Reflections on Preaching

So, I preached my first sermon last Sunday, and I thought I'd post some dot-point reflections and some things I heard and learnt preparing, and some feedback I've been given so far.

1. Preaching a whole book of a Bible is hard.

2. Yet, preaching the Psalms is a joy in the future I will always look forward to.

3. Mannerisms are welcome.. My friend Nick told me he was scared to hear the 'Preacher Alan' so when it turned out 'Preacher Alan' didn't exist, he was glad.

4. Mannerisms are not welcome.. when it is putting your hand in your pocket.

5. Preaching with Mic in hand is not ideal for me. If I don't have both hands, I can't communicate with them very well at all. Hence the hand in pocket.

6. Mikey says that newbies either tend to be over-prepared.. or under-prepared. I learned I'm one of those under-prepared sort.

7. Preparation - "Spend more time in the text!" - Thanks bro ;-)

8. Memorising, heading out for a day/half day, and meditating on the scripture you are preaching is invaluable. God taught me much when I was trying less to be intellectual and more prayerful.

9. Visuals (Powerpoint and Video) are not necessary for a sermon. Well it seemed that way.

10. "Once you've got up there you'll love it, you'll be hooked."

11. Preaching to your pastor and two of his kids in their living room seems like it could prepare you for any mid-sermon situation. (This is but a theory, I'm yet to have it tested on me)

12. Full script does in fact work for me. Eventually I suspect it will be a hybrid of full-script and dot points, but there is something real cool about expressing something with full intention.

If you're interested, the sermon can be found here - I would love any feedback (all forms of constructive feedback), you can share in the comments, or drop me an email.

If you're wondering about the 'sans-baby' comment - a mum at the church was speaking prior to me beginning, and her bub was particularly drawn to the black toy mummy seemed to be trying to eat, and wanted a try too. ;-)

Doing this first sermon was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life! It is certainly something God willing I would like to do more of, and really desire to improve at, and grow in. I was blessed to have this opportunity, thank you God, Wellspring and the Resonate team. :-)

Some thoughts on engaging my generation.

My generation is highly visual.
1. We use our eyes as our dominant sense, as our ears tend to be full of iPod.
2. For the same reason, our eyes are all the more important for communication, be it with Internet chat, or seeing a friend or acquaintance in the street.

My generation is also over stimulated.
1. Video games and Cinema experience are designed to engage many senses, and technology is growing in this area.
2. I read somewhere recently that young people tend to watch TV and use the internet at the same time. This is now the norm.
3. In order to catch our full attention, much entertainment or information must have that Cinema experience.
4. Making the effort to sit down and read a book has become much more difficult in my life time, as the internet has grown. This, I would argue, is because the internet provides the opportunity for a 'deeper' engagement through video/audio and graphical/text based information all at once.

Some questions:
1. What does this mean for the preacher? Does he adapt these growing mediums? Or does he provide an alternative to the trend?
2. What does this mean for the worker charged with Pastoral care? Must something change to allow proper relationships to develop?
3. What does this mean for leaders of praise and worship in our church? (recognising that this is broader than music, I in fact am intending to ask this more as a focus on singing praises to God)
4. What does this mean for the evangelist? What mediums should they be using to spread the good news?
5. How can we encourage our young people* to spend the time in the Bible, with full attention?
6. How can we encourage our young people* to spend time in prayer, with a proper focus on God?

*yes, I am 'young people', and I struggle with these.

'Cultural relevance'.. or cultural snobbery?

Often this passage is used to justify a new expression of church, in the name of cultural relevance:

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

And it's a fair call, I myself subscribe to a modern church methodology. But are we at risk of becoming the new cultural snobs?
I can't help but think that hip music, no robes or rites, 'missional' language and preaching to the postmodern persuasion is alienating many from the Gospel.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Are we possibly becoming too much of a Gentile to the Gentiles at the expense of becoming a Jew to the Jews?

The Christian/Atheist debate

I am becoming increasingly tired of the Christian/Atheist debate.
Below I made mention of the Dawkins-Lennox debate, but I'm not just thinking of that, I'm thinking closer to home.
Recently I have been having a few discussions with Atheists via facebook. Mainly I have been acting as an arbiter, or simply discussing the Bible on it's own terms. I'm not into the Philosophy, and neither am I qualified to answer. Plus it can be a little dry.

But all this makes me wonder.
Is Christianity engaging the Atheistic community helping, or is it increasing the problem?
Are we simply giving tools of rejection to those who might otherwise accept the Gospel?
It seems the more we defend, the more voices that become educated in atheistic thought and come against us.

I'm also finding that in discussion, when coming back to the Bible, so much more gets discussed and considered. I don't think I'll become an apologist. I just want to preach the Gospel man.

A bit of *Driscoll* controversy..

Tim Challies makes comment on Mark Driscoll..
He brings a voice of reason to the discussion on Driscoll's style.
Love or 'Hate' MD it's a good read.

Gospel according to..

Second hand information can be good.. but sometimes it's really helpful to get back to the source.

This has never been more true than with the Gospel.
In the big bad world of evangelism so many people have their own idea of the Gospel, and preach it daily..:

• "Jesus was just a man"
• "The Gospels of Mark, Mark 2.0 (Luke), Mark 2.1 (Matthew), and John are all literalist revisioning of a Pagan Mystery religion."
• "There was no literal Jesus."
• "The Good News is there's a sale on Mormon ties and hoodies"

In our present post-christian society (anyone got a technical term for this?), we have the challenge of preaching and ministering the Gospel to those who have already "heard it" today..
They'll accept anything as Gospel..


..without reading it themselves.

How can we be challenging the secular world to be opening the Bible before creating their own version of the Gospel?