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I just finished reading the new list of the nation's 100 biggest and fastest-growing churches (see Link of the Week below), and it seems to me there are some additional lists that are just crying out for publication. The obvious one, of course, is 100 longest sermons of the year. (#1 on the list is Brother Wilbur Dreadnote, at three hours and 48 minutes, in what turned out to be his final sermon as pastor of Little Hope Baptist Church.) Another popular category would be the 100 biggest name-droppers. Tops on the list goes to the preacher who observed in a sermon: "Recently as I was visiting in the Oval Office, I turned to Bill Gates to tell he and Tony Blair about the delightful lunch I had with Billy Graham the other day . . ." Some other featured lists might include the "100 Crankiest Deacons in America," the "100 Most Annoying Praise Choruses" and the "100 Most Uncomfortable Church Pews." (I actually started that list as a boy.) My personal favorite: the "100 Top Church Potluck Suppers" (rankings based on the highest percentage of fat content). At which, I hope, they hand out information on the 100 best cardiac care facilities. Michael
Duduit, Editor Click here to visit "I Was Just Thinking" (Michael’s blog) for insights and observations about faith and culture issues. Recent topics: On cupholders and convenience (responding to comments concerning last week's PreachingNow intro)
Preaching and listening "In The Hunt for Red October, there is a scene in which a Navy submarine radio operator is listening hard to detect the sound of approaching enemy subs. His challenge is to determine the important noises from the array of ordinary noises. It takes a trained and experienced ear to know the difference between the sound of a whale swimming and a submarine screw turning. Yet the difference could mean life or death for a boatload of sailors. It is not a glamorous position. Most of the time is spent quietly in a small room listening. But when the right sound is heard, the whole crew takes notice. "This is the task of the preacher. The preacher sits quietly examining texts and listening carefully. It takes a trained and experienced ear to be able to bring the voice of God to the congregation so that people consistently hear from God in his word." (Kent Anderson, Stage One: Discovery," www.preaching.org)
Preaching and the creative process In the new book Graceful Speech: An Invitation to Preaching (Westminster John Knox), Lucy Lind Hogan talks about the creative element of preparing to preach: "While study and research are certainly an important part of sermon preparation, sermons are much more than reporting on the ideas of others. Preaching needs also to 'delight' and 'move.' It is a creative activity that demands imagination, inventiveness, and integration. . . . "At the outset the creative process demands openness and a sense of play. Many of us are tempted to inhibit or block this play of ideas. We want to be sensible and practical. We want to find immediate resolution. We are uncomfortable with this dynamic flow. But that is where we need to be at this point. The reminder that the Spirit blows where it will came in the middle of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. When Jesus told him that he must be born again, he refused to follow the Spirit into that wonderful image of new birth and freedom. 'How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?' (John 3:4) "Unfortunately, like Nicodemus we eventually find this part of the process very frustrating. People studying the creative process found that the period of preparation eventually reached a plateau, a period when the artist or engineer, faced with so many possibilities, so many solutions, became discouraged. What direction should he take, what topic should she choose? The reality is that there are many good choices, but we are uncertain which is the best one to make. "If one is not aware that this is a predictable part of the process, one will become discouraged and possibly quit. Runners often talk of the 'wall' that they must work through. But too many runners reach that point and quit. At this point some preachers are tempted to think that they will never find a good sermon and turn to the sermons of others. This is why allowing enough time for the process is important. While consciously the preacher may feel frustrated, unconsciously the mind is in fact wrestling with the options." (Click here to learn more about the book Graceful Speech: An Invitation to Preaching)
The urgency of relevance In a recent interview in the PreachingToday newsletter, Don Sunukjian observes, "Relevance is when the listener realizes, I see how this message applies to me. 'See' is the operative word. The listener thinks, I have a mental picture of where this fits in my life. I see the guy next to me at work. He comes in, sits down in that seat, puts his brown bag in the third drawer on the left side, turns to me, and complains. I see it. Relevancy is when the listener can say, 'I see where God is speaking his truth and where it fits my life.' It's not that the listener can see it in somebody else's life, or in Czechoslovakia, or in Victorian England, or in sports metaphors. "I, as the listener, have to see it in the specifics of my life -- otherwise it stays at a level of generality, abstraction, pious clich. We nod and say, 'Uh-huh, uh-huh.' But we have no idea how it shows up in our life. "Without relevance, it's just knowledge. It's information. But the Bible passes judgment on an information and knowledge-based ministry. In 1 Corinthians 8:1, the apostle Paul says that knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. "The goal of our preaching is not knowledge. The goal of our preaching is not Bible instruction. The goal of our preaching is to teach people how the Bible fits their lives. Knowledge is only halfway to our goal. If we stop at the halfway point, we produce an arrogant, proud people who have Bible knowledge but who have not yet become Christlike. Knowledge alone does not change us." (Click here to read the full interview.) http://pttranscripts.stores.yahoo.net/relevance.html
ILLUSTRATION: Teachers, Sacrifice, Love There is a legend about a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, there was a large gathering in the palace courtyard. Four finalists were brought forward, and from these four, the king would select the winner. The first person presented was a wealthy philanthropist. The king was told that this man was highly deserving of the honor because of his humanitarian efforts. He had given much of his wealth to the poor. The second person was a celebrated physician. The king was told that this doctor was highly deserving of the honor because he had rendered faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years. The third person was a distinguished judge. The king was told that the judge was worthy because he was noted for his wisdom, his fairness, and his brilliant decisions. The fourth person presented was an elderly woman. Everyone was quite surprised to see her there, because her manner was quite humble, as was her dress. She hardly looked the part of someone who would be honored as the greatest subject in the kingdom. What chance could she possibly have, when compared to the other three, who had accomplished so much? Even so, there was something about her; the look of love in her face, the understanding in her eyes, her quiet confidence. The king was intrigued, to say the least, and somewhat puzzled by her presence. He asked who she was. The answer came: "you see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge? Well she was their teacher!" The
woman had no wealth, no fortune, and no title, but she had unselfishly
given her life to produce great people. There is nothing more powerful
or more Christlike than sacrificial love. (Chad
Ballard, SermonCentral newsletter,
ILLUSTRATION: Witness, Evangelism Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay, it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession, and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it." We have a message to share. Our heavenly Father created us as exquisite instruments, and the beautiful music we are to make is the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We were made to be played. (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 7-26-06)
ILLUSTRATION: Occupations, Prestige In a recent newsletter, H.B. London reports on results of the annual Harris Poll measuring public perceptions of 23 professions and occupations. The survey shows that firefighters, doctors and nurses are seen as prestigious occupations by U.S. adults, while business executives, stockbrokers and real estate agents are seen at the opposite end of the spectrum. Six occupations are perceived to have "very great" prestige by at least half of all adults -- firefighters (63%) doctors (58%), nurses (55%), scientists (54%), teachers (52%) and military officers (51%). They are followed by police officers (43%) and priests/ministers/clergymen (40%). By way of contrast, the list includes nine occupations which are perceived by less than 20 percent of adults to have "very great" prestige, with one of these under 10 percent. The lowest ratings for "very great prestige" go to real estate brokers (6%), stockbrokers (11%), business executives (11%), actors (12%), union leaders (12%), journalists (16%), bankers (17%), accountants (17%) and entertainers (18%). Three occupations are perceived by one-quarter or more of adults to have "hardly any prestige at all." These include union leaders (15%), real estate brokers (32%) and actors (37%). Just over one-third of adults (36%) say that farming -- an occupation included on the list for the first time -- is an occupation of very great prestige, while 15 percent say it has hardly any prestige at all. Teachers are the only occupation, among the 11 tracked since 1977, to see a rise in prestige. Those who see teachers as having "very great" prestige has risen 23 points from 29 to 52 percent. (Pastors Weekly Briefing, 8-4-06)
ILLUSTRATION: Weakness, God's Sufficiency J. Hudson Taylor was founder of the China Inland Mission and a giant in the history of Christian missions. But once when he had received a compliment, Taylor observed, "It seemed to me that God had looked over the whole world to find a man who was weak enough to do His work, and when He at last found me, He said, 'He is weak enough -- he'll do.'"
Books worth a look In The Kingdom of Christ (Crossway), Russell Moore talks about what it means to be a Kingdom Christian and calls evangelicals to a healthy social engagement. Moore's book is not light reading, but it is worth the effort. (Click here to learn more.) Breaking the Missional Code (Broadman & Holman) by Ed Stetzer and David Putman is a challenge to churches to become missionary forces within their own communities. Reggie McNeal calls it "a must-read for anyone who wants to lead or participate in the transition from the program-driven model to a missional expression." (Click here to learn more.)
Preaching with Power book now available Preaching with Power (Baker), a new book featuring 20 interviews from the pages of Preaching magazine. Preaching with Power includes interviews with preachers like John MacArthur, Haddon Robinson, Lloyd John Ogilvie, Rick Warren, Adrian Rogers, David Jeremiah, Ed Young Jr., T.D. Jakes, Andy Stanley, and eleven more. Click here to order your copy today.
"A friend is a person who goes around saying nice things about you behind your back."
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ILLUSTRATION: School It was the first day of school, and mother sent little Billy off to class. When he came home that day, she asked, "So Billy, what did you learn on your first day of school?" Little Billy replied, "I learned to write." "Oh, my!" his mother responded. "And on your first day of school! What did you write?" "I don't know," said Billy. "I haven't learned to read yet."
"There is nothing so annoying as to have two people go right on talking when you're interrupting." (Mark Twain)
Random thoughts 1. Save the whales. Collect the whole set. 2. A day without sunshine is like . . . night. 3. On the other hand . . . you have different fingers. 4. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. 5. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name. 6. Remember: half the people you know are below average. 7. He who laughs last thinks slowest. 8. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 9. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. 10. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. 11. I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol. 12. I intend to live forever -- so far so good. 13. Borrow money from a pessimist -- they don't expect it back. 14. Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of. 15. Support bacteria -- they're the only culture some people have.
And finally . . . The elusive criminal almost got away with the crime -- except for the fact that he signed his letter and left a return address. According to an August 7 Associated Press story, New York police received an envelope containing white powder and a taunting note that challenged: "Catch me if you can." Unfortunately for the 18-year-old sender, Abdullah Date, he seems to have misjudged how difficult it would be to catch someone who signed the letter and included a return address on the envelope. Although the letter referred to anthrax, the white powder turned out to be harmless. Date has had previous run-ins with police -- last month he is alleged to have thrown crack vials out of the window of his home while Brooklyn police watched. This time he's been charged with sending a threatening letter.
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