The Question and Challenge of Preaching Today

I’ve both appreciated and enjoyed the comments (and emails) on the post “What is Preaching?” Not surprisingly, folks shared a number of insights and views, though most insights seemed to break down into three categories in particular:

1) I like preaching the way it is (as a hearer or preacher), so let’s not fix something that’s not broken. (Actually the minority sentiment expressed.)
2) I’d really like to be more engaged. (Perhaps the dominant response from listeners.)
3) I’d like to engage folks more, but am not sure how or, for that matter, how it would be received. (The corresponding sentiment from preachers.)

And this, of course, is what makes preaching both challenging and interesting today. We come from a range of backgrounds and traditions and have a number of different expectations.

To be sure, I continue to believe that preaching is first and foremost about proclamation: about declaring what God has done – and is still doing! – for us and all the world in and through Jesus.

Increasingly, I also think preaching needs to be about formation: helping shape in hearers the imagination so that they can understand, believe, and live the proclamation they’ve heard.

Moreover, I think preachers not only need to proclaim the Word, but also be stewards of proclamation. As church attendance declines, we need to find ways to share our faith at home, at school, in the workplace, at places where we recreate and volunteer, and more. If preachers are the only ones who are comfortable talking about the Bible and sharing their faith, that’s not likely to happen. But if preachers are able to equip us to be more familiar with and invested in our faith, and more comfortable sharing it, then the preacher will have a lot of fellow proclaimers and be leading a community of the Word.

Interestingly, there are some similar conversations and changes happening in the world of medicine. A generation ago, you went to the doctor when something was wrong, and the doctor told you what it was and what to do about it. Over time, however, two things happened. 1) Waiting until people were sick to treat them became financially unviable and, well, dumb! So now doctors spend time in your visits – whether “well checkups” or when you’re ill – equipping you take care of yourself in between visits. 2) People became more informed about matters related to heath as a result of the information explosion on the internet (think of WebMD) and so looked for more information; they wanted, that is, to take a more active role in their health and treatment.

Could that be what’s happening – and what’s needed – on Sunday mornings? That we need to be equipped to take better spiritual care of ourselves throughout the week and have a chance to interact and learn more, in this way taking more responsibility for our faith. (Yes, I know faith is a gift, but I think you know what I mean.)

These, at least, are some of the questions I’m thinking through and I appreciate your help and partnership.

I don’t have the answer – probably there is no single answer – but I think the pursuit is important. In the meantime, I came across this clip from a Desperate Housewives episode that seemed to fit what we’re talking about. I found the exchange between Lynette and Bree after church particularly relevant: “The church isn’t a place for questions but for answers.” “Yeah, but how do you get the answers is you don’t ask questions?”

Notes: 1) If you receive this post by email, you may need to click on the title at the top of the post to watch the video.
2) I explore these questions in greater detail, and offer some suggestions, in my Preaching at the Crossroads, in case you’re interested. 🙂