It all begins in the pulpit – Part 3 – Time and effort

It all begins in the pulpit – Part 3 – Time and effort

The preacher must keep current.  I wrote earlier of Dr. Elam Davies, Pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago during the 1960s.  On the Palm Sunday following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Davies preached a sermon that challenged the socially/economically elite of Fourth Church to own the endemic racism of America and take concrete actions to overcome that racism.  Dr. King died on Thursday evening, April 4, 1968.  Dr. Davies preached his sermon on Sunday morning, April 7, 1968.  There were very few hours between the two events making advance planning impossible.

Seldom is the preacher challenged by such short hours between a major event and Sunday morning, but the preacher should always practice the Boy Scout motto: “Be prepared.”

The preacher must keep up with what is happening in the community, the nation and the world.  This task used to be more difficult before the Internet.  But in 2012, there are a multitude of resources available to “keep in touch.”  I speak of only two.

First, there is Facebook.  Individuals and organizations are using Facebook.  While there are many who are critical of Facebook, we cannot allow the abuses of this social media to taint the positive qualities of the medium.  There was a recent news account of a man in Europe who developed an inappropriate relationship with a young girl in the United States through the use of Facebook.  From the content of the e-mail messages, the authorities determined that it was likely that the man was attempting to create an inappropriate liaison with an underage girl – in other words the man was a sexual predator.  As the authorities were tracking the e-mails, they found a series were coming the United States.  They tracked the communications and found the man had come to the United States on vacation.  He is now in jail awaiting trial.

Does this incident negate the positive and creative communication that Facebook provides.  No, absolutely not.  I can see picture of my four and a half-year-old granddaughter and her 10 year-old brother who live in Minnesota.  I can keep in touch with my 92 year-old friend in Australia whom we met on our trip to Egypt.  Preachers should use Facebook well and keep abreast of privacy issues.

Second, I use Twitter on a regular basis.  I may follow less that 100 “tweeters” but I have chosen them because they open a whole area of the world I would never read about in the “Kansas City Star” or even my wife’s favored “Wall Street Journal.”  Between the University of Cincinnati, CNN and a local television station I get the headlines of the hour.  I can then choose to investigate further those headlines on my own.  I am flattered that there are several dozen people who follow my few tweets.

Third, fourth, fifth and  on – there are many sources for preachers to keep informed about the people in their community – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.  College, university and seminary faculty may be allowed to so concentrate on their field of study that they miss the latest news, but preachers must be aware of the world their congregations live in everyday. 

Note: I use the word “aware.”  They are no experts on everything.  Preachers should not deny their own particular interests.  Personally, my personal interests include aviation and the fine and performing arts.  But, I also have some knowledge of the fortunes of University of Missouri at Kansas City basketball team.

Previously, I wrote of the need for preparation and planning in preaching.  The sermon is neither a Bible study from the pulpit nor the preacher’s personal “soap box.”  It is taking the story of God with God’s people – the Bible – and leading the people of God in the 21^st Century to find their own story as God’s people.

Preaching is not an easy task, but it is unique to the church.  Preaching is a gift to the preacher from God.  Preaching is an art.  Preaching is a skill that needs to be continually sharpened.  Preaching is filled with effort, reward and FEAR.

Fear – that’s the next chapter in this blog.

Dr. Ron Patton, H.R.