Preaching;a lost reality.

Preaching is an interesting animal. I am reading this book for class called The Heart of a Great Pastor. I'm in the first chapter and the author lists seven resources that every church/congregation needs. His fourth resource is Every Church Needs Biblical Preaching. The author goes on to describe that "one anointed person speaking a fresh word from God amid the people of God-is one of the Father's favorite ways of communicating His will to believers"

Now I am bias of course because I am a preaching major. But I am not bias enough to believe that statement. I do not believe that God has a favorite way of communicating his will to His believers, simply because the people who He created are wired differently. They hear Him differently. It's like having three children. Every child hears and communicates differently because they were all made different.

The author continues to describe this idea of preaching that solidifies the reality of the modern preacher. The preacher who preaches behind a pulpit on Sunday mornings and then becomes a mongrel at home, or who cheats on his wife. A preacher who is made to look like a star and not a human. Someone who is above the cut when in reality they are rotting internally.

You can edify the truth on the weekends all you want but true preaching starts when you step off the stage and into your community.

When you live your life day in and day out.

Preaching becomes not just what you say but how you say it. Not just what you think but how you think. Not just how you act towards scripture but how you interact with scripture through humanity.

A preacher is someone who uses words and stories to demonstrate the reality of God.

Preachers are not special. They are not the only ones gifted in the congregation. They are apart of the body and they are sinners as well.

Sinners that need to be affirmed by a community. Sinners that need to be forgiven and given grace.

Preachers have a gift that has been given by the Holy Spirit. Don't make that out to be a celebrity situation. Don't take a preacher and make him the star of the show because in all reality he is just and extra. She is an important extra, to God of course, but she is not the main character. She is not even a supporting character.

So the next time you get caught up on who said this or who believes that, like I do, realize that the only one who matters is Christ. If you get lost in the details you have missed the point.