" When was the last time you preached or heard a sermon on war? Furthermore, when was the last time you preached or heard a sermon on abortion? When was the last time you preached or heard a sermon on the kind of crae we ought to give to the ill? When was the last time you preached or heard a sermon on the political responsibilities of Christians? The problem is that we feel at a loss about how to make these kinds of matters part of the whole church. So, in effect, preaching betrays the church. I do not mean to put all the blame on preaching, but ministers do have opportunities to address moral issues that almost no one else in this society has - except for television. It is not much, but it is something. At least preachers can enliven a discourse that is not alive anywhere esle, and people are hungering to be led by people of courage." (Hauerwas Reader, p, 622)
I generally can't stand 'issue' sermons, because they are so much opinion and so little word of God. They are so prone to all the worst vices of preaching. But if we preach the scriptures, won't these matters arise ALL the time? Oh, for courageous inhabitants of the pulpit!
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While Bonhoeffer must always be read in the context of his situation, his admonition about preaching to specific cases rather than generalities might be worth thinking about today! "[T]he commandment needs to be given concrete content by the person who preaches it; the commandment 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself' is in itself so general that it needs to be made as concrete as possible if I am to hear what it means for me here and now. And only as a concrete saying is it the Word of God to me. The preacher must therefore be concerned so to incorporate the contemporary situation in his shaping of the commandment that the commandment is itself relevant to the situation. In the event of taking up a stand about war the church cannot just say, 'There should really be no war, but there are necessary wars' and leave the application of this principle to each individual; it should be able to say quite definitely: 'Engage in this war' or 'Do not engage in this war.' Or in social questions: the last word of the church should not be to say 'It is wrong for one man to have too much while another goes hungry, but personal property is God-willed and may not be appropriated,' and once again leave the application to the individual. But, if the church really has a commandment of God, it must proclaim it in the most definite form possible, from the fullest knowledge of the matter, and it must utter a summons to obedience. A commandment must be definite, otherwise it is not a commandment. God's commandment now requires something quite definite from us. And the church should proclaim this to the community." (No Rusty Swords, Collins, 1979, pp. 162-163)
Great point Michael - and the flip side of the coin for your last point is that if people are not hearing these issues being taught and addressed then maybe its because they're not hearing scripture being taught (since these things come up ALL the time in scripture).
if we preach the scriptures, won't these matters arise ALL the time?
Not if we're captive to interpretive assumptions that distinguish between private and public life (in a hermetically-sealed kind of way - the distinct can in some cases be useful), or which oppose preaching the gospel to loving our neighbour in physical need.
Oh, for courageous inhabitants of the pulpit!
Is it courage that is needed? Do you think most preachers want to say something but are held back by fear? I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on this (esp if you are a preacher).
Well, I think we are afeard of being boring, so we entertain...
I guess it the problem of making the "main thing" the only thing. If the method driven church is focussed toward personal salvation with sanctification exrpessed in terms of verbal evangelism then anything else is peripheral. Perhaps the problem the preacher faces is being aware enough of non-justification by faith alone issues in order to have something to say?
" But if we preach the scriptures, won't these matters arise ALL the time? Oh, for courageous inhabitants of the pulpit!"
Amen to that.
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