The phenomenon of preaching

How does a preacher decide the subject for his/her sermons? Just what is a sermon? What is the purpose of the preaching of sermons? Ask a dozen Protestant ministers these questions and the questioner would probably get twelve or more different answers. Any definition or explanation that I might give would be uniquely my own. My interpretation or definition would not be accepted by many Protestants, but my own definition can never be proven right or wrong by anyone. I am a Baptist and I assure you that Baptists do not agree with one another about what sermonizing is all about. Preaching is what a preacher says that it is.

Almost every minister with seminary training has taken a course or courses in homiletics. Supposedly it is where we learn to preach. Homiletics is typically defined as a form of rhetoric. It is a highly specialized form of rhetoric, usually related to a religious topic. Beyond that, definitions abound.

Most Protestant worship services have common elements. There is music, prayers, Bible readings and a sermon. (Some Protestants would add a fifth element of worship, the celebration of the sacraments, or ordinances. In today’s world, the sacraments do not play a major role for most Protestants in every Sunday’s worship service.)

Typically, the most enjoyable part of worship is the music. Christians collectively have written a great volume of music. A lot of it is very good. Congregational singing is enhanced by choirs, soloists and special bands. I love organ music and worship services are my most available opportunity to hear well-played organ music. I attend a worship service every Sunday. I would carry on that practice for the music alone.

A person need not be a literalist to enjoy good readings of the Bible. Much of the writings of the Bible were written not to be read silently in private but to be heard read aloud in public. I love Bible readings when the reader takes on the role of a dramatic voice actor. Some of the greatest poetry ever written is found in the Psalms and in the writings of Old Testament prophets. I am often disappointed in worship services that have a lack of Bible readings. I am also disappointed when Bible readings are read in monotones that deny the greatness of the literature being read.

Public prayers in worship services are a special tragedy. If any religious exercise should be from the heart, it is prayer. Certain kinds of public prayer are understandably heart-felt. Public prayers of praise and thanksgiving have a healthy place in worship, and this public use of prayer is refreshing to the soul. Prayers of thanksgiving need not be long but from the heart. On the other hand, most prayers in worship services fall far short of being heart-felt. Most of them are canned prayers taken from books of prayers found in your local Bible bookstore. As I grew more involved in formal Bible study I realized that Jesus was not much for public prayers. In fact, he criticized those who prayed in public. When Jesus felt moved to pray, he withdrew to private places to agonize with his Heavenly Father. His advice to his followers was that when they felt moved to pray, they should go into a closet and close the door. I have long suspected that most church prayers bounce off the ceiling and fall dead on the floor.

That brings us to the fourth great element in Protestant worship: the sermon. The sermon is the centerpiece of most Protestant worship including Evangelicals and Pentecostals of every variety.

When I took homiletics in seminary, the professor required us to listen to many sermons and to read books of collected sermons. After reading books of sermons and listening to the preaching of sermons, it became apparent to me that some sermons have more meaningful content than others. It also became apparent that some preachers are masters of the art and some are not so good at this particular form of public rhetoric.

The good professor attempted to pound into our heads the importance of mastering the task of preaching. People who attend worship services will remember the sermon more than any other element of the service. Out of my pastoral experience, I am amazed that people come to worship services Sunday after Sunday and listen to the pastor of their church speak for 15 to 30 minutes. I came to the conclusion that church attenders come for good reasons. They come with needs and expectations. A partial list of motivations goes like this:

•They come to hear a word of grace.

•Guilt is a terrible taskmaster and people need to find relief in worship and in the words of their pastor.

•They come looking for a new start.

•People come to gain a better understanding of life.

•They come to find encouragement and strength to live out their better understandings.

•People come because they are looking for new opportunities to give of themselves.

I have concluded that preaching is an art form that is begging to be mastered by our clergy. Preaching can be the most vital communication that people will ever hear. The task of good preaching is to make effective contact with the needs of the worshipping congregation. When a minister steps behind a pulpit, he becomes the Moses of the day. The preacher becomes Elijah, Isaiah, Micah, Paul and Phillip. She becomes the spokesperson for Jesus.

People come to worship to hear a word of encouragement from God. Preachers dare not disappoint.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

Opinions expressed on the Faith page are the author’s and are not necessarily those of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, its staff or its parent company, Wick Communications Co. To submit a column or other news for the Faith page, send email to news@frontiersman.com, or call 352-2250.