Definition of Preaching
My definition of preaching is: “Proclaiming the theology of a biblical text in the contemporary context in order to transform the present and future community of God into the image of Jesus.” Although each of these phrases may engender debate, let me simply unpack my particular perspective.
Proclaiming: Metaphors abound that describe the preaching event. The Bible allows for a rich diversity of options, such as herald, witness, watchman, ambassador, vessel, or aroma. To be bound by one metaphor delimits preaching in ways that exclude rather than include. Of all the words in my definition, this is the most difficult to choose. I am attracted to the word “witness.” I desire to share with the congregation my personal experience with God and God’s Good News. I want to tell anyone who will listen what I have seen and heard in the text and in my Christian experience with God. But I want to do more than just offer evidence. I want to announce, profess, and proclaim in order to persuade. As a believer, I have a stake in the game; a vested interest. The thin line between words like persuade and sell, testify and manipulate, and convince and indoctrinate, has been easily and frequently crossed. But in the marketplace of ideas, I do not want a timid voice that merely offers the Gospel as one viable option among a host of other selections. If the ship has been lost for days at sea, the lookout cries out, “I see land!” If my neighbor attended the inauguration of the President, I want to see her pictures and hear her say, “You should have been there! It was the best day of my life.” When my doctor comes with his diagnosis, I want him to confidently state the prognosis. Preachers should speak with confidence and boldness about what they have seen and heard. The preacher’s proclamation focuses the eyes and ears of the audience so that they too can behold, witness, and declare.
The Theology of a Biblical Text: Some definitions in the literature narrow the conversation so tightly that they stifle the variety needed in congregations. For instance, Augustine’s desire to use the Great Commandments as a lens for interpretation and homiletics will enhance preaching. If I applied the litmus test of loving God and loving neighbor to my sermons, my preaching would improve. What if every sermon in the land submitted itself to the scrutiny of Augustine’s assessment? The world would certainly be different. Likewise, the word “gospel” has been suggested as the screening tool for sermons. It is suggested that every sermon be a “gospel” sermon. Every sermon must be deemed “good” news. Again, I am convinced that the profession of preaching and the influence of the church would inherently boost the credibility and the efficacy of preaching if “good news” was adopted as the judicating criteria. Yet, although not necessarily so, some topics and texts might be diluted of their meaning and power if the vice of definitions squeezed too much of their life from their veins. For example, the imprecatory psalms might not only be watered down but also excised altogether. Some narratives that have troubled lectionary compilers for centuries and exegetes even longer will certainly be deleted from the canon if they could only be discussed as “good news” or through the lens of the Great Commandments. Consequently, I use the word theology. Theology is the big word. Theology allows for the range of options needed by congregations for the whole word of God.
In the Contemporary Context: What other option do I have? So much of the preaching I hear as a teacher of preaching and as I travel around the country falls into the category of “history.” Preachers are explaining what happened and what was said in the past. Somehow, the misconception has emerged that declares that all churches need is to understand the facts of archeology, history, exegesis, etc. and the bridge to the contemporary world will be easily traversed. My seminary training concentrated on how to unpack and explain the Bible. Once the “truth” was uncovered, my earliest lessons in preaching taught me to explain it, apply it, and illustrate it. The ancient debate between Plato and the Sophists, that recurred between the “Old” and “New” Homiletic, was one-sided. For me, this generated a host of past tense sermons that downloaded data. It took a while for me to figure out that I did not live back then nor had anyone sitting in front of me. I live in the here and now. I choose to live today. The folks coming to worship God on any given Sunday, come full of joys, sorrows, pains, anxieties, hopes, dreams, and fears. They have forces that are tearing up their days in awful and gut wrenching ways. They have blessings that are enriching their lives bountifully. They come with expectations to hear a word from God that speaks to them in their context. This is why it is important to make a turn towards the listener.
In Order to Transform: Texts accomplish a variety of functions. They teach, affirm, remind, warn, urge, comfort, exhort, encourage, call, claim, challenge, correct, delight, rebuke, the list is endless. But the primary purpose of God in the world is to call people to be in relationship. God’s story begins in the fellowship of a trinitarian relationship. The eschaton begins a new chapter of God’s story where all who are reconciled are called to live continuously in fellowship with God. In between the prologue and the epilogue, is an amazing story of God’s love reuniting humanity to God’s creative intent. Nowhere is that articulated better than by Paul in 2 Cor. 3:18 when he says, “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”
In my definition of preaching, the phrase “in order to transform,” addresses intent. More specifically, “What is the purpose of preaching?” In my preaching classes, I press students to write clear and concise function statements that have strong active verbs that call for affective and behavioral changes. The Bible does inform. But the authors of the biblical texts do not write in order to download truths to their audiences. On the contrary, the authors write because the occasion demands a word from God so that problems and issues that are tearing up their days can be addressed. Through the eternal truths of God’s identity and God’s story, God desires us to respond, to be transformed, so that we can be in fellowship with God’s Self.
The Present and Future Community of God: We live between the times; between the advents of Jesus’ incarnation into our world and Jesus’ inauguration of a new age to come. The life God gives us between these advents has meaning. God is not just doing time. In between the times, God calls humanity to participate in God’s life through the process of continuing the reconciling work of Jesus. Preaching addresses the present tense because God desires to bless humanity in the life provided now. Preaching addresses the future tense because God’s story is heading somewhere. And God’s primary vehicle in history has been and still is community. Beginning with Abraham, God called Israel to be a people set apart from others so that all might have hope. In Jesus, God continues to set apart a community so that all peoples of the earth could be blessed. So often preaching addresses the individual in ways that makes church a self-help therapy club rather than the life giving fellowship of Jesus. Most of scripture addresses community. Preaching must restore that emphasis.
Into the Image of Jesus: In Jesus, God displays the fullness of divinity. Jesus demonstrates the intent God desired for all humanity in creation. Through recreation, all receive the fullness of God (Col. 2:9-10). The Gospels tell the story of Jesus so that we can not only behold his identity but also follow in his steps. Luke writes Acts to record the witness of the people continuing Jesus’ work as a community. The letters call churches back to the “mind of Christ” so that they will continue faithfully their life of imitation.