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This weekend a film called Facing the Giants opened in 400 theatres nationwide. What makes this movie unique is its source -- it was produced by a local church. Leaders at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, recognized movies are a powerful influence in shaping the culture. So 500-plus members of the church pitched in to create a major movie, doing everything from acting to fixing lunch. And the end result of their labors didn't look homemade; in fact, the folks at Sony were so impressed that they agreed to distribute the film to theatres nationwide. I've seen it, and it's a well-done production. But more important than this particular story is the fact that a church recognized a way to influence the culture in a new and unique way. As Chuck Colson shared in a recent Breakpoint commentary: "Jim McBride, executive producer and Sherwood's pastor, says modern technology enabled them to make the movie: The digitalization of film has dramatically lowered the cost of movie-making. "McBride explains, for too long, Hollywood has stereotyped Christians in a negative light. But now, 'The lower cost of producing movies is going to enable grassroots Christians to more accurately portray who they are.' It will also allow them to influence the culture even from small-town America. Sherwood got into the movie business after reading a Barna report showing that films are more influential today than churches. If that's true, Sherwood's leaders decided, then they had better start making some films themselves. "Sherwood is absolutely right. For too long, Christians were AWOL from cultural engagement. That's wrong. And then we thought getting involved in politics was the answer. Well, politics and moral issues are very important. But as Claes Ryn notes in the American Conservative, 'Society's long-term direction is . . . set by those who capture a people's mind and imagination.' More than politicians, that's people in the media." (Click here to read the full commentary.) Now, what can your church do to reach past the commonplace and touch a community and a culture? http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=287 Michael
Duduit, Editor
Avoiding a 'homiletical hermeneutic' In a chapter of the book Giving the Sense: Understanding and Using Old Testament Historical Texts (Kregel), Daniel Block talks about the danger of preaching based on a "homiletical hermeneutic," by which he means "an approach to the biblical text that is driven by the need to preach a sermon from the text, rather than a thirst for understanding its message in its original context." Block suggests six characteristics that reflect the use of a "homiletical hermeneutic":
(adapted from expositorythoughts.wordpress.com. Click here to learn more about the book Giving the Sense.)
Are Americans growing more secular? Not if you can believe a new survey on Americans' religious beliefs, "American Piety in the 21st Century," published this month by Baylor University. The Baylor survey reports that 82 percent of Americans are Christians, 90 percent believe in God, 70 percent pray regularly, and half attend church at least once a month. Writing in The Weekly Standard about these results, Mark Tooley observes, "Americans are demographically as religious, and as Christian, as they ever have been. But their denominational affiliations have become somewhat less structured. Less likely now to be Methodist or Lutheran, they are drifting towards more informal forms of evangelical Christianity. "Similar surveys in recent years have shown an increased number of Americans claiming no religious affiliation. But the Baylor survey proposes that those seemingly-secular increases merely reflected the decline in formal denominational affiliation. When Baylor delved into the practices of supposedly unaffiliated respondents, it discovered that many of them do attend church or Bible studies, pray, and associate with some form of Christianity or other organized religion. . . . "The Baylor survey found that only about one in ten Americans is not religiously affiliated, a statistic similar to past decades (and less than the 14 percent claimed in other recent surveys). This difference may not sound large, but it represents 10 million Americans. "Many of those 10 million Americans who had inaccurately been counted as non-religious belong to evangelical Christianity, which now accounts for one third of the American population, and is the nation's largest religious demographic. Mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics account for a little over one fifth each. Members of black Protestant churches account for 5 percent and Jews for 2.5 percent. Frustratingly, the Baylor survey lumped together all other categories -- Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus -- which together account for less than 5 percent. "Some results are expected. Easterners are likelier to be Catholics. Southerners are the most likely to be evangelicals. Westerners are the most likely to have no affiliation. Young adults are three times as likely to lack a religious affiliation as older Americans. "Even among that 10 percent who are firmly nonaffiliated, 60 percent believe in God or a higher power, and one third pray regularly. Ten percent of the unaffiliated are attending church regularly. Ten percent of the religiously unaffiliated believe that Jesus is the Son of God. "Not surprisingly, 95 percent of black Protestants and evangelicals believe that Jesus is God's Son, while 85 percent of Catholics and 75 percent of mainline Protestants believe it. Intriguingly, so too do 10 percent of Jews. Black Protestants and evangelicals are twice as likely to attend church weekly as mainline Protestants and Catholics. They are also 4 times more likely to read the Bible on a weekly basis than are mainliners, and 8 times more likely to do so than the Catholics." (Click here to read the full article.)
Writing? Remember the Fog Index As pastors and church leaders, we are regularly called on to write, and we want to be sure that what we write can be understood. Many years ago, Robert Gunnig developed the Fog Index as a way to measure the readability of text. I recently read an article in Denny Hatch's Business Common Sense newsletter that reminded me of the Fog Index, which works like this: "1. Count the number of words in successive sentences. In a long piece, take several 100-word samples distributed evenly throughout. (Stop the sentence count with the sentence that ends nearest each 100-word total.) Divide the total number of words in each sample by the number of sentences. This yields the average sentence length of the copy. 2. Count the number of words of three syllables or more per 100 words. Don't count proper names, word combinations of short words (i.e., bookkeeper, manpower, etc.) or three-syllable plural or past-tense verb forms as a result of adding -ed or -es (i.e., created or trespasses). This figure is the percentage of "hard" words in the copy. 3. Add these two numbers and multiply the result by 0.4. This yields the Fog Index, which correlates exactly with school grade reading levels as determined by the McCall-Crabbs Standard Test Lessons in Reading. Thus, if your copy is addressed to a hypothetical audience with a fifth-grade educational level, the Fog Index of the tested copy should be no higher than 5. The following table compares the Fog Index with reading levels by grade.
At the conclusion of the issue, Hatch adds these reminders: "The Fog Index really is related to comprehensibility. It's not necessarily about genuine readability -- the property of copy that makes a reader want to keep on reading. Making something easier to read doesn't always make it more interesting or more desirable to read. Using shorter sentences and simpler words indeed does yield copy comprehensible to a wider audience, but an increase in comprehensibility will not of itself make for greater readability. "It's easy enough for writers to raise the comprehensibility of their copy by training themselves to write in short bursts and to choose less complicated words. Writing truly readable copy is quite another matter and less easily learned -- you must cultivate an ear for the rhythms of the rich language that is English. Effective copy is not only clear and reads easily, but it also will sound right. In editing your copy (and it's rare copy indeed that cannot be made better with one more revision), you should read not only for sense, but for euphony -- the agreeableness of what you've written and its pleasurable effect on the ear (and thus on the eye). In short, try listening to your copy, even going so far as playing it back to yourself on a tape recorder." (Click here to read the full article.)
ILLUSTRATION: Judgement, Labels In his new book Making Judgments Without Being Judgmental (InterVarsity), Terry Cooper tells this story: "I remember walking into a hospital a few years ago and seeing a young girl sitting on a curb in front of the emergency room. She could not have possibly been over ten-years old. She was petting a cat who seemed to greatly enjoy her company. I walked by the young girl and said, 'Is that your cat?' "No," she replied. "I wonder how old it is?" I asked. "I don't know," she replied. I then added, "I wonder if it is a boy or girl cat?" "I don't know," she said, as she continued to pet the cat. Then I asked, "I wonder if it is from a neighborhood around here?" Looking at me somewhat annoyed she said, "I don't know. Is that important to you?" "I walked into the hospital with a smile on my face and a lesson learned. I was trying to place this cat in some sort of preconceived category: gender, age, "socio-economic status" and so on. For this little girl, however, there was no need for all this classification and pigeonholing of the cat. In fact, my questions were rather distracting. What was important to her was that this was a cat who wanted to be petted, and she was a little girl who wanted to pet the cat. All the other factors, all of my categorical schemes, were missing the whole point of the experience. . . . "It was a reminder of the many ways that we as human beings dull our experience and reduce our adventures in life by trying to fit everything into neat little categories." (Click here to learn more about the book Making Judgments Without Being Judgmental)
ILLUSTRATION: Risk In his book Finding the Life You've Been Looking For (Harvest House), H. Norman Wright says, "Howard Hughes, one of the richest men of the twentieth century, was a good example of what can happen when we risk -- and when we refuse to take risks. Hughes had a great impact on the aircraft industry, helping the United States maintain dominance in the sky during several wars. He helped establish the movie industry and influenced the entertainment industry. He gained tremendous power, and his power affected not only our country and society but the world. "Howard Hughes was a consummate risk taker for a large part of his life. But then he changed. He redirected his energies and became a fanatic, protecting himself against risk. He created a virtual prison for himself in his attempt to insulate himself from decisions, people, germs, or anything else he perceived to be a risk. He had accumulated billions, but he chose to live in a hotel room and vegetate until he died. He was a prisoner when he could have been free. When Howard Hughes stopped risking, he stopped living." (Click here to learn more about the book Finding the Life You've Been Looking For)
Register now for 'Preaching Truth' conferences Now is the time to register for one of the Preaching Truth in a Whatever World seminars planned for this Fall. These one-day preaching conferences explore strategies for effective biblical preaching in a postmodern world. Led by Preaching editor Michael Duduit and a variety of guest speakers (including Bill Self, Bill Bouknight, J. Alfred Smith and more), these conferences offer a valuable time of insight and refreshment for those who proclaim the Word. Preaching Truth conferences will be held in the following cities: Memphis,
TN -- Oct 17 For more information or to register, call (800) 288-9673, or visit the website at www.preaching.com/truth
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: Curiosity There was once a small boy who banged a drum all day and loved every moment of it. He would not be quiet, no matter what anyone else said or did. Various attempts were made to do something about the child. One person told the boy that he would, if he continued to make so much noise, perforate his eardrums. This reasoning was too advanced for the child, who was neither a scientist nor a scholar. A second person told him that drum beating was a sacred activity and should be carried out only on special occasions. The third person offered the neighbors plugs for their ears; a fourth gave the boy a book; a fifth gave the neighbors books that described a method of controlling anger through biofeedback; a sixth person gave the boy meditation exercises to make him placid and docile. None of these attempts worked. Eventually, a wise person came along with an effective motivation. He looked at the situation, handed the child a hammer and chisel, and asked, "I wonder what is inside the drum?" No more problem.
Plan now to be part of Preaching Congress in Cambridge, England The third International Congress on Preaching will be April 17-19, 2007, in Cambridge, England. The theme is "For Such a Time as This: Preaching Truth in an Age of Idolatry." In this historic setting you'll enjoy addresses, sermons and practical workshops led by a remarkable team of preachers and teachers, including David
Jeremiah and many more! Registration is now available at an earlybird discount -- register today and save $55 off the normal rate. To learn more visit the website at www.preaching.com/icop or call (800) 288-9673 (outside the US, call 615-312-4245.)
As you recommend . . . Pastors often have opportunities to recommend books to church members through church newsletters, in sermons, and in personal contacts. Here are some titles to keep in mind: Escaping the Stress Trap by Mary Southerland (Harvest House). Nine practical strategies to overcome overload, with biblical grounding and loads of useful ideas. (Click here to learn more.) Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor (Crossway). Solid and insightful discussions (by several authors) of issues relating to human suffering. Includes an interview with Piper. (Click here to learn more.) What Was I Thinking? Things I've Learned Since I Knew it All by Steve Brown (Howard). Steve says it all: "This is a book written by an old guy who started out with the right words but has spent most of his life learning the tune. Along the way I've discovered that the Christian faith is far more radical and far less cerebral than I thought it was." (Click here to learn more.)
"Spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison." (C.S. Lewis)
From the sponsor of this week's edition: Preaching
the Old Testament "Preaching the Old Testament is an outstanding collection of insights for preaching from the two-thirds of Scripture that compose our Old Testament. Gibson has assembled a remarkable team of contributors whose work will be helpful to any preacher. This is a valuable resource that deserves a place on every preacher's bookshelf." -- Michael Duduit, editor, Preaching magazine www.bakerbooks.com/preachingtheoldtestament
ILLUSTRATION: Be Prepared, Death Gordon Macdonald wrote about an event that took place four decades ago: "Wheaton's president, V. Raymond Edman, a godly man, was speaking in chapel one Friday morning. He had just finished telling about the time he had carefully rehearsed for an audience with the then-emperor of Ethiopia. "His application for the students, whom he felt had slipped into a spirit of irreverence in their worship, was simple: you must always be prepared to respectfully conduct yourself in the presence of the King of Kings. "Having made his point, Dr. Edman suddenly slumped to the floor and died. Having spoken of entering the presence of the King, he did it himself. He left, apparently, at the moment of God's choosing, whom, we trust, watches over our leave-decisions, too." (Leadership, Summer 2002)
"Only the mediocre are always at their best." (Jean Girandoux)
You know you're a modern worker if Your idea of being organized is multiple colored post-it notes. Your relatives and family describe your job as "works with computers." You know the people at the airport hotels better than your next-door neighbors. You just sent your resume to over 50 companies . . . by e-mail. Vacation is something you roll over to next year or a check you get every January. Your grocery list has been on your refrigerator so long, some of the products don't even exist any more. You think "progressing an action plan" and "calendarizing a project" are acceptable English phrases. You only have makeup for fluorescent lighting. Your son is having lots of fun playing with his friends at day-care; you know this because you just checked the web-cam. You refer to the tomatoes grown in your garden as deliverables. You just threw out another box of obsolete business cards. You've sat at the same desk for four years and worked for three different companies. You consider 2nd day air delivery painfully slow. Free food left over from meetings is your main staple. You've lectured the neighborhood kids selling lemonade on improving their marketing techniques. Your supervisor doesn't have the ability to do your job. Your boss' favorite lines are "when you get a few minutes", "in your spare time", "when you're freed up", and "I have an opportunity for you." You're already late on the assignment you just got. Your daily diet can include both a Radicchio Salad with Artichoke Hearts and a three-year-old Baby Ruth from the vending machine.
And finally . . . Further evidence that criminals tend not to be the smartest folks on the block . . . According to a Sept. 26 AP story, a 36-year-old Covington, KY man broke into a woman's apartment about 3:00 am wearing only a thong and carrying a knife. The man did have one other piece of equipment: a video camera he apparently planned to use to record his crime. As reported by the AP article, "The woman fended off the attacker, who left the apartment and fled into a stand of trees near the apartment complex." Police found the video camera the burglar left in the apartment, and in the camera they found video of the man's family on the end of the tape. Investigators were able to identify some of them and tracked down the burglar to his mother's house in Norwood, Ohio. He's now in jail. No word on whether he's using a camera to videotape his time behind bars.
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