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Advertisers on this year's Super Bowl telecast February 4 will be paying $2.6 million for each 30-second commercial. Believe it or not, that is far higher than the cost of advertising in Preaching magazine. (And we offer a much more select audience.) With all the money spent on marketing, I suppose it's only a matter of time before we hear something like this during the pre-service announcements: "Good morning, and welcome to worship at Little Hope Community Church. Don't forget the covered dish lunch after today's worship service -- brought to you by the great people at KFC. They do chicken right! "And be sure to mark your calendar for the ladies prayer meeting Tuesday night, sponsored by Verizon Wireless. Can you hear me now, Lord? "Then you'll want to be part of the special-called business meeting to discuss concerns about our new building project. The meeting is brought to you by Radio Shack -- you've got questions, we've got answers! "Finally, plan now to be part of our church-wide visitation project next Saturday, brought to you by Nike -- just do it!" 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: The new atheists
Advertising in the Pulpit The newest advertising trend is aimed at your church. As a recent article in the Knowledge@Wharton (from the Wharton School of Business) notes, "Advertising has begun to seep into churches, and the phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down." Examples include a contest last year that gave pastors "a chance to win a free trip to London and $1,000 cash -- if they mentioned Disney's film The Chronicles of Narnia in their sermons. Chrysler, hoping to target affluent African Americans with its new luxury SUV, is currently sponsoring a Patti LaBelle gospel music tour through African-American megachurches nationwide." The article observes that this trend has even produced a new term: "The Narnia sermon sweepstakes, first reported last December by the Philadelphia Inquirer, gave rise to the new term 'sermo-mercial' -- along with concerns expressed by blogging Christians that the pulpit was now open for product placement." (Click here to read the full article; registration is required.) http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1605# What do you think about this trend? Click here to take a brief PreachingNow survey on the topic; we'll report results in an upcoming issue. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=441383136993
Preaching Grace In his new book Christian Preaching: A Trinitarian Theology of Proclamation (Baker), Michael Pasquarello writes, "Perhaps the most offensive and scandalous aspect of speaking the Word of God in our time may be the notion of grace, which announces that from beginning to end our human lives are not of our own making, management, or control. In learning to confess that we are sinful creatures of a gracious God, we discover that our lives are constituted as gifts rather than possessions, whose purpose is to know and love our Creator. "In Christian worship, then, we acknowledge our grateful dependence according to the particular wisdom displayed in the self-giving of Christ, through which the Spirit evokes responsiveness and receptivity to the God who speaks both creation and salvation. Thus, in a time that calls for a strong, robust message of faith, hope, and love, there is no 'deeply felt need' more urgent than proclaiming the 'foolishness' of the cross -- the power and wisdom of the gospel that creates a people of loving praise and glad obedience in whom the Spirit bears witness to the flourishing of humanity before God." (Click here to learn more about the book Christian Preaching)
Atheism, not religion, is real source of conflict Author Dinesh D'Souza wrote in a recent commentary: A spate of atheist books have argued that religion represents, as End of Faith author Sam Harris puts it, "the most potent source of human conflict, past and present." Columnist Robert Kuttner gives the familiar litany: "The Crusades slaughtered millions in the name of Jesus. The Inquisition brought the torture and murder of millions more. After Martin Luther, Christians did bloody battle with other Christians for another three centuries." In his bestseller The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins contends that most of the world's recent conflicts -- in the Middle East, in the Balkans, in Northern Ireland, in Kashmir, and in Sri Lanka -- show the vitality of religion's murderous impulse. The problem with this critique is that it exaggerates the crimes attributed to religion, while ignoring the greater crimes of secular fanaticism. The best example of religious persecution in America is the Salem witch trials. How many people were killed in those trials? Thousands? Hundreds? Actually, fewer than 25. Yet the event still haunts the liberal imagination. It is strange to witness the passion with which some secular figures rail against the misdeeds of the Crusaders and Inquisitors more than 500 years ago. The number sentenced to death by the Spanish Inquisition appears to be about 10,000. Some historians contend that an additional 100,000 died in jail due to malnutrition or illness. These figures are tragic, and of course population levels were much lower at the time. But even so, they are minuscule compared with the death tolls produced by the atheist despotisms of the 20th century. In the name of creating their version of a religion-free utopia, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong produced the kind of mass slaughter that no Inquisitor could possibly match. Collectively these atheist tyrants murdered more than 100 million people. Moreover, many of the conflicts that are counted as "religious wars" were not fought over religion. They were mainly fought over rival claims to territory and power. Can the wars between England and France be called religious wars because the English were Protestants and the French were Catholics? Hardly. The same is true today. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not, at its core, a religious one. It arises out of a dispute over self-determination and land. Hamas and the extreme orthodox parties in Israel may advance theological claims -- "God gave us this land" and so forth -- but the conflict would remain essentially the same even without these religious motives. Ethnic rivalry, not religion, is the source of the tension in Northern Ireland and the Balkans. Yet today's atheists insist on making religion the culprit. Consider Mr. Harris's analysis of the conflict in Sri Lanka. "While the motivations of the Tamil Tigers are not explicitly religious," he informs us, "they are Hindus who undoubtedly believe many improbable things about the nature of life and death." In other words, while the Tigers see themselves as combatants in a secular political struggle, Harris detects a religious motive because these people happen to be Hindu and surely there must be some underlying religious craziness that explains their fanaticism. Harris can go on forever in this vein. Seeking to exonerate secularism and atheism from the horrors perpetrated in their name, he argues that Stalinism and Maoism were in reality "little more than a political religion." As for Nazism, "while the hatred of Jews in Germany expressed itself in a predominantly secular way, it was a direct inheritance from medieval Christianity." Indeed, "The holocaust marked the culmination of . . . two thousand years of Christian fulminating against the Jews." One finds the same inanities in Mr. Dawkins's work. Don't be fooled by this rhetorical legerdemain. Dawkins and Harris cannot explain why, if Nazism was directly descended from medieval Christianity, medieval Christianity did not produce a Hitler. How can a self-proclaimed atheist ideology, advanced by Hitler as a repudiation of Christianity, be a "culmination" of 2,000 years of Christianity? Dawkins and Harris are employing a transparent sleight of hand that holds Christianity responsible for the crimes committed in its name, while exonerating secularism and atheism for the greater crimes committed in their name. Religious fanatics have done things that are impossible to defend, and some of them, mostly in the Muslim world, are still performing horrors in the name of their creed. But if religion sometimes disposes people to self-righteousness and absolutism, it also provides a moral code that condemns the slaughter of innocents. In particular, the moral teachings of Jesus provide no support for -- indeed they stand as a stern rebuke to -- the historical injustices perpetrated in the name of Christianity. The crimes of atheism have generally been perpetrated through a hubristic ideology that sees man, not God, as the creator of values. Using the latest techniques of science and technology, man seeks to displace God and create a secular utopia here on earth. Of course if some people -- the Jews, the landowners, the unfit, or the handicapped -- have to be eliminated in order to achieve this utopia, this is a price the atheist tyrants and their apologists have shown themselves quite willing to pay. Thus they confirm the truth of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's dictum, "If God is not, everything is permitted." Whatever the motives for atheist bloodthirstiness, the indisputable fact is that all the religions of the world put together have in 2,000 years not managed to kill as many people as have been killed in the name of atheism in the past few decades. It's time to abandon the mindlessly repeated mantra that religious belief has been the greatest source of human conflict and violence. Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history. (D'Souza's new book, The Enemy at Home, will be published this month. Click here to learn more.)
ILLUSTRATION: Commitment, Priorities In his new book Doubting: Growing Through the Uncertainties of Faith (InterVarsity), Alister McGrath talks about the interrelationship of faith and action. He writes, "Martin Luther once remarked that 'where your heart is, and where your security is, that has become your God.' In other words, whatever we give mental priority to is our God -- what a frightening thought! Our anxieties thus help us to see what we treat as being really important and show us how easy it is to let God slip down our list of priorities. "Your faith affects your everyday life, but your faith is also affected by everyday life. Your faith isn't like some kind of watertight compartment, insulated against everything else! What you believe about God affects the way you live -- your hopes, your moral standards and your general outlook on life. But this interaction is two-way. What's happening to you in your everyday life affects the quality of your faith. If you are depressed about your career or your family, if a relationship is going wrong, or if you are worried about money -- then don't be surprised if these anxieties reduce your spiritual well-being." (Click here to learn more about the book Doubting.)
Alister
McGrath joins speaker list at The latest addition to the amazing list of speakers at this year's International Congress on Preaching is Alister McGrath, Oxford professor and popular Christian author and speaker. McGrath is an engaging speaker and author of a number of significant books, including The Twilight of Atheism, The Science of God, A Passion for Truth, Understanding the Trinity, and his newest book, Doubting: Growing Through the Uncertainties of Faith. In Cambridge, he'll talk about "Preaching Truth in the Shadow of the Idol of Science." You can still be part of one of the most exciting preaching events of the decade as you attend the third International Congress on Preaching, April 17-19 in Cambridge, England. This event is only held once every five years, so the next one won't be until 2012! ICOP 2007 will feature a powerful team of preachers and teachers, including N.T. Wright, David Jeremiah, Calvin Miller, Dave Stone, J. Alfred Smith, Michael Quicke, Timothy Warren, Robert Smith, Mike Glenn, Michael Milton, and many, many more. You'll enjoy stimulating addresses on the Congress theme, "For Such a Time as This: Preaching Truth in an Age of Idolatry." You'll hear challenging sermons, and you'll participate in practical workshops on a variety of preaching-related topics. There's still time to register, and airlines are beginning to announce airfare sales for spring. So make your plans now to be with us. To learn more (and register on-line), go to www.preaching.com/icop or you can call 800-527-5226 (toll free inside U.S.) or 615-386-3011 (outside the U.S.)
ILLUSTRATION: Relationships, Internet Online communities such as MySpace and Facebook have become so popular that 43% of users now say that their online friends are as important as their face-to-face ones. More than three-quarters of Americans over the age of 12 use the internet, averaging 14 hours a week online -- up from 9.4 hours in 2000. (USA Today, 11/28/06, via Ivy Jungle newsletter)
ILLUSTRATION: Exclusivity of Christ, Gospel In his Turning Point Daily Devotional for 12/26/06, David Jeremiah points out that, "Christian leaders who appear on secular television talk shows are often asked whether they believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. If the answer is 'Yes, Jesus is the only way,' the interviewer often paints the Christian as intolerant, arrogant, narrow-minded, out-dated, and fanatical. "But if the interviewer were talking to a physician who had made a medical breakthrough for a terrible disease, would he say, 'Doctor, how intolerant to think this is the only cure for this disease'? If he were talking to a mathematician about the multiplication table, would he say, 'Professor, how can you be so arrogant as to believe that three times three always equals nine'? "By its very nature, truth is narrow, precise, and factual. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me' (John 14:6). In this day of pluralism and political correctness, it's important to know that Christ is still the only one who can save from sin. Do you think God would have given His own Son had there been some other way?"
ILLUSTRATION: Pride, Minister, Fathers Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, "My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, and they give him $50." The second boy says, "That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, and they give him $100." The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and then it takes eight people with big dishes to collect all the money!"
"Reading Christians are growing Christians. When Christians cease to read, they cease to grow." (John Wesley)
From the sponsor of this week's edition: New
Testament Commentary Survey, 6th ed. This much-anticipated sixth edition of New Testament Commentary Survey offers an updated look into available resources on the New Testament. Pastors and seminarians will eagerly welcome this invaluable tool into their biblical studies libraries. In this succinct yet thorough survey, Carson examines sets, one-volume commentaries, and New Testament introductions and theologies, before offering extensive comments on the available offerings for each New Testament book, noting intended audience, levels of difficulty, and theological perspective. The book concludes with a useful "Best Buys" section where Carson indicates the most valuable works for each individual New Testament book. www.bakeracademic.com/newtestamentcommentarysurvey
ILLUSTRATION: Vision, Sight An old snake goes to see his doctor. "Doc, I need something for my eyes, I can't see very well these days." The doctor fixes him up with a pair of glasses and tells him to return in 2 weeks. The snake comes back in 2 weeks and tells the doctor he's very depressed. The doctor says, "What's the problem? Didn't the glasses help you?" "The glasses are fine doc, but I just discovered I've been living with a water hose the past 2 years."
"Praise does wonders for our sense of hearing." (Arnold Glasgow)
Ultimate
Preaching Rules (part 2) 15. When the congregation starts to lose interest and doze off you can awaken them by saying loudly, "And Finally" or "In Conclusion." This will only work about four times per sermon. 16. A good sermon should NEVER generalize. 17. No matter how hard you may try, sometimes a scripture just will not fit in the sermon you wanted to use it in. 18. Analogies in a sermon sometimes fit like feathers on a snake. 19. Murphy must have been a preacher, but at least he was an optimist. 20. When you lose your place in your sermon notes, a well-placed prayer can help distract the congregation and give you time to get things back on track. 21. If you have repeated yourself more than three times in a given sermon it is time to quit. 22. Have a good opening point. Have a good closing point. Keep the two as close together as possible. 23. You can judge the length of your sermon by the length of response from your spouse to the question, "How was my sermon, honey?" Examples: "Fine" means "Way too long." "It was okay" means "A bit lengthy." "It was really good this week, I gained a blessing dear!" means "Just about right." 24. If you're going to preach on Sunday morning, do not eat onions on Saturday night. 25. Take advice from the rooster. One day, a hen expressed the ultimate ambition of her life, which was to lay an egg in the middle of a busy expressway. So the rooster took her there. When they got to the edge of the road, and traffic was whizzing by, the rooster gave her this advice: "All right now! Make it quick, and lay it on the line!" 26. You know your sermon is not connecting when the choir begins their final number and you haven't reached your last point yet! 27. Always remember, those nods of agreement from our silvery-haired friends may just be nods! 28.
A good sermon is similar to a good sandwich. It has two ends: the
bread, (Courtesy of Sermon Fodder and Joke A Day Ministries. To get a regular dose of Christian Humor and a modern-day parable drop a note to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.) (Click
here to read Part 1 of this series from last week's PreachingNow)
And finally . . . More than a million people a day ride mass transit in Los Angeles -- and the result is a bulging Lost and Found department. According to a Jan. 10 Associated Press story, items left behind on LA buses, trains and subways include the standard wallets, purses and backpacks, not to mention a total of $4,000 in unclaimed cash last year. But a few more unusual items are left as well, including a jaw bone (the man said it was for a class assignment), a woman's cremated remains reportedly left in a suitcase, and a man's prosthetic leg, taken off for a quick nap on the bus. "Every day is different," a customer service agent explained. "You never know what to expect."
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