| Vol. 7, No. 35 |
Septembe=r 30, 2008 |
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Michael Dud=uit
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Do we vote narrative more than policies these days?
The Sept. 22 issue of Newsweek includes an =article about how important a candidate's "narrative" is to voter=s in determining how they'll cast their vote. According to the article, &qu=ot;voters are drawn to someone they can relate to, and the way to make that= happen is by offering them stories.
"The outsized power of the p=ersonal narrative today compared with even a generation ago," says rep=orter Sharon Begley, "reflects the reality that emotions drive voters.= Even many of those who think they are voting based on policy are really ma=king decisions based on how those positions feel to them."
Does that have implications for t=hose of us who communicate biblical truth? Well, it certainly reinforces wh=at we've learned about the importance of narrative in preaching. The same v=oters who don't follow abstract political arguments also may not follow abs=tract theological argument, but they will resonate with the stories that mo=ve those abstractions into concrete form.
The second reality is the importa=nce of the communicator's own narrative. We've always known that the speake=r's ethos matters (thanks, Aristotle). Today, even more, listeners= want a sense of the preacher's own story--your walk with God, how you face= challenges, how you apply biblical principles in your own life.
There was a day when preachers w=ere discouraged from talking about their own lives. I'm not sure where tha=t came from; the apostle Paul sure didn't follow that advice. Today, it is =clear that you can, and should, use your own story to help listeners under=stand how God's Word can apply in their lives.
Michael Duduit, Editor
michael@preac=hing.com
www.michaelduduit.com
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WILL =THEY LISTEN?
In his book Preaching t=o a Postmodern World (Baker), Graham Johnston says, "The preacher= can confidently proclaim God's Word but should be aware the 21st century l=istener is not likely to be wooed or convinced with propositional 'truth cl=aims.'
"In the same way, imagine a husband in =a struggling marriage telling his wife, 'The Bible says I am the head of th=e family, and you are to submit yourself to my leadership.'
"Does that make everything better? The wife ma=y well turn around and reply, 'I don't care because I refuse to listen to a= jerk.'
"By demanding respect and authority, he will n=ot gain it. Respect must be earned. He must first persuade her that as a lo=ving husband, he is worthy of being followed. A marriage, like good communi=cation, involves two parties.
"Prominent pastor Ed Dobson said, 'In an earli=er generation, it was enough for a preacher to announce the truth, and the =congregation would ratify it. Today, such pronouncements are met with resis=tance. Today, I have to persuade people, even in the church, of the gospel =and its implications. I must respect the right of an audience to make up it=s own mind. Today's listeners can feel at a gut level the difference betwee=n persuading and pronouncing. The members react severely to preaching that =doesn't respect their freedom to make up their own minds.'
"The preacher cannot attempt to command a resp=onse by making a pronouncement about the way things ought to be. Preaching =involves winning over the listener to respond. This means, among other appr=oaches, using story." (Click here to learn more =about Preaching to a Postmodern World.)
NO SINGULAR FORM
In his book Preaching with= Variety (Kregel), Jeffrey Arthurs reminds us there is no such thing a=s the sermon form. He observes, "If the use of testimony, music or par=able helps us fulfill our calling to stand between two worlds, we're free t=o use such forms. If the use of question and answer, story, or object lesso=n techniques help us glorify God and minister to listeners, we should feel =free to preach with a variety of forms, just as Jesus and other biblical pr=eachers did. The defining essence of an expository sermon lies primarily in= its content, not its form."
Recognizing that many people think only the forms w=ith which they are familiar are "real preaching," Arthurs advises=: "The solution to entrenched taste neither is to brush it off nor all=ow it to ruffle your feathers. We patiently must help people distinguish be=tween biblical doctrine and communicative procedure, and in the midst of th=at patient instruction, we can find encouragement in the fact that most Nor=th Americans in the 21st century have been socialized to expect variety and= multiple perspectives." (Click here to learn mo=re about Preaching with Variety.)
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Plan now to join us for the 20th Annual National Conference on Pre=aching, April 20-22, 2009, in Tampa, Florida. The conference theme= is "Preaching to Change Lives." Your ministry will be strengthen=ed through the addresses, powerful sermons and practical workshops at NCP =2009. You'll enjoy a great line-up of speakers, including:
John Ortberg
Stuart Briscoe
Jack Graham
Robert Smith
Dave Stone
Ed Stetzer
Steve Brown
Ralph Douglas West
Tommy Green
Steve Sjogren
Timothy Warren
and many more. Register by O=ct. 13 to take advantage of the early-bird discount registration rate of $=150. To learn more or to register today, click here.<=br />
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FAME
The famous actor Gregory Peck once was standing= in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded Los Angeles resta=urant. They had been waiting for some time; the diners seemed to be taking= their time eating, and new tables weren't opening up very fast. They were=n't close to the front of the line.
Peck's friend became impatient and said, "Why don't= you tell the maitre d' who you are?" Gregory Peck responded with gre=at wisdom and said, "If you have to tell them who you are, then you a=ren't."
CHALLENGES
On the hit TV show "Extreme= Makeover: Home Edition" whole communities work together to provide a= new home for a family in need. It is amazing to watch the cast and crew o=f the show as they rally the town, the builders and each other in order to= complete the project within seven days. Then, when it's time to bring the = family home, all those people get the chance to celebrate the accomplishme=nt together. Even viewers feel they have a chance to participate in the c=elebration.
Now, imagine the excitement and joy we would experi=ence as a community of believers if we banded together in the name of God =to effect change in our homes, communities, states, nation and world! It w=ould be remarkable to see what would happen if we all worked together for =God's purpose. We can and we should.
If you are facing a challenge in your life, don't t=ry to go it alone. Surround yourself with people who love the Lord; then a=sk them to work with you to accomplish His will. You will find you are str=onger in your efforts, and when it comes time to give thanks for what God =has done, there will be a pervasive sense of joy for everyone involved. (D=avid Jeremiah, Turning Point Daily Devotional, 9-25-08)
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From the September-October issue of Preaching ...<=br />
In an interview with John Ortberg, he sa=id, "I will try any vehicle I can think of to get folks' attention. O=ne time I just had ladders set up all over the place--up on stage, in the =sanctuary, out on the campus--so when people would come, they would see all= those ladders. The whole message was about climbing the ladder and about =how Jesus, instead of being a climber, was 'downwardly mobile,' as we woul=d put it. The problem with spending your life trying to climb the ladder i=s that you're likely to pass Jesus on His way down. So, I try to find ways= visually, try to find stories, try to have people tell stories, playing o=ut the contrast.
"Let's say you devote your whole life to making m=ore. Where is that going to lead? Paint the picture. If you devote your li=fe to being generous, where is that going to lead? Paint the picture. I'll = use any way I can to get underneath the surface."
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Every issue of Preaching cont=ains insightful articles on preaching, plus great model sermons and practi=cal resources. If you're not a current subscriber to Preaching<=/em> magazine, click here (or call, toll fre=e, 1-800-527-5226) to go begin your subscription!
Also in the Septemb=er-October issue of Preaching: Interview=s with John Ortberg and Ralph Douglas West, articles on "The Preacher= as Storyteller" and preaching in a "post-everything world,"=; plus great sermons and much more. Order your subscript=ion today!
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OneMission.tv is a new Web site with a gr=owing library of high-quality videos for worship, including a number of cr=eative video sermon illustrations, countdowns and motion backgrounds ideal= for use in any church service. The site also offers more than 50 download=able TV & radio spots that can be customized to promote a church or as=sociation. OneMission.tv has partnered with several =Southern Baptist entities to deliver more than 100 downloadable missions v=ideos free to local churches. The site is only a few months old but worth = bookmarking to keep up with as the resource list grows. OneMission.tv is extending a special offer to the subscribers of Prea=chingNOW. Enter the coupon code PNOW (case sensitive) when checking out an=d receive $5 off the regular price. For more information, e-mail info@onemission.tv. The coupon code is goo=d for 30 days.
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"God blesses us in spite of our lives and not =because of our lives." (Max Lucado)
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Recently we invited Preaching Now readers to identify the books that had meant the= most to them in the past year. Here are a couple more offerings:
I am reading all of Spurgeon that I can get my hands on because he write=s to the human heart (mine). I read Around the Wicket G=ate last week--amazingly well illustrated by C.H.S. with his pithy sayi=ngs. I am now on to All of Grace telling me I am jus=tified by grace and no one and nothing can take that away from me. I have s=everal still to get through, so a feast awaits me. (Ray McKendry)
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One of the best books I have read this year is Leade=rship from the Inside Out by Kevin Harney. It's primarily aimed at past=ors but also great for any ministry leader. Our Campus Ministries team has= gone through it together this summer. The book is based on a solid script=ural foundation. Each chapter has great applications and exercises that pu=sh you beyond cognitive learning. The focus is always on the inner, unseen= life--the heart--of the leader, which really forms our outward (visible) =expressions and actions. It is something I really need to strengthen in my= own life as a ministry leader. (Bob Cline, VP for Christian Life, Anderso=n University)
(Click on the title to lear=n more or order a copy from Amazon.)
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SPEED, MEDICINE =
A farmer asked his vet to come o=ut to check on his favorite, but ailing, bull. After checking the bull's vi=tal signs, the vet reached in his black bag and pulled out a rather large =pill. He forced open the bull's mouth and crammed the pill down his gullet=.
Suddenly the bull jumped up and took off like a bans=hee, jumping every fence in his way.
The vet exclaimed, "Well, looks like your bull =is healed!"
The farmer replied, "Now give me one of those p=ills. I've got to catch him!" (from Cybersalt Digest)
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QUESTIONS TO PONDER
~ Why is the third hand on =the watch called the second hand?
~ If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would= we ever know?
~ If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he =find the words?
~ Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a w=hack?
~ Why do "slow down" and "slow up"= mean the same thing?
~ Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance&=quot; mean the same thing?
~ Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
~ Why do we sing, "Take me out to the ball ga=me," when we are already there?
~ Why are they called "stands" when they are= made for sitting?
~ Why is it called "after dark" when it real=ly is "after light"?
~ Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make th=e unexpected expected?
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<=br /> How m=any red lights can one guy run?
Brazilian police reportedly have caught up with a motor=ist who owes the equivalent of nearly $2 million in unpaid traffic fines. =A Sept. 26 AP story said police stopped a 36-year-old man and discovered h=e has been ticketed nearly 1,000 times since 2001, the year he bought his =current car. The accumulated fines for speeding and running red lights tot=al 3.4 million reals ($1.9 million).
The man said he never received the tickets because he w=as always too busy to register the car in his name. That won't be a proble=m much longer because the car (worth about $6,600) was impounded. It will =be auctioned unless the man comes up with the money he owes.
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