The "Voice in the Wilderness" in the Wilderness of Voices

Summarizing Chapter 1: "Preaching Roots"

When you think about it, it's really a counter-intuitive claim. That retelling stories from an ancient Book is key to transforming modern peoples' lives. Yet, that's exactly the claim made for Christian preaching! And even Paul seems to recognize the almost-irrationality of the statement when he speaks of the "foolishness of preaching."

Preaching is foolish. And effective. As Quicke says, every great spiritual revival has been led by a revival of preaching! (In a sense, Jesus' use of parables represented a revival of preaching that had degenerated in the synagogue into mind-numbing squabbles amongst scribes).

Really, what Quicke wants to offer in this first chapter is a definition of preaching. But what I think is most obvious is that "a" definition of preaching might be as impossible as finding "a" word to describe the character of God. Preaching is multifaceted; no one definition can completely explain what preaching is.

Instead, Quicke offers three biblical descriptors of preaching that, while not "defining" what it means, sort of set the boundaries for the discussion. Preaching, according to the Bible, is prophetic, transformational, and incarnational.

Preachers as Prophets
I'm prejudiced here by my ongoing love for the Old Testament prophets . . . but I think that the picture of the "preacher as prophet" very accurately describes the task of preaching today. I would go so far as to say that the entire mission of the Church could be described as prophetic . . . but more on that later.

Pedagogical theory claims that lecture is the worst form of information dissemination available . . .at least, it has the lowest information-retention rates of any learning method. In many respects, a sermon is a lot like a lecture (and maybe this is something wrong with our contemporary understanding of the "sermon" but, again, more on that later . . .)

But, if the analogy between lectures and sermons is even only slightly correct, then we are forced to ask ourselves: "Why did God choose 'the foolishness of preaching' as His preferred means of sharing the saving Gospel?" If passively listening to someone else speak means low retention of information, why would God communicate the life-or-death message of Jesus Christ in this manner? Does God not remember how our cognitive capacities are designed?

"God's Word in Human Words"
I think the answer to this question lies in the simple fact that preaching (unlike lecturing) is not about our words but about God's words! And God's words are very unique in that, as Quicke says, "God's words are God's deeds!"

There's this whole thing called "speech-act theory" which attempts to understand the ways in which words "do" things. For example, when the pastor says, "I now pronounce you husband and wife," just by virtue of saying those words, that couple is now married. The pronouncement of the words actually performs the marriage. Though the pastor led them through the vows, if he does not pronounce them "husband and wife," they are not considered married.

Granted, not all words "do" things. But, in the Bible, God's word is always "doing" something. From the beginning, God does things with His word. "And God said, 'Let there be light!' and there was light!" God uses His word to create the world because His word has creative power. It brings into existence something that wasn't there before.

And that's exactly why Christian preaching literally "produces" (or "creates") conviction in the soul of the sinner, peace in the mind of the troubled, motivation in the heart of the discouraged. God's word has literal power to transform lives.

So, that's my definition of "preaching": God's Word in human words. For me, this helps to remind me of the importance of being faithful to the text . . . of focusing not on what I think the congregation "needs to hear" but on what the Word of God says to that congregation. So often, I find myself looking for a text to support a "thought". . .but that's completely backward. I am trying to make the Word of God fit my preaching agenda rather than shaping my sermon to fit God's agenda for the service. Instead, I should allow the "thought" to lead me to the text, but then I must allow the text to "challenge" my thought and reshape my perspective.

This is the real reason much of contemporary preaching is powerless: they are human words POSTURING as "God's word" not God's Word expressed in human words! What this world needs is not more "creative" sermons but more authoritative sermons where the hearer can be certain that he or she has heard the voice of God in the words of the preacher! The voice of God is the only power in preaching!

So, that's my thoughts . . .how would you define preaching?