in the making.
Mary Wilson was the head of the 51 army nurses who went ashore at Anzio. Things got so bad that bullets zipped through her tent as she assisted the surgeon in surgery. When the situation continued to deteriorate arrangements were made to get all of the nurses out, but Mary Wilson would have none of it. She refused to leave at the gravest hour. As she related her story years later, she said: "How could I possibly leave them? I was a part of them."
Likewise, God does not desert us in our hour of need. (eSermons.com newsletter)
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From the March-April issue of Preaching ...
In his article on "Preaching in High Definition," Jere Phillips talks about the importance of knowing the geography of the text: "The geography and relationships between places helps us understand the people and events of Scripture. The story of a nobleman from Capernaum going up to Cana, begging Jesus to come and heal his dying son, is poignant. However, we understand his desperation when we realize he had to travel a day and a half each way, going southwest from Capernaum up into the highlands of northern Galilee to find Jesus.
"Imagine his emotion as he left the sickbed of his dying son, knowing it would take three days to get to Jesus and return, not knowing if he would ever see his boy alive again. Think of how the son and his mother felt. Did they beg the dad not to go? Did they hear his words of faith in this Jesus and calmly agree to wait for his return? What emotions did the father experience when Jesus told him to go home alone, simply trusting his son was healed? He was a day into his journey before confirmation arrived that his son was well. Until we can feel this dad's heart throughout the experience, we cannot really help our hearers understand the level of faith he demonstrated."
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Every issue of Preaching contains insightful articles
on preaching, plus great model sermons and practical resources. If you're not a
current subscriber to Preaching magazine, click here (or call, toll free, 1-800-527-5226) to go begin
your subscription!
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Also in the March-April issue of Preaching: Our annual survey of the year's best books for preachers, plus an interview with James Emery White, articles on preaching in tough financial times and "Preaching in HD," sermons by Stuart Briscoe, John Huffman, Mike Glenn and much more. Order your subscription today!
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Pastor Eric Smith has developed an excellent Sermon Listeners Guide for members of his congregation. You may find it helpful in your own church. Read it here.
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"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." (George Bernard Shaw)
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Given the centrality of Scripture in the preaching task, it is important that preachers have a solid understanding of the canon of Scripture. In Exploring the Origins of the Bible (Baker Academic), a team of scholars explores various issues related to the development and canonization of the biblical writings. This is a meaty but worthwhile volume.
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Many excellent volumes relating to the Christian life grow out of sermon series. Charles Stanley's newest book In Step with God (Thomas Nelson) explores the nature of God and how we can come to enjoy a more intimate relationship with Him. As you read, you'll gain ideas for your own messages, plus much useful illustrative material.
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This week's Preaching Podcast features an interview with Brad Waggoner, author of The Shape of Faith to Come (B&H Books), which draws on an extensive research study to create a profile of the discipleship and doctrinal beliefs of today's churchgoers. It's an unsettling picture but one every church leader should read.
(Click on the title to learn more or order from Amazon.)
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JUDGING OTHERS
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean," she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap." Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?"
The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows." (from Cybersalt.org)
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12-STEP INTERNET RECOVERY PROGRAM
1) I will have a cup of coffee in the morning and read my newspaper like I used to, before the Internet.
2) I will eat breakfast with a knife and fork and not with one hand typing.
3) I will get dressed before noon.
4) I will make an attempt to clean the house, wash clothes and plan dinner before even thinking of the Internet.
5) I will sit down and write a letter to those unfortunate few friends and family who are Internet-deprived.
6) I will call someone on the phone with whom I cannot contact via the Internet.
7) I will read a book ... if I still remember how.
8) I will listen to those around me and their needs and stop telling them to turn the TV down so I can hear the music on the Internet.
9) I will not be tempted during TV commercials to check email.
10) I will try and get out of the house at least once a week, whether it's necessary or not.
11) I will remember my bank is not forgiving if I forget to balance my checkbook because I was too busy on the Internet.
12) Last, but not least, I will remember I must go to bed sometime ... and the Internet will always be there tomorrow!
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For one church attendee, it was a shocking experience.
Bay City, Mich., police responded to 911 calls and found a man as he stood in the nude in 27-degree weather outside St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church. Sgt. Gordon Cameron said the man told officers he was having problems with his parents and wanted to go to church.
According to a Feb. 20 AP story, the man cursed and verbally abused police before an officer immobilized him with a Taser, an electronic device that fires barbs causing temporary paralysis. The man was draped in a blanket and taken to an area medical center for treatment.
Sgt. Cameron said the man likely wouldn't be charged with any crime.
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