|
The Problems With Original Preaching
After weighing what our writers this week have said about stolen sermons, I’ve decided something: Originality can be overrated. Am I the only one who feels this way?
Give me a stem-winder by Bob Russell or a tearjerker by Max Lucado any day before making me sit through a ho-hum homily whose main virtue is that it wasn’t copied. Of course, the preacher shouldn’t pass off someone else’s sermon as his own. But why should we church members care if the man in the pulpit has memorized and delivered well the skillfully crafted words of a true master? Can’t we allow for that? Indeed, shouldn’t we even encourage it? Why are preachers afraid to give us the excellent words of someone else—and say so?
Maybe it’s because too many in the pew still believe the preacher’s job is only to preach. We feed that falsehood by judging his whole ministry on the basis of 25 minutes a week. The church needs a leader, an evangelist, a counselor, a servant, and a manager every bit as much as it needs a public speaker. If a minister can do well at even two or three of the first five, can’t we cut him some slack on number six?
Or maybe the problem is that too many preachers have too many messages to prepare each week. Especially in smaller churches, the minister may be called to lead a Sunday school class, teach a midweek lesson, and preach two new sermons each Sunday (morning and evening). Adequate preparation for such a load could reasonably fill 30 hours. Do we really believe our ministers can meet our expectations and fulfill their calling in the remaining 20 or so hours in their work week?
One solution would be to rethink the Sunday-evening service. Who attends it? What needs does a second preaching service every week really meet? Could the time our minister spends to prepare that message accomplish more given to something else?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not against Sunday-evening church if it can accomplish something significant, and I know some places it does. And I hear a good sermon—an original sermon!—every week I attend my home church. There’s lots of good preaching across the country.
But the pressure to produce a biblically accurate message that motivates and challenges a diverse audience with high expectations week after week after week—that’s a heavier load than most laymen understand. It’s no wonder to me that some preachers buckle under the weight of it.
Maybe it’s time to find some creative—and ethical—alternatives.
Tell us what you think about original sermons, Sunday-evening worship services, or anything else! Send your Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
PREVIOUS COLUMNS:
September 1, 2010 - Downloadable Resources You May Not Know About
August 25, 2010 - I Can See You, September
August 18, 2010 - Encouraged. . .and Disturbed
August 11, 2010 - Remember Your Baptism, Teach About Baptism
August 4, 2010 - Were You Old Enough to be Baptized?
July 28, 2010 - Avoiding Burnout, Surviving Burnout
July 14, 2010 - Letting Go: The First Step Beyond
July 7, 2010 - Hot Days, Fresh Thoughts
June 30, 2010 - Our Gift to You, Your Gift to Us
June 23, 2010 - Loving Sinners Outside Church-as-We‘ve-Known-It
June 16, 2010 - Pizzeria with a Purpose
June 9, 2010 - Never More Movement, Never More Questions
June 2, 2010 - The Best Kind of Sermon
May 26, 2010 - Campus Ministries–A Strategy for Spiritual Growth
May 19, 2010 - The Case for Staying Connected
May 12, 2010 - A New Reason to Register
May 5, 2010 - Why Do Sons of Elders Become Elders Too?
April 28, 2010 - Pondering the Demands on My Abundance
April 21, 2010 - Tools to Help You Use the Arts
April 7, 2010 - It’s About More Than Just Size
March 31, 2010 - This, too, Shall Pass
March 24, 2010 - Restoration Revolution: Goals to Challenge All of Us
March 17, 2010 - Life Is Hard, and That’s OK
March 10, 2010 - We Want to Help You Extend Your Ministry
March 3, 2010 - Some Who Read This Are Homosexuals
February 24, 2010 - Share the Joy of Simple Christianity
February 17, 2010 - My Own Holy Land Testimony
February 10, 2010 - A New Look at What We Need
February 3, 2010 - What Will Make My Next Decade Different?
January 27, 2010 - Ever Heard a Minister Talk About Himself?
January 20, 2010 - Don’t Let Us Forget
January 13, 2010 - Time-Consuming . . . and Effective!
January 6, 2010 - All Work and No Play?
December 30, 2009 - Leading the Discussion
December 16, 2009 - We Can Be the Gift
December 9, 2009 - Surrender Comes Slowly
December 2, 2009 - An Issue to Discuss, a Resource to Consider
November 25, 2009 - Daily Choices and the Ultimate Test
November 18, 2009 - Meeting the Needs by Providing the Wants
November 11, 2009 - The Most Important Leadership Task
November 4, 2009 - Like a Good Neighbor?
October 28, 2009 - Tell Us Your Read!
October 21, 2009 - A Life that Matters
October 14, 2009 - No Laughing Matter
September 30, 2009 - Tell Us About Your Celebration!
September 23, 2009 - What We Do, Why It Matters
September 16, 2009 - Put on Your Shoes
September 9, 2009 - Read the Report, Get the Deluxe Edition
September 2, 2009 - Reflecting Our Desire to Serve a Diverse Fellowship
August 26, 2009 - Leading the Trends
August 19, 2009 - How Will You Celebrate Great Communion?
August 12, 2009 - Serving for a Lifetime
August 5, 2009 - More Than Technology, and Not Boring at All
July 29, 2009 - Valuable Downloads for You and Others You Know
July 22, 2009 - Choosing My Focus, Protecting My Ministry
July 8, 2009 - Remembering, Renewal, and Celebration
July 1, 2009 - Establishing the Work of Our Hands
June 24, 2009 - The Baptism Bandwagon
June 17, 2009 - Congratulations Compass Christian Church!
June 10, 2009 - Through the Ages and Around the World
June 3, 2009 - Much More Important Than Money
May 27, 2009 - Simply Appealing
May 20, 2009 - More Than Talk About Unity
May 13, 2009 - The Final Challenge
May 6, 2009 - Doing Good–an Earmark of Our Times?
April 29, 2009 - Campus Ministries–Something Special
April 15, 2009 - Your Vision--and Ours
April 8, 2009 - Exciting Times, Hopeful Times, Times to Be a Blessing
April 1, 2009 - More Than One Way to Use a Magazine
March 25, 2009 - Highlighting the Beauty of Baptism
March 18, 2009 - Our Money Can Point People to Jesus
March 11, 2009 - More Than a Matter of Percentage
March 4, 2009 - To Keep, to Share, to Teach
February 25, 2009 - Preventing Spiritual Desertion
February 18, 2009 - What’s the Future for the World Convention?
February 11, 2009 - Another Visit with an Old Friend
February 4, 2009 - Safe Streets, Saved Souls
January 28, 2009 - Random Notes, Important Items
January 21, 2009 - Notes From a Trip to a Place I Never Thought I’d Visit
January 14, 2009 - Great Communion in Greater Pittsburgh
January 7, 2009 - Something New–-for All Our Readers
December 31, 2008 - New Year, New Theme, New Writers
December 23, 2008 - A Picture of the Elders in Our Churches, Part Two
December 17, 2008 - Christmas and the Promise of Peace
December 10, 2008 - A Picture of the Elders in Our Churches, Part One
December 3, 2008 - Big Ideas for Smaller Churches
November 26, 2008 - How Will We React to Economic Slowdown?
November 19, 2008 - Thankful for Our Riches
November 12, 2008 - The Right Decisions in a Downturn
November 5, 2008 - If You Feed It, It Will Grow
October 29, 2008 - Giving a Shrug About Politics
October 22, 2008 - Could We Have Been Better Prepared?
October 15, 2008 - Clear Desks and Clean Hearts
October 8, 2008 - Church Health and Attendance Numbers–How Do They Relate?
October 1, 2008 - An Opportunity Too Important to Miss!
September 24, 2008 - A Simple Survey by, for, and About Elders
September 17, 2008 - Should Anything Change About the NACC?
September 10, 2008 - New Name, Consistent Service
September 3, 2008 - Our Online Review of a Best-seller
August 27, 2008 - Meaningful Connections and Maturing Disciples?
August 20, 2008 - A Week of Blessing for a Life of Grace
August 13, 2008 - Both Sides and a Strong Conclusion
August 6, 2008 - Simply Challenging
July 30, 2008 - First Steps Toward Mending Broken Relationships
July 23, 2008 - Spontaneous Combustion and the Weekly Grind
July 16, 2008 - Showing a Better Way
July 9, 2008 - Staying Connected–It’s to Our Benefit!
July 2, 2008 - Let’s See More Stories Like This One
June 25, 2008 - What Part of Speech Should ‘Christian’ Be?
June 18, 2008 - Shepherding: A Bigger Task Than Most Are Accomplishing
June 11, 2008 - Hoping to See You in Cincinnati!
June 4, 2008 - Four Standards for Small Groups
May 28, 2008 - Can We Do It His Way?
May 21, 2008 - From Guilt to Joy
May 14, 2008 - Some Prayer Requests Can Hurt
May 7, 2008 - Beyond the Steeples
April 30, 2008 - External Focus, Careful Balance
April 23, 2008 - Available Only from Us
April 16, 2008 - Struggles in High Places
April 9, 2008 - About Megachurches, for Every Church
April 2, 2008 - Presidents, Preachers, Passion, and Public Speaking
March 26, 2008 - Who Cares Who’s Watching?
March 19, 2008 - A Program to Recognize the Leaders You Know
March 12, 2008 - Why Attend a Christian College?
March 5, 2008 - Your Opinion About Our Unique Identity
February 27, 2008 - We Can Agree on Some Things About Elders
February 20, 2008 - The Possibilities–and the Purposes–of Staying Connected
February 13, 2008 - This Is What’s ‘Actually Happening’
February 6, 2008 - Mike Huckabee, Cultural Decay, and Christians Like Us
January 30, 2008 - Ministers: The Happiest Workers in America
January 23, 2008 - Just to Remind You
January 16, 2008 - God’s Word, Our Opportunity
January 9, 2008 - Written for Readers
January 2, 2008 - Making the Most of Our Opportunities
December 26, 2007 - Change: How to Accomplish the ‘Impossible’
December 19, 2007 - The Price of War, the Promise of Peace
December 12, 2007 - What About a Happy Christmas?
December 5, 2007 - Holly, Jolly, and Holy?
November 28, 2007 - News From Their Annual Meeting
November 21, 2007 - Natural Thanksgiving
November 14, 2007 - While We Are Waiting
November 7, 2007 - The Most Important Plan
October 31, 2007 - Why Not Take Two or More?
October 24, 2007 - Ministers Deserve Our Gratitude
October 17, 2007 - Ad Pitches and Spiritual Warfare
October 10, 2007 - Moving Beyond ‘Common’
October 3, 2007 - Christian Teenagers and Their Sexual Behavior
September 26, 2007 - A Special Couple, a Special Ceremony
September 19, 2007 - Why Attend the North American Christian Convention?
September 12, 2007 - Let’s Add Our Voices to the Conversation
September 5, 2007 - Earthly Hurts and an Eternal Perspective
August 29, 2007 - Changing to Serve You Better
August 22, 2007 - Can the Church Impact Culture?
August 15, 2007 - The Cure for Cultural Dysfunction
August 8, 2007 - NACC: Blessings and Disappointments
August 1, 2007 - Experience the Energy
July 25, 2007 - My Most Effective Mentor
July 18, 2007 - Simpler Times, Different Expectations
July 11, 2007 - Sometimes Retreat Is the Best Solution
July 3, 2007 - Partnering to Grow Disciples
June 27, 2007 - Our Greatest Hope
June 20, 2007 - Are You Wonderful?
June 13, 2007 - Connecting with You in Kansas City
June 6, 2007 - The Lodge and the Lord’s Supper
May 30, 2007 - Physical Bodies, Spiritual Decisions
May 23, 2007 - Of Pentecost and Mission Trips
May 16, 2007 - Dismissing God Along with the ‘Reverend’
May 9, 2007 - The Problem of Poverty Needs More Than Prayer
May 2, 2007 - Proving Nothing
April 25, 2007 - In Case You’ve Missed Our Blogs
April 18, 2007 - Change Is
April 11, 2007 - A Time for Remembering
April 4, 2007 - Why We Celebrate
March 28, 2007 - They Deserve Our Support!
March 21, 2007 - New Resources From Us for You
March 14, 2007 - A Fresh Start, a Firm Commitment
March 7, 2007 - The Woman at the Workshop
February 28, 2007 - More Important than Trans Fat
February 21, 2007 - A Series About Calvinism
February 14, 2007 - The Best Convention Ever!
February 7, 2007 - Now More Than Ever
January 31, 2007 - Helping You Stay Connected
January 24, 2007 - Deciding What to Move
January 17, 2007 - A Nagging Concern
January 10, 2007 - Two Important People
January 3, 2007 - Embracing the Possibilities of Postmodernism
December 27, 2006 - New Year, New Relationship
December 20, 2006 - The Path of Peace
December 13, 2006 - Growing in Size and Impact
December 6, 2006 - Hitting Their Stride
November 29, 2006 - Refusing to Look the Other Way
November 22, 2006 - Stopped Short by the Principal's Passion
November 15, 2006 - Courage for a Reluctant Leader
November 8, 2006 - From Chaos to Art
November 1, 2006 - Keeping Kids When They Become Young Adults
October 25, 2006 - Do You Have a Friend?
October 18, 2006 - Line 'em Up and Lay It on 'em
October 11, 2006 - The Perfect Solution?
October 4, 2006 - The Most Challenging Pursuit
September 27, 2006 - The Lobby Test
September 20, 2006 - Better Than Iron Pills
September 13, 2006 - First Step, Big Step?
September 6, 2006 - Good News Is for Sharing
August 30, 2006 - Something in Addition to Work
August 23, 2006 - Recognizing Leaders in Christian Service
August 16, 2006 - Standard Publishing Sale Announced
August 9, 2006 - It Was a God Thing
August 2, 2006 - God Creates, Man Imitates
July 26, 2006 - One Course, Two Kinds of Runners
July 19, 2006 - Please Update Your Listing!
July 12, 2006 - To Read and Remember
July 5, 2006 - Lessons at a Lemonade Stand
June 28, 2006 - Can We Allow What We Do Not Advocate?
June 21, 2006 - What Should We Do With Our Story?
June 14, 2006 - Quantity, Quality, and Presentation
June 7, 2006 - The Apostle's Ministry--and Mine
May 31, 2006 - A Wonderful Way to Demonstrate Unity
May 24, 2006 - Come Visit Our Blogs
May 17, 2006 - Free to Share Our Freedom
May 10, 2006 - What We Can Do if We Can't Agree
May 3, 2006 - Everybody's Challenge
April 26, 2006 - Publishing and Partnering
April 19, 2006 - Serving You Behind the Scenes
April 12, 2006 - It's About Easter
April 5, 2006 - Calling All Leaders, Announcing All Megachurches
March 29, 2006 - 140 Years and Tomorrow
March 22, 2006 - Have We Said Enough?
March 15, 2006 - The Stories and the Strength
March 8, 2006 - The Truth About Elders and Ministers
March 1, 2006 - Our Influence Through the Local Church
February 22, 2006 - Healthy Churches Come in All Sizes!
February 15, 2006 - What's So Important?
February 8, 2006 - More Than One Month
February 1, 2006 - A Place in the History Books
January 25, 2006 - Joyful Givers
January 18, 2006 - Is 'Traditional' a Dirty Word?
January 11, 2006 - Knowing His Heart
January 4, 2006 - These People Are Making a Difference
January 3, 2006 - Embracing the Possibilities in Postmodernism
January 3, 2006 - Embracing the Possibilities in Postmodernism
December 28, 2005 - Thought-Provoking Columns Ahead!
December 21, 2005 - The Truth About Christmas
December 14, 2005 - Their Joy Can Be Ours
December 7, 2005 - Helping Preachers Set a Higher Standard
November 30, 2005 - Surprised but Not Discouraged
November 23, 2005 - God Talk at Starbucks
November 16, 2005 - Not the Gift, but the Giver
November 9, 2005 - A Surprising Prayer and Prescription for Joy
November 2, 2005 - Receding Differences
October 26, 2005 - The Giving We Dare Not Forget
October 19, 2005 - Poorest of All
October 12, 2005 - An Interview With the Director
October 5, 2005 - How We Look at a Minister's Departure
September 21, 2005 - A Month for Ministers
September 14, 2005 - Their Leadership--and Mine
September 7, 2005 - Four Years Later
August 31, 2005 - Tell Us Your Plan!
August 24, 2005 - I Can See You, September
August 17, 2005 - Learning From the Regional Conference Experiment
August 10, 2005 - The Stage I'm In
August 3, 2005 - Always Something New
July 27, 2005 - Different
July 20, 2005 - The Least Is Me
July 13, 2005 - Homegrown Ministers
July 6, 2005 - Disney's Disaster
June 29, 2005 - Looking Again at the Badge of 'Big'
June 22, 2005 - We Need Both
June 15, 2005 - 'What We Believe'
June 9, 2005 - Filling Time or Shaping Hearts?
June 4, 2005 - Engaging And Excellent
May 29, 2005 - Beyond Laughter
May 22, 2005 - Sign On and Stay in Touch
May 15, 2005 - Soft-Spoken, Kind, and Fondly Remembered
|
