Rev Andrew Doubleday, UCANZ Ministry Facilitator by Supplied

On Preaching

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One of the criticisms of preachers from a number of people I’ve heard lately is, ‘They always/only preach that God loves us’. This is not because these people don’t believe in the importance of God’s love – for them it seems rather to be a reflection on what they consider the shallowness of the preacher’s theology.

I want to plead ‘guilty as charged’. It may be that my theology is shallow. It is also my conviction that we leak. A lot. Many of us need to hear that message repeatedly. Maybe this is not true of the theologically sophisticated or the spiritually mature. For most of us my experience is that it is generally true.

What are the options? The alternatives?

I’ve usually encountered two.

1. ‘Try-harderism’, where we’re encouraged to do more, to be better, to take the call to share the gospel more seriously. This, usually from the theologically conservative end of the spectrum, can be weariness to the bones.

2. ‘Areopagisation’, (see Acts 17:21) where we’re lectured on the latest progressive theological ideas – intent on improving our lives by making us more theologically literate. This, usually from the theologically liberal end of the spectrum, can be mildly interesting, often tedious, rarely transformative.

In my view, the primary purpose of preaching is pastoral – it is the significant opportunity we have every week to do some serious pastoral work with all our people gathered in the same space. This, in turn, offers the opportunity of being transformational – giving the people the confidence to step out into the fullness of life they are being offered in the following weeks.

Rev Wes Chambers shared with us at a Methodism class at Trinity College around 35 years ago. His position was that a preacher needed to earn the right to be prophetic and to speak on difficult issues. We need to have ‘money in the bank’ that we can draw on, deposited through our caring and loving of our people. Without it our time in front of the congregation is likely to be short.

My expectation is that when we are loved, and know that we are profoundly and completely loved by the One in whom we live, and move, and have our being, then anything might be possible.