Poets Prophets Preachers #2

Well session one of Poets Prophets Preachers is over & it was beautifully encouraging and challenging all at once.  The sessions are geared strictly toward teaching the scriptures and tonight’s first session was a great discussion of what a sermon is and why in the world anyone would want to preach one.

Rather than blog the whole talk I’m just going to hit some of my highlights.  You can get a detailed live blog  at novus – lumen.  They are live blogging the week. They must be the “offficial” feed   There is no interet in the building & laptops are not allowed.  So check them out.  It is a great play by play of what happened.

My highlights…

(Remember this whole thing is for teachers/preachers.  It is about the art of teaching so there were not a lot of “warm fuzzies” or “wow” moments.  It was amazingly solid and if you stand up & teach week to week, you felt the discussion more than you heard it.)

*What do people think when they hear the word “sermon”?

*People will always evaluate…Did you like it? Did he/she do a good job?

*Sometimes sermons are propaganda…our side is right. We are the only ones.

*Sometimes sermons are tools…we gotta get that building built!

*Sometimes they are lifeless

*Giving sermons can be lonely.  It can be lethal.

*Moments = crickets vs. that was the most powerful thing I’ve ever heard in my life (you can’t control it)

*When people want the “old you” or for you to preach like you used to…you can’t.  You aren’t the same.

*For a teacher there are certain elements in the room> you, the audience, your body of work, you current talk.  The audience is trying to piece the other elements together to figure out what you are saying.  You are always adding & changing…being led to new places so there is always a process of figuring out where we are.

*Using Ezek. 4 > God has a message; now you go & deliver it.

*John the Baptist spoke volumes before he ever opened his mouth.

*Sermons are part performance art, guerilla theater, and actions that evoke response

*Sermons can be a witness (Acts 4) (Think of Jer. 20; I just have to get it out!)

*Sermons can be a reminder (Jer. 2) (This isn’t what God had in mind.)

*Sermons can be an invitation (Mark 1:15)

*Sermons can be subversion (Is. 52) (There’s another story.  Don’t buy the lie.) (Luke 4)

*WHAT IS FOREIGN AND DIFFERENT AND SHOCKING MAY JUST BE AHEAD OF ITS TIME.
Most people won’t be able to see it.

*There is a possiblity of hope and desire and change or misrepresentation or anger or confusion or jealousy.  You can’t want the one without being willing to accept the other.  You don’t get to pick.  You have to speak the truth of what God has given you.

*Acts 17 > you will get mixed responses

*From Genesis 1: “And God said…” > WORDS CREATE NEW WORLDS

*Talks should start talks.  If you can resolve it at the end of your talk, your talk is flawed.  The words start something.  Let the Spirit work.