I don’t mean to pry. This is more for my benefit. This is a pondering of my own heart.
What if I’ve been going about preaching all wrong?
What if it should look more like a Ted Talk and less like a full-on Fire and Brimestone message?
What if I spoke those words not to convince and manipulate, but instead attempted to tell stories about life…like Jesus did with parables? Maybe I’ve been going about it all wrong. Maybe I can change. Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe…
Perhaps, instead of over-complicating the text of the Bible, I made it pure…and simple. It isn’t complicated. It isn’t convoluted, or an opportunity to attack “those people”…
Maybe, just maybe – WE can come back to the simple message of Christ, of grace, and of our need for salvation.
Note to self…Keep It Simple Stupid!
Something more to ponder.
Pastor's Ponderings 
I totally agree that preaching should be about life. That has always been my goal, although I can’t say I’ve always succeeded. On the other hand, I don’t think that makes anything any more simple. Life is complex, and so (at least sometimes) is the Bible. Matching our lives with the Bible raises all sorts of hard questions. Daring to ask those questions – of myself first, and then my congregation – is what makes preaching so challenging.
I haven’t always succeeded either!
Do anyone else’s eyes gloss over when the preacher feigns eloquence, down a rabbit trail of exegesis in the original Greek?
Yep
I appreciate the simple approach. My goal in preaching is to be willing to tackle difficult life issues by sharing life experience and Biblical text in a way that resonates with people no matter where they find themselves on the spiritual continuum. I readily admit that I miss the mark at times!
“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words, if necessary.” While these words are misquoted and attributed to Francis of Assisi in error, they find relevance in this conversation, I suppose. But of course words ARE the stuff of pulpit ministry. The “sermons” that never failed to deliver the Call to Action for me were the stories. And we have every license to do so, as modeled by the Master. How I’d love to be on the edge of my seat again, and be found breathless at the end of twenty minutes (that’s right, TWENTY minutes!) and waiting for more. Now that’s throwin down the WORD! And mastered by few.
Ha! Quite true!
Stories always good. I think the description is a little vague on how to preach the wrong way – then again I am a firm believer that we need to preach on Hell now and again, it is only right to warn the lost of what is coming.
I would doubt most people consider themselves trying to manipulate others in preaching.
Preaching is foolishness the apostle Paul never preached.
Preaching meetings are for the preachers benifit.
Teach understanding instead.
Jesus said “The Kingdom of God is like”
Jesus is still a story teller.
Teach by telling stories.