From The Archives... and For Bill Kinnon.

Looks like I'll get to meet Bill Kinnon (a blogosphere heavyweight and online friend of mine) next week. In honor of his latest (Preaching doesn't make disciples), I'm pulling this from the archives. 

Because it's true, in the same way that proper nutrition alone (you need exercise, good sleep, a healthy mental/emotional life) won't make you healthy, preaching won't make disciples. But together with good one-on-one relationship, participating in the learning life of a gathered community is (and I think I'll go so far as to say biblically, should be) a big part of the discipleship process. 

But maybe that's what we'll talk about next Monday over a drink?? :) 

preaching... It's kind of like...

How many sermons do you really remember?

I'm sitting in my second Starbucks today, and my old friend Johnny V walks in. Johnny is the Cable Guy, pushing quality digital entertainment all over Southwest PDX.

Anyway, we got to chatting for a minute and he asked me how the whole sermon thing was going...

"Ehhh..." I said. The last few weeks have been tough for me. I'm not sure I've had anything revolutionary or even memorable to say about the passages we've been walking through. 2 weeks ago, it seems like God did something cool in spite of my "ehhh...-ness". Last week, a little less so. This week? I guess we'll see.

Johnny's comment to that was "That's okay. No one remembers what you preach anyway."

Thanks Johnny.

But he's totally right.

And as we talked, I realized that "No one remembers what you preach" is basically what I think too. Preaching (and listening to it) is like taking vitamins. It has a cumulative effect. Few of us remember many of the sermons we have heard, but over a long period of time, we are taught. Few of us remember many of the gatherings we're a part of, but over a long period of time, we are formed.

Johnny told me about hearing Jack Hayford talk about this once (on TBN!). Hayford likened reading God's Word, listening to others teach us, etc to eating. Novel, eh? But keep reading.

He said that every once in awhile, we have a really memorable meal. But most of the time, when we are hungry, we eat. It's not earthshaking, it's just what we do to keep our bodies functioning. We don't really remember what we had for lunch two saturdays ago, two months ago, two years ago. But somehow, eating every day keeps us alive. It would be silly to expect it to rock our world every time. 

Same with reading God's Word, with "going to church", with discussing Scripture with other people... Every once in awhile, something amazing jumps out at us and changes us. But mostly, it's the every day discipline of coming to God's Word, it's the every week submission of putting ourselves under God's Word... that's what keeps us alive.

That's good news to those teaching a community... we don't have to hit one out of the park every time at bat. It's enough to put together the singles, the doubles, the occasional strike out and the occasional home run. And when the whole community is practicing the discipline of bringing themselves to God's Word regularly... I guess the Holy Spirit can take it from there.

Comments

[Kinnon]

Bob,
I think the issue I'm responding to (however poorly) is the focus placed on the sermon as teaching/rallying point of the community. For too many leaders, it becomes the pinnacle of the church week in their opinion, where the life of the community is directly impacted by how well they preach.

In my rarely humble opinion, if a leader is living their life within the community, engaged in transparent and intimate relationship with their brothers and sisters, then their teaching/preaching is a key part of the balanced "nutrition" needed for the life of the church.

Too many leaders seem to think their church can live on vitamins alone, however. Or, at least that's how they operate.

I look forward to seeing you in Portland next week. (And I hope to be in one of Evergreen's morning services on Sunday.)

[bobhyatt]

Yes!
Come to Quimby :)

[Kinnon]

Umm. Why are you up so early???

[bobhyatt]

3:30, man :)
Sometimes, it just happens.

[Ray Hollenbach]

Bob, you're on good ground when you quote Jack Hayford--he's been a servant of God and a decent man for decades. Sadly, Bill's point is the all too common reality. North Americans mistake knowing for being. Just try to imagine a pastor asking follow-up questions after his sermon (Pastor--on Tuesday: "So did you do what I said and simply your lifestyle? Give to the poor?" Church Member: "None of your business! Who do you think you are?") Yet Jesus concluded the Sermon on the mount with the full expectation that hose who heard were responsible for putting his words into action (Matthew 7: 24-29).