Preachers

Regular churchgoers expect to hear regular sermons. The very word ‘sermon’ sounds forbidding. I can recall being ushered out of church as a child because it was time for the sermon. I sensed it was something to be avoided at all costs.

Now the boot is on the other foot and I am the one doing the preaching, and the one who sees the need to ensure sermons are not forbidding, or tedious, or irrelevant, or discouraging.

An old definition of preaching sees it as the conveying of truth through personality. It needs to be based on biblical truth and yet that truth comes via a human being. It is not some impersonal lecture. The vital truth has to come through the preacher not just across him or her. The preacher is meant to convey things that matter to him or her, not just share some information. The aim is to transform rather than merely inform.

There is a view in some quarters that preachers must not let their personalities intrude into their preaching. It is a mistaken view. We cannot leave our personalities behind just as we can’t leave biblical truth behind. Preachers need to be close to God and close to those to whom they preach. They are not over and above their listeners but fellow companions on the Christian journey with them. They are aware of the power of God and the vulnerability of those who hear the sermon.

Sermons need to be true, relevant, and clear. Preachers need to be bold, humble, and passionate. Which can make sermons things to eagerly anticipate rather than avoid or endure.

Blessings
David Reay