Preach Magazine Issue 1 - Creativity and innovation in preaching | Page 14

14

FEATURE

‘Bargain Buy! Now
£40, was £80! Only
Jesus missing!’ Examples
such as this provide a
very rich opportunity
for illustrations. Faith
can only be lived out in
the context in which
we find ourselves and
interpreted in the society in which we
live. It cannot exist as if it is just in a
vacuum, a thing in itself. Faith speaks
to current affairs and current affairs
speak to faith. These things should
challenge us in our preaching. And
sometimes points can only be made by
unusual illustrations. However, when
we try to be creative or innovative it
is very important that the illustration
does not take away from the central
truth of the message.
Both creativity and illustration can,
of course, be used to challenge the
listener. They can provide an excellent
opportunity to comfort the disturbed
and disturb the comfortable, precisely
because they take the listener out of the
traditional passive comfort zone. The
whole idea of preaching is to engage
and to provoke a response, a challenge
in the heart of the listener. Central to
challenge is the need to be stimulated.
Therefore, if creativity stimulates and
challenges it is a good thing; if it begins
to detract from the overall message of
the sermon or begins to dominate then
it is certainly not a good thing.
In conclusion I would have to state
that the correct place for creativity
and innovation in preaching is not
only to capture the attention of the
listener but also to further expound
the gospel message, so that people
can grow in faith and in knowledge
and love of God. Of course there are
some areas where there can be little
scope for innovation: those areas
concern the purpose of preaching and
the valid content of what is preached.
The whole point of preaching is to
communicate a message, that message
being fundamentally concerned with
the things of God, conversion of life
and the proclamation of the gospel
message. While the medium of delivery

LWPT8173 - Preach Magazine - Issue 1 v3.indd 14

can and should change over time, the
nature of the message should not. The
truth of the gospel and the nature of
the love of God are unchanging; the
challenge of preaching is one that must
be embraced afresh in every age.
Edward Dowland-Owen
Edward Dowland-Owen is Team
Vicar in the Rectorial Benefice of
Cowbridge, a rural benefice in the
Diocese of Llandaff. He is also
Diocesan Spirituality Officer.
Previously he has served in
urban, post industrial and
suburban parishes.

If you would like to join
the discussion, you can
write to Preach Magazine,
tweet us using the hashtag
#WardDowlandOwen, or post
in our Facebook group.
We’d love to hear your
thoughts.

17/10/2014 12:53:45