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<\/a><\/p>\nA lecture given in Hexham in 1985.\u00a0 In general these lectures seem to almost all come from the period shortly after Kingsley retired from his University post at the University of Durham in the Theology Department in 1982.<\/p>\n
Explaining the call to preach has turned out to be more difficult than I thought. To illustrate the difficulty, two proposition: 1) Faculties\u2013 do not preach unless you have to;\u00a0 2) at Cambridge, what you must ask is whether you have a call NOT to preach.\u00a0 This assumes we are Christians and a few other things also.\u00a0 Let us see where the problem lies.<\/p>\n
I see no problem in the Damascus Road kind of experience . Recall it from Acts 9,22,26.\u00a0 And it can still happen.\u00a0 There is no problem here, but there is K. Stendahl\u2019s question\u2013 is this a conversion or a call?\u00a0 In fact the question is wrongly put.\u00a0 All conversions are calls.\u00a0 And this puts us a step further. All conversions are\u00a0in a sense\u00a0<\/em>a call to preach, that is to bear witness.\u00a0\u00a0The non-witnessing Christian is a self-contradiction.\u00a0<\/em> See Rom. 10.\u00a0 On this we shall all agree, and also that witnessing can take many forms.\u00a0 \u00a0This is the presupposition of it all.\u00a0 But you do not want me to confine myself to this\u2013 \u2018coming to the Methodist preaching plan\u2019, taking services, preaching sermons.<\/p>\nHere we have to turn aside to ask what preaching actually is.\u00a0 It is related to, but not identical with: 1) the common Christian obligation to witness; 2) the making of public speeches, lectures. We should approach the truth by saying it is a) interpersonal, but b) we need to go further.\u00a0 How is witness expressed with speech.\u00a0 \u00a0Again a question arises\u2013 what are we witnessing to?\u00a0 \u00a0An immediate answer is\u2013 a conviction of mine, something that has happened to me.\u00a0 This suggests a third thing preaching is related to but is not<\/em>\u2014 projection of the self.\u00a0 Cf. the use of reader\u2019s services.\u00a0 Good but not preaching. (see Wesley\u2019s sermons).<\/p>\nMore important we witness to the objective and universal fact that God has redeemed the world by sending his Son. This is apprehended subjectively and individually.\u00a0 What God did is confirmed in Scripture, and therefore preaching is based in Scripture.\u00a0 Thus preaching presents the substantial empirical content of the Christian faith, explains it, applies it, makes it acceptable.\u00a0 This is done in different contexts, hence evangelistic preaching and instructive preaching.<\/p>\n
With this we come to the question of call.\u00a0 We began from a traditional Methodist formula. Gifts\u2013natural endowment physical and mental. But nearly everything you can say needs to be hedged with qualifications.\u00a0 \u00a0Voice\u2013 but think of Maltby!\u00a0 \u00a0Accent.\u00a0 Intelligence\u2013 the Bible is in Hebrew and Greek!\u00a0 But how many fine preachers have neither, but they do have exceptional study and understanding of Scripture.\u00a0 Clarity of thought is important.\u00a0 \u00a0Grace\u2014 supernatural endowment.\u00a0 The basic thing is that the preacher\u2019s life must not contradict the message, not too flagrantly anyway. No one is as good as the message.\u00a0 There is also the Spirit of convincing speech, which is more than clarity, logic, and sincerity.<\/p>\n
Fruit\u2013 Non-Methodists sometimes say this is unfair. There is a chicken and egg element.\u00a0 But our traditional (forgotten?) ways make it possible\u2013class, open air, exhorting, nite. Do we in these days take fruit seriously enough?\u00a0 These are external checks.\u00a0 This is right for me; I have something to say\u2014<\/p>\n
If the conviction is genuine, the response will be apparent.\u00a0 Getting ready to preach involves hard work (Scripture, theology, ethics). it involves faithfulness, acceptance of opportunities, little and large.\u00a0 It involves the use of helps, e.g. preacher\u2019s groups, books etc.<\/p>\n
This leads to further questions\u2013 In times of dearth or decline can we encourage call?\u00a0 by 1) Prayer, 2) demonstrating this is a high calling\u00a0 and therefore there is no place for laziness, inadequate preparation, carelessness, failure to talk about reality will put young people off. 3) providing opportunities for beginners, for example in bands.<\/p>\n
How is a sense of call maintained?\u00a0 1) continuing to pray, think, read, fellowship with others; 2) learning the techniques; 3) avoiding mere habit.<\/p>\n
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A lecture given in Hexham in 1985.\u00a0 In general these lectures seem to almost all come from the period shortly after Kingsley retired from his University post at the University of Durham in the Theology Department in 1982. Explaining the call to preach has turned out to be more difficult than I thought. To illustrate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":62469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[14259],"class_list":["post-62490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-the-art-of-preaching"],"yoast_head":"\n
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