One Preaching Lesson I Learned Part II

Part II

This the 2nd part of a three part blog about the single preaching lesson that I know that I have learned.  Preaching is more an art than a science. This week, I want to give advice to pastors who want to become more of a preaching "artist."  To be completely honest,I am not naturally artistic nor creative. This list of ideas have been helpful to me over the years to develop my creative side.

Not to be laborous, but,I fully intended to have a two week blog on this topic, but this week's ran long.. so MORE NEXT WEEK

The next point has had much impact on me.

4- Read Fiction

Pastors have to read. We read books, blogs, newsletters, social media posts, commentaries and of course the Bible. Obviously, Biblical knowledge is paramount for a pastor, but most preachers become an expert in  Christian 'trade journals." almost as much as the Scriptures. We read more than almost any profession, but our base of knoweldge tends to be too small.  We read literature about some interesting church topics:

How to Improve the Church in 100 Days or Less

Why Your Church isn't Reaching Hipster, Postmodern, Urban, Relevant Millenials.

The One Secret to Planting a Perfect Church

What (   ) really want!! (fill in the blank)

To be sure, the above titles are clothed in hyperbole, but they are pointers to a stream of writing that evangelical pastors swim in. We love leadership books, "how to" church manuals, and research work that offers us a future look into the demographic make up of America in 50 years. These can be quite helpful but if that's all we take in, it leaves the pastor a little empty of thought about the real work of minstry which is speaking the Gospel into the human condition.

Great literature is as great as it's observations are. Literature's observations offers a creative bridge from the world you are into someone else's. Too often, pastors see fiction as unnecessary because it isn't the "real world", but good fiction and it's masterfully told stories help pastors experience circumstances they never would any other way.

Consider, in our research into demographics we may want to learn how to reach the poor with the Gospel. We find out where they live, how much money they have, how old they are- all helpful. Equally helpful, would be to have read Charles Dicken's Bleak House or Great Expectations, or Upton Sinclair's, The Jungle which opens the door for us to seethe heart of poverty therefore hopefully gaining some sympathy for the poor, the orphan and the destitute. 

Churches have rightly rekindled the discussion on racism and how the Gospel informs us on the topic. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee helps the reader experience a little about the evils of prejudice. To be clear, reading fictional stories does not make us an expert on a topic but it does enlighten us on certain realities.

FIction  also broadens our imagination (Lord of the Rings?), our vocabulary (Shakespeare?) and gives us interesting illustrations in our preaching  that will be far more timeless than newspaper headlines. Good fiction makes us think more broadly, more deeply and overall just makes us think more.

Pastors have to see situations from many points of view. Everything from the programming of a church to a counseling session involves making decisions while taking multiple points of view into consideration. Thoughtfullness and empathy are mandatory co-laborers with a pastor. Ultimately, only the Holy Spirit through God's Word can bring something as beautiful as empathy, however, well told stories with captivating characters and quality writing pricks our heart to see things a little differently.

Truth that is found in the pages of the Bible and taught in the pulpit is our primary source for life and ministry, but in our reading it can be helpful to broaden our horizons and dip into some classic stories to teach us about timeless truths that we will minister into everyday. 

Here is a list you may find helpful:

Top six (plus one) fiction works that have helped me pastor:

1- Elmer Gantry- written by Sinclair Lewis- A novel about a circuit preacher that achieves success for the wrong reasons. He grows prideful and brings others down with him. More known for being a movie, the novel stings . Lewis can be harsh and overly satirical at times, but a pastor can see the impact a hypocritical life can have.

2-Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawthorne. a novel about the dangers of hypocricy and legalism among a community. Set in Puritan Boston, Hester Prynne's situaton is too familiar for most non Christians. You will get angry and as a pastor it reminds you the importance of grace.

3-The Power and the Glory- Graham Greene-Set in Mexico in the early 1900's, a fallen priest minsters to people at a time when churches were illegal. A powerful story of grace, redemption and justice.

4- Animal Farm- George Orwell. One of my favorites. Easily the shortest book on the list. Orwell is making an anti-communism political statement (among other things), but the reminder that humans need spiritual redemption hangs over the pages- all told by talking animals.

5- "A Good Man is Hard to Find"- Flannery O Conner. A Southern "gothic" short story that is frightening. Probably not suitable for kids. it's not profane but intense. The story of how true religious faith tends to get exposed in dire circumstances. Considered by some to be one of the greatest southern short stories ever written

6-"Wash" and "Dry September"- William Faulkner- Two chilling short stories from the Mississppi legend. Both are intense but nothing profane. I put them together for convenience. "Wash" is the story of complex family relationships in post Civil War Mississippi. Faulkner can be time consuming to read, but the theme of redemption and the dangers of arrogance are worth the time. "Dry September" is a gut wrenching story of racism and injustice. I've never been so angry reading a story. Eye Opening!

Thank you for reading.  Part II next week.

In Christ,

Richard

Holiday Reflection and Rewind

Good to be able to blog again, I took the holidays off, my wonderful wife, Amber, did check in a couple times, so be sure to read her stuff. The holidays were fun. I enjoyed my first Christmas with my wife’s family; learned that there is a difference between dressing and stuffing, and discovered that eating a spoonful of black-eyed peas for good luck is not a universal cultural custom, in fact, Amber managed to find the only bag of black-eyed peas in the Sioux land area to ring in the New Year’s the right way.  I struggled through the  sorrowful New Year’s Eve bowl performance by my beloved Ole Miss Rebels (kingdom stuff), which was almost as disappointing as the non-White Christmas that I experienced for my 36^th straight year. The food, trees, ornaments and music and people are exhilarating to me, in other words, I am a Holiday Season nut, and I never get tired of the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day triumvirate.

The Holiday seems to generate a multitude of pastoral blogs that focus on how Christians should treat them. Should Christians “do Santa?”? Did Pilgrims really eat with Native Americans on that first Thanksgiving? Is New Year’s a remotely Christian holiday? Does gift giving promote consumerism? All of these questions are debated, sometimes to the point where “heat” far outweighs “light.” I have some random observations about the holidays that some may find helpful:

1-Some holidays are civic and some aren’t- All holidays should be civil but some are civic. The lesser two holidays of Thanksgiving and New Year’s are civic holidays. They are holidays that the culture-at large recognizes and enjoys due to a historical event or celebration. Thanksgiving is an American celebration that is unique (Canada celebrates its thanksgiving on October 12). It is a time where our culture shares turkey, cranberry sauce and football, in recognition of a meal between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe in Plymouth MA, in 1621. The feast was celebrated by George Washington and proclaimed a holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863; it was a day of prayer and feasting as recognized by our government and the culture at large. The Thanksgiving celebration is not found in Scripture or church history, therefore how should Christians respond? By praying and feasting! American Christians have so much to be thankful for today. We live in a prosperous nation, and have religious freedom to worship our Lord openly without fear of reprisal. Christians and non Christians alike can appreciate the blessings of Thanksgiving for many identical reasons. Freedom, family, food and football, alliteratively sums them up.

We as Christians do need to remember that many holidays we enjoy are cultural ones and it’s good to participate in them. For example, the Fourth of July is a holiday that many Christians don’t like celebrating. Why? Because it’s a celebration of America and the freedom Americans enjoy as opposed to the spiritual freedom found in Christ. I think that it’s wise to make a distinction between civic liberty and spiritual freedom found in our Lord, but our freedom in Christ is celebrated in two holidays that are both civic and Christian- Christmas and Easter. These two holidays would not be recognized by Americans if the Incarnation and Resurrection were not historical facts, so we celebrate those two with the vigor and integrity they deserve. The Fourth of July to a Christian is a civic holiday that can be enjoyed with Christians and non-Christians as being an American citizen is a wonderful gift given to us by our Lord.

Christians long for connections to the broader culture. We want to be relevant in all areas of life; music, movies, podcasts, and books have all been produced in the last decade emphasize the importance of cultural relevance. The glad enjoyment and participation in civic holidays is one way to achieve that end. 

2-Non-consumerism is not the same as glorifying God-. So many beloved Christmas movies (It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas Carol, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and stories like “Gift of the Magi” are about Christmas being a time where people and their needs are more important than money or stuff. However, Consumerism and Christmas clearly seem to be happily married. Most retail establishments focus their entire year on the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas to have a successful sales year. In fact, the day after Thanksgiving is called “Black Friday” due to the fact that stores will get in the “black” for the year. Our most popular images of Christmas in our country are not the images of the God-man as a baby in a manger but Santa Claus, in a red suit giving gifts to children, which was popularized by Coca-Cola and Hallmark. This means of course, that our consumerist holiday’s most iconic image comes from 20^th Century marketing. Most Christians “go with the flow”, some may reject Santa Claus, some may give more to charity, some might be more stringent in sticking to a budget, but overall Christians spend too much money on Christmas. There have been other Christians, many who are quite thoughtful that have rejected the gift giving concept almost altogether as a protest to consumerism. I can appreciate this sentiment, but one must remember that when stuff is the focus (even if “stuff” is the object of the protest), Christ isn’t the object of worship. In other words, Christmas to the Christian is not a protest to anything but it is the special day when we intentionally remember that Immanuel came to Earth .We must remember the first point of the blog. Christmas is a Christian holiday. It’s our holiday. Yes, the culture at large celebrates it and I enjoy the general Christmas “culture” (music, food, celebration etc.) but the point of Christmas is the Incarnation. Admittedly, I don’t know for everyone how that sacred truth makes someone think about Christmas budgets (or non-budgets) or if, Santa is a good (or bad) personification of a civic Christmas, but I do know that when the focus of the season is stuff and not the One, we have not celebrated Christmas.

3-Traditions are more important than anyone realizes- As a culture, Americans are not extremely traditional. We are a “melting pot” of cultures so much of our culture comes from older countries and cultures that moved to America to begin anew. That is a major highlight of our national character. We are more “forward focused” than almost any other nation on Earth. It has led to our economic success and scientific progress. Of course, Progress always has its casualties. One of those casualties is the idea of “home” .People in the U.S. more frequently move; we have the highest divorce rates in the world and in many ways are lonelier than ever. I have talked to several people in Sioux City that dread the holidays because going home for the holidays is a painful chore they do once a year to maintain peace. The holidays for many are a blur that they would rather slumber through or be teleported from rather than endure with a plastic smile. No blog on the holidays can correct deep dysfunction, but a couple pointers on how to return to “home” might help.

Traditions are important. Families that have holiday traditions communicate “rootedness”. For example, my family for over a decade saw the “Christmas Carol” at the Theater Memphis. It gave me appreciation of theater, Dickens and a love for an enduring Christmas story. It also helped frame my holiday experience as “home”, it has been years since I have seen the play, but when December 1^st hits, memories flash into my mind. I feel anticipation and warmth. It’s small but important. Establishing need not be that difficult. Movies enjoyed, cookies baked, ham or turkey smelled and ornaments hung consistently in the same way every year creates an atmosphere for positive memories of” home” and rootedness .For Christians, simply reciting a version of the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, or taking the family to a communion service at your church on Christmas Eve or other simple but deliberate customs that point to Immanuel can build the sense of “home.”

No, traditions do not make heartache from the pain found in many broken families disappear ,nor would making a certain pie every year for 50 years for Thanksgiving keep marriages together, but they are small bits of “home” that can make the holidays special.

4-Food is more than food- It’s no mystery, Americans do love to eat. Coming from the South, food is intertwined in our culture more than any region. Americans, however may love food, but don’t have a deep affinity for meals. Much of our eating is done alone and quickly. We invented drive –thru fast food, pizza-by-the-slice, ice cream cones, and TV. dinners. All of those innovations changed how we eat in our modern world. Mobility has been the key motivator in our nation’s culinary landscape. While, there is nothing sinful about ordering pizza by the slice (Amen and Amen). Jesus, however, understood the beauty and intimacy of a “traditional” sit-down meal. For example, he gave us a way to remember him by, “The Lord’s Supper”, His final discipleship time on earth was the “Last Supper”, he was seen as an enemy by the Pharisees, because he “ate with sinners”- which 1^st Century inhabitants knew as a symbol of love and fellowship; Christ refers to himself as the “bread of life” and, one of his most powerful parables taught by Jesus about the love of God was the “Great Banquet.”

The holiday season is full of “sit down” meals, whether it’s Christmas or Thanksgiving lunch, a New Year’s party at a friend’s home or the numerous “get togethers” that dot the holiday calendar. Menus may vary, and the size of groups most certainly do., but all of us can do one thing during these meals- VALUE THEM. Meals taken together are refreshing, relaxing, festive, and serve as natural icebreakers. Few things signify connection with people like sharing a meal together. What does this mean for Christians?

First, Christians should offer simple thanks to God for these meals. God has provided food, friends, stories, smells, corny jokes and memories through a simple mealtime. The Bible says that “all good things come from God.” This includes the smallest of blessings. Secondly, invite others to join your family, for many the holidays are an emotional struggle, their families are torn, and holidays are a war zone complete with verbal grenades and failed mediating peacekeeping efforts. These people won’t ever have a “second” family, but simply inviting them to enjoy your healthy holiday experience can be an encouragement. Finally, don’t just eat together in the holidays. Obviously, Thanksgiving dinner should not be eaten every week (I type this with a tear), but the love and connection between friends and families should happen more often a few times a year. Throughout the year, try to make it a point to eat dinner together three times a week, or organize monthly desserts and coffee meetings with friends in your church, or invite a neighbor to lunch occasionally. Christians must remember that small, consistent acts of love usually have greater impact than complex, massively planned efforts. Beauty is usually simple.

These are a few reflections on the holidays. I hope they are helpful.

 In Christ, 

Richard