Preach Magazine Issue 1 - Creativity and innovation in preaching | Page 31

SERIAL

Often when we preach,
the only feedback we get
is the ‘Thanks for a lovely
sermon’ comments at
the door. In each issue
of Preach, we will take
you inside the mind of an
anonymous congregant.
We hope the insights will
be a useful learning tool.
Context:
large evangelical church
Service:
an evening service
Preacher:
the new curate
Sermon duration :
25 minutes
Key passage:
Ephesians 4:17–5:2

T

he preacher is new to our church
and I am keen for him to do well.
He seems a little nervous and
starts out speaking very fast. He
settles down a bit eventually, but I find
the pace fairly manic throughout and I
find myself wishing he’d make time for
some pauses and breathe a bit more.
He makes a joke about how lucky we
all are to listen to him, and it doesn’t
sound quite sarcastic enough. Later
he says we will struggle more with
holiness than he does. It might just be
me, but I prefer it when preachers put
themselves down!
The sermon begins with him talking
about how Facebook is becoming more
and more about self-improvement. He
gives a few examples and I can think of
lots more. Most of us here are under 40
and what he’s saying is connecting. He
then says how rarely our efforts at selfimprovement work, and gives a couple
of funny examples. He has my attention
at this point.
There’s now a longish section on how
the Bible can be read like self-help
advice and how it can therefore make
us feel. It is a bit of a ramble and I
think he can sense he’s losing us a bit,
because he actually says he hopes he
has our attention and asks us to stay
with him. I begin to be a bit irritated at
this point, and start an inner dialogue
about how I shouldn’t be so critical, but
on the other hand, I can’t help but listen
with my brain engaged, and so on. I am
distracting myself.

I AM NOT AT ALL SURE PAUL
WOULD AGREE WITH THE
ARGUMENT THE PREACHER
IS MAKING BASED ON HIS
WORDS – THAT WE SHOULD
LET OURSELVES OFF THE
HOOK A BIT WITH TRYING
TO BE HOLY BECAUSE GOD
KNOWS WE CAN’T BE.

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Next he covers the broad sweep of
how things have panned out between
humanity and God. This is good stuff,
and he has some thought-provoking
insights about how we were designed
and made to be able to be holy – in
God’s image. It is a slightly different
angle on a familiar theme. He makes
a punchy statement – ‘God’s Spirit
and holiness are part of our created
identity,’ and leaves a slight pause.
I am grateful for this – it gives me a
chance to write it down, and I think I
will come back to it later and mull it
over.
Now he hits the passage he’s
preaching on, landing on a couple
of verses in a bit of depth. But I
don’t find the application he makes
convincing; I am not at all sure Paul
would agree with the argument the
preacher is making based on his
words – that we should let ourselves
off the hook a bit with tryin