In the Clearing: A Mild Rant Against Exhortative Sermons
From In the Clearing: A Mild Rant Against Exhortative Sermons:
I heard a sermon recently about Joseph, the husband of Mary. The message, in a nutshell, was all about courage. Joseph was a man of courage and faith. We ought also to be people of courage. Joseph had faith. We ought also to have faith. You get the idea. Now, it's my funny little notion that sermon's ought to be primarily about the business of revealing the heart of God. In other words, after we hear a good sermon, some aspect of the character of God and of His plan for me and for all creation is made more clear, more vivid to my imagination, better understood intellectually and, yes, even more deeply-felt in my heart than before. In other words, a sermon should help us to "know God."
More on this topic to come.
