Sorry... so good and so short I had to put these out here as well.
http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/interviews.php
Check out Piper on "What is the state of the pulpit in America today"
I'm curious if you agree with his assessment...and what direction would you hope preaching take in our church?
Also, Pastor Jim mentioned the surveys that show no real difference between the way believers and the world lives....this following link makes an interesting point along those lines and it relates to some things we've previously discussed on approach to ministry.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2312_Good_Doctrine_Makes_Better_Teenage_Saints/
Thursday, August 16, 2007
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2 comments:
I just watched the Piper clip and for the most part I think he hit it on the head. The necessity to articulate the Scriptures to the congregation and in a manner that brings the Word to life is a must. I agree that too often pastors feel the inadequacies that society has placed within the entertainment arena to keep people's attention and to entertain them with something "new, hip, catchy" every 30 seconds. However, I don't necessarily agree with what he said about illustrations, stories, videos etc. I believe that reinforcing the Word with personal experiences just aides in the explanation of the Word. Not everyone is an amazing orator but one could be a good story teller. Christ did it, why can't/shouldn't I do it?
Piper certainly makes a strong case for confidence in the word of God alone. I highly recommend the book The Supremecy of God in Preaching. In it, Piper elevates the need for doctrinal, expository preaching - above and beyond preaching to the felt needs of the attenders. I will agree with VanHorn that media and the arts can be a conduit of the preached word...and the fact that Jesus creatively and appropriately used story, metaphor and allegory, as well as text, to address his audience. It's interesting to read how often he used parables and such with "common folks" and with religious teachers he opened the scriptures. I happen to think that drama, media, illustrations and real life stories (testimonies) have the ability to communicate the message. As with many tools...they can be used inappropriately.
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