Darryl's Blog
Yesterday's seminar
I listened to a podcast this week that said when you do version 1.0 of something, your goal should be just to survive. "Just get through it the first time. You can try that stuff you read about in magazines later."
Yesterday I rolled out version 1.0 of a seminar on theocentric preaching, and I think it's safe to say we all survived. We had fun and I think we might have thought through some important issues. I couldn't have picked better people to attend and to interact with the topic.
The best part of the seminar was the interaction. Most of the interaction seemed to be about two issues. First, what does it mean to be theocentric when God and Scripture seem to focus on humanity? Second, what does theocentric preaching look like in practice? All kinds of other issues surfaced too, such as how to interpret and apply Scripture accurately (hermeneutics, especially relating to modern methods which may be too neat and reductionistic), and the hot button issue of exemplary preaching (preaching biblical characters as models to emulate).
People felt free to push back, which I appreciated. I found some areas where my thinking is still fuzzy, and I realized that I need a lot more concrete examples. Still, I was pleased that some of my findings seemed to strike a chord, and it was clear that we were talking about issues that everyone felt a need to discuss.
Although I tried not to do this, I still make a rookie mistake: I had way too much content for the amount of time. I think if I did it over I would send out a brief paper with introductory material, and then teach the session inductively. Learning is much more effective when you learn yourself rather than when someone else tells you what they've learned. We ran out of time for the hands-on part; I really had more there than we could accomplish in four or five hours.
I was glad when it ended, because I was exhausted. Today, though, I wish we could go at it again, because I loved thinking things through with a group of people. There's a lot to be said for learning in community.
Now I have to summarize the feedback, add it to my thesis, and send it in. Good to be coming to the end, but I hope that the type of learning experience I had yesterday will continue in some form.
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Darryl,
Sorry I couldn't make it on Tuesday. You know I wanted to come and really put the thumb screws to you.
Just a thought on this comment that you made:
"Most of the interaction seemed to be about two issues. First, what does it mean to be theocentric when God and Scripture seem to focus on humanity?"
I find it astounding that not only was this question asked at all, but that it predominated. Am I missing something in the context? Do pastors today really believe that the Scriptures are focused on humanity? They focus on humanity's sinfulness and inability to remedy that situation and therefore its need for a Saviour. But the Scriptures are all God centered, God focussed, God directing, and are given to us to show our need and His sufficiency. The Bible is about God invading humanity, from the walk in the Garden to find Adam and Eve and provide for them the garments needed that were so much better than the rotting fig leaves they were trying to wear, (they would have spent the rest of their lives making garments to wear), to Christ's return to finally defeat evil, rescue His people and get them back to the Garden.
Focussed on humanity? Not by a long shot.
Ken,
I wish you had been there, as well as Paul Martin. I think you would have added a lot to the discussion!
I hope I've represented the discussion accurately. Here's a direct quote from one person by e-mail: "The story of God's activity in history is often a story of his acting in love to meet human needs. How can we capture that reality while still being theocentric? How can we affirm God's majesty without denying human significance?"
Darryl,
Tell your correspondent that without a majestic God there is no such thing as human significance. The purpose of preaching is not to affirm human significance. We do fine with that without the Word and without preaching. Tell him that we go into the pulpit to declare an awesome, incomprehensible God who is big while we are small, holy while we are sinful, who lavishes absolutely unconceived of marvelous things upon those who do not deserve it and allows us to be called His children, not because we are significant, but because He is loving. The Gospel is the Gospel of free grace. We can only affirm our significance before God by denying that Gospel. Behold! What manner of love IS this that we should be called the children of GOD? (I John 3:1)