Issue 14

W H O L E L I F E P R E A C H I N G

Interview with Preaching from where I stand CONTEXT. CONTEXT. CONTEXT. The whole-life text Emma Ineson Nell Goddard Neil Hudson Mark Greene page 8 page 12 page 17 page 22 “This new resource from LICC is a great gift to us all.”

Dr Krish Kandiah, Founding Director: Home for Good, and author of Twenty-Four: Integrating Faith and Real Life

A six-part video series on the power of preaching for everyday life

Full series available free online at: licc.org.uk/preaching

© LICC 2017. All Rights Reserved. CONTENTS 3 Contents ISSUE 14 Regulars 6 Letters 7 Column – Calvin Samuel 8 Interview – Emma Ineson 37 Column – Natalie Collins 38 Book Reviews 8 38 44 The Preach Book Club

Features Context. T H E Context. H O L E Context. W - Neil Hudson L I F E P R E A C H E R Preaching from where I stand David Lawrence Nell Goddard 30

12 17 Worship for the whole of life The whole-life text Antony Billington Mark Greene Serials 22 26 The Late Greats 28 God in the movies 45 Essential reading for preachers 46 51 How I prepare 52 Soul care for leaders 54 Unbelievable? 56 Painting the Word 4 WELCOME

COUNCIL OF From your editor… REFERENCE

David Bracewell – Zoe Ministry (zoeministry.co.uk); author; and previously Rector of Saint Saviour’s Church, Guildford. About LICC Kate Bruce – Director of the Centre for Communication and Preaching, Deputy Warden and Tutor in Homiletics, St John’s College, Durham University. Charlie Cleverly – Rector of St Aldate’s, Oxford and author of several books, most recently Song of Songs. Ian Coffey – Vice Principal (Strategy) and Director of Leadership Training, Moorlands College. Malcolm Duncan – Chair of the Spring Harvest Planning Group; Senior Minister of Gold Hill Baptist Church; Founder and Director of Church and Community. Ruth Gee – President of Methodist THANK YOU FOR CHEERING ME ON, FOR YOUR CONSTRUCTIVE Conference 2013/14 and Methodist minister. CRITICISM AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTENT, AND FOR Richard Littledale – Baptist minister, LETTING ME KNOW THAT YOU APPRECIATED THE WORK THAT author and broadcaster. HAS GONE INTO EACH ISSUE. Mark Meynell – Associate Director, Langham Partnership International; author and cultural commentator. Calvin Samuel – Principal of London School of Theology. ust as a dog is not just for years. Thank you for cheering me Christmas, worship is not just on, for your constructive criticism for Sunday. To be a Christian is and engagement with the content, Jto have your entire life reshaped and for letting me know that you by God: work, play, relationships, appreciated the work that has Preach resources, available in print finances – every part transformed. gone into each issue. I pray you will and online, are provided by LWPT. And yet how often does our continue to pour yourselves into the preaching address the weekday vital work of preaching the Word of Editor Jo Swinney concerns of our congregations? God with faith and passion, because Much of this issue of Preach comes as Herman Melville wrote in Moby Design to you courtesy of the fantastic Dick, ‘The pulpit leads the world’. Adept www.adeptdesign.co.uk team at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC), Printing & distribution cpo.org.uk whose vision is to equip church leaders and preachers so they in Editorial office turn can empower their church The Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust communities to make a difference PO Box 2352, Watford, Herts in their contexts. We have loved WD18 1PY working with them and know you T 01923 231811 will find what they have to say F 01923 296899 thought-provoking, inspiring and E [email protected] practical. W preachweb.org The Leaders of Worship and And now for some Preach-related Preachers Trust is an ecumenical Trust (Charity No. 1107967) news: this is my last editorial for the Copyright the Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust 2018. All rights reserved. Permission is granted magazine it has been my honour Jo Swinney for the reproduction of text from this publication for the Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust promotional and delight to edit for the past four Editor use only. For all other uses, please contact us. ABOUT LICC 5 About LICC

Good news for the 98%

And the 2% too.

he vast majority of We speak, run courses and workshops, So, if you’re looking to make a greater Christians (around and offer training for churches. difference where you are, or you’d 98%) spend the vast like your church to become the kind T majority of their waking And if you click on our website of community that’s committed to time (around 95%) in non-church (licc.org.uk), you’ll find a trove of free frontline mission, check out what’s related activities. So just imagine material – clips, articles, downloads available online or get in touch. what the impact might be on our – as well as simple sign-ups for our neighbourhoods, on our schools themed prayer journeys and our and clubs and workplaces, on our punchy weekly emails – Word for the whole nation, if all of us were really Week and Connecting with Culture. able to help one another to make a London Institute for difference for Christ right where we Contemporary Christianity are, out on our daily frontlines. St Peter’s, Vere Street, That’s LICC’s focus: empowering London, W1G 0DQ Christians to make a difference in [email protected] God’s world, and envisioning and licc.org.uk equipping church leaders to help them do it.

Founded by John Stott in 1982, and now led by Mark Greene, LICC’s growing team seeks to combine biblical wisdom, cultural insight, and practical ideas to offer individuals and ministers (the 2%) a wide range of resources that will equip the whole church (the 98%). 6 LETTERS AND TWEETS

Interactive preaching Thank you very much for the issue of Preach on Interactive preaching (Issue 12). I found Steve Adams’ article and also his book, The Centre Brain, very stimulating, I have Letters always thought using questions as Jesus did is very effective but had not realised the most important question and tweets is why… …I limit my sermons to ten minutes and then have 15 to 20 minutes when the congregation can respond. What is God, not me, saying? What is your experience, what are your difficulties etc? This has given the congregation the opportunity to share experiences I have not had…

…Where there is a large congregation I invite people to talk in small groups. I also invite them to write down Preaching about hold on to, but my concern is for those anything they would like to share who are confused, as I was when I which I can read out. This allows creation first received Jesus into my heart, people who are reluctant to speak in public to make their contribution. I’m hoping that this is not the only about how to reconcile the historicity I hope there are other preachers response to the letter from Richard of the early chapters of Genesis with who will share their experiences of Goodman (Preach, Issue 12, page 6). historical science. Not only that, interactive preaching. If it is then I can only assume that but for those not-yet-believers who I’m reading the wrong magazine for question how we can pick and choose Trevor Bell, Radstock guidance on ‘Preaching the Word’ in which parts of Bible history are the twenty-first century! believable, such as the virgin birth and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, I believe that it is the duty of all while rejecting others that are clearly preachers to recognise that when written in context and language as TWITTER people enter the portals of our places history under the inspiration of the @UnbelievableJB Hey of worship they do not leave on the Holy Spirit. doorstep their brains, their intellect @_jeremiahj just saw your or their knowledge of the way science Long-age evolution attracts much interview with @joswinney in has developed over the past 50 media attention, especially by @PreachMagazine – good job! years, let alone the last 200 years! commentators who are self-confessed @JohnDavidWoods1 We do people no favours and do not atheists, but despite a broad spectrum @PreachMagazine delivers help them develop as Christians by of scientific evidence pointing towards another bran tub of all things pretending that advances in scientific a ‘young-earth’ creation, this gets Preaching. Great work out for studies have never occurred. zero attention because it speaks of a all who are serious about supernatural God to whom we are all To suggest that the Bible is a science preaching cross-culturally. ultimately answerable. book which informs us that the world @KrishK Thank you is no more than 6,000 years old is Websites such as creation.com and @PreachMagazine for your surely over-stretching things more answersingenesis.org are huge encouraging review than a little? Or perhaps Mr Goodman sources of information on this of #GodIsStranger is really playing (if he will forgive me) subject. Most importantly we need devil’s advocate in order to open up to hear what God is saying to us in debate. If he is, then I congratulate this increasingly secularised age, him, for I’m all for open honest debate. and eventually may have to agree You can write to us at Paul Wilks, Runcorn to disagree, but let us first cast WRITE TO US PO Box 2352, Watford, We don’t need to get hung up on the aside preconceptions and be open to Herts WD18 1PY, email mysteries of creation because Romans examine all avenues of research. [email protected] or 10:9–10 is the core truth we must all Richard Goodman, via email tweet us @preachmagazine. COLUMN 7

COLUMNIST CALVIN SAMUEL Preaching and personality In an ideal world, preaching should primarily be about the message not the messenger, about the scriptures rather than the speaker, about the content of the sermon more than its composer. However, we are probably all aware of situations in which the preacher’s personality and personal charisma matter a great deal.

n such instances the preacher It’s not enough to present a sermon may be a minor celebrity, a which is well-researched but bland. charismatic figure who wows Indeed, I would go as far as to suggest THAT PROBLEM IS NOT I the crowds with rhetoric, and it is a dereliction of duty on the part WITH SCRIPTURE, BECAUSE no small amount of emotional of a preacher, if the congregation is manipulation. presented with cold facts of a text BY AND LARGE IT’S NOT but nothing of oneself. Returning to BORING, THE PROBLEM IS The harsh reality, of course, is that Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 we hear there is no neat divide between NOT WITH THE SPIRIT. his declaration: ‘Because we loved the medium and the message in you so much, we were delighted to authentic preaching. Indeed, in share with you not only the gospel of many cases the medium is the God but our lives as well.’ Authentic message. Returning once again to Paul, this preaching needs to be imbued with the time in 1 Corinthians 9:22, we say Here’s a confession: I am often bored personality of the preacher. However, with him, ‘I have become all things by preaching. I mean the preaching this last point puts the preacher in a to all people so that by all possible of others rather than my own. potentially vulnerable space. If people means I might save some.’ However, Though I admit that there have naturally like you as a person, a in becoming all things to all people been times either whilst preparing, sermon imbued with your personality we must always remain who we are. but even worse, once or twice while is more likely to be received positively. When I first started preaching I preaching, I’ve thought to myself But what about those of us whose modelled myself after a Baptist ‘This is boring stuff!’ personalities are less naturally cuddly, pastor whose preaching I greatly or less commonly likeable? For people Now I love Scripture, I love learning admired. He was hugely influential like us we might be inclined to project new things about it, I’m fairly open to my generation so a number of a different kind of personality in our to what the Spirit has to say and us as young preachers reflected his preaching, one that we think is more for me the sermon is the high point mannerisms, exegetical approach, acceptable. However, that would be a of the service. So, if I’m bored by and even his accent! Now that mistake. preaching there’s a problem. That I’ve learned to become more problem is not with Scripture, It strikes me that the God who calls comfortable in my own skin, I have because by and large it’s not boring, us to preaching calls the whole also found my own voice. I’m still the problem is not with the Spirit, person. I imagine that not all of the influenced by his preaching, and because God is hardly uninteresting. Old Testament prophets had likeable grateful for that influence, but The problem thus must be with the personalities. Jeremiah hardly seems I’m more authentically me in my preacher… to be a barrel of laughs and Ezekiel sermons than I was in my early 20s. isn’t likely to be the kind of person Which brings us back to preaching People should see something of you’d invite to be on your bowling and personality. It seems that you as you preach. Better yet let team. Nonetheless, they were mightily personality in preaching does them see the ‘you’ that is still being used of God. Authentic preaching matter after all. Sermons, if they conformed to the image of Christ. requires you to be yourself. are to capture the attention and imaginations of the hearers and stir Of course, as faithful ‘stewards of Rev Dr Calvin Samuel their hearts, and minds, and even the mysteries of God,’ (1 Corinthians Calvin Samuel is the Principal of London School emotions, need to be imbued with 4:1, NASB) and as effective of Theology. He is a Methodist minister and something of the personality of the previously served as Academic Dean of St John’s communicators we constantly seek College and Director of Wesley Study Centre. preacher. the best ways of reaching our hearers. 8 INTERVIEW

In conversation with Emma Ineson INTERVIEW 9

In conversation with Emma Ineson

Interview by Antony Billington

EMMA INESON is Principal of Trinity College Bristol, having previously trained there for ordination and subsequently serving for seven years as Tutor in Practical and Pastoral Theology. Following ordination, Emma and her husband Mat went on to a job-share curacy in the Diocese of Sheffield, before spending four years as chaplains of the Lee Abbey community in Devon. This instilled in Emma the significance of community as a primary means of transformation, a theme she continues to pursue at Trinity. Emma is a member of General Synod of the Church of England. Her PhD research explored power and authority in the language of worship, and the interface between language and faith continues to fascinate her. Having been on the receiving end of warm hospitality at the home of Emma and Mat, and knowing something of Emma’s concern to see the church equip disciples for the whole of life, I was grateful for her willingness to respond to a few questions on the significance of preaching. 10 INTERVIEW

AB We seem to go through phases where the value of preaching is called into question – it’s seen as passé, or IT’S ALMOST A SACRAMENTAL ACT, SOMETHING HOLY, AND IS overly authoritarian, or not able to communicate with people more ONE OF THE WAYS (POSSIBLY THE PRIMARY WAY) THAT GOD used to watching YouTube videos SHAPES AND FORMS ME TO LIVE FOR HIM IN THE WORLD. than listening to monologues. And then there are other times where preaching seems to come into its own. Plus, the reality is that most churches way God has revealed himself to us, There is also the skill and technique still devote a significant chunk of the way we know about Jesus, the involved in approaching and their gathered worship to opening up way we learn to love him, the way preparing to preach, studying and a passage of the Bible. What’s your we learn to be truly human. So I love honing a message. That can be own sense of how the importance of that someone (whether it’s me or learned too. We spend a lot of time

preaching is currently perceived? someone else) has spent time during on that in our classes at Trinity. If EI the week wrestling with that Word, someone stands up to preach and I think you’re right that reading what others have said about begins with ‘I haven’t really spent its popularity as a form of it, praying about it, listening to God much time preparing this...’ I groan communication goes up and about it for this community – and inwardly. down. That’s not usually to do with that I get to receive the fruits of their preaching itself but how well it’s AB labours as they preach. I believe that What opportunities and done. I’m a firm believer that good the Holy Spirit works in and through challenges do you see Christians preaching never goes out of fashion. preaching. It is truly a kerygmatic facing at the moment, and how It’s not true that these days people event that reveals Christ to us afresh might preaching equip us for those don’t value spoken communication –

each time the Word is preached. It’s opportunities and challenges? just look at the popularity of TED talks. EI almost a sacramental act, something And people will listen to a stand-up Preaching can be a form of holy, and is one of the ways (possibly comedian for an hour, no problem. prophetic resistance. Just listen to the primary way) that God shapes and Bad preaching should always be out the sermons of Martin Luther King forms me to live for him in the world. of fashion – the kind where either you Jr. to see how the preached Word Can you tell I have quite a high view of feel like an essay has just been read of God can speak into a prevailing preaching?! out, or where someone drones on culture and bring real change. Walter for ages with a stream of their own AB In his book, I Believe in Preaching, Brueggemann writes of a kind of consciousness. That kind of preaching John Stott writes that ‘preaching prophetic preaching whose aim should always be challenged and is not so much mastering certain is to ‘nurture, nourish, and evoke resisted. But I think we all know that techniques as being mastered by a consciousness and perception feeling where you listen to something certain convictions’. How far does that alternative to the consciousness and truly inspirational and you know that ring true to you, and what convictions perception of the dominant culture 1 what you have just heard will change would you want to emphasise as being around us’. The people of God need your life. significant for preachers? to be reminded through the preached Word that the values of God’s kingdom

I do think there is room for other EI Far be it from me to disagree with are different to those of the kingdoms forms of communication in the church anything John Stott says(!), but I would of this world. – group discussions, videos, Q&A all say that it is both – mastering good have their place – but I don’t believe techniques and being mastered by The church possibly needs to they should ever be a substitute for certain convictions. He is right that all rediscover this prophetic sense of that time on a Sunday where the the skills and techniques in the world preaching. There are some huge people of God gather together around won’t lift something that is empty and issues facing us at the moment – the Word, as someone ‘breaks it open’ has no ‘heart’. But it’s also true that globalisation, populism, confused in our midst. the most passionate and wholehearted views about gender and sexuality, migration, personhood, identity (I AB And in what ways is preaching message communicated badly probably could go on) – but I wonder how many important to you? won’t be fully heard by its listeners. The

preachers shy away from addressing EI best sermons are where someone has Where to start? I truly believe themselves been convicted by what the tough questions for fear of that God’s Word in the Bible is the they want to say, and then also has offending someone. My own view benchmark and guide for the way the gifts and techniques to deliver that is that it’s pretty impossible not to we are to live our whole lives. It’s the Word effectively. offend at least one person during your INTERVIEW 11

preaching, and if you don’t, you’re Do we always choose illustrations AB What do you see in the church probably not doing it right. and stories and examples from the at large today or in your students The Word of God is challenging world of church, or do we illustrate which gives you hope for the future of

and cuts to the quick. (OK, perhaps with stories from medicine, from preaching? ‘challenge’ is a better word than business, from politics? Who are the EI ‘offend’.) I agree with Leonora Tubbs people we quote and talk about? Are At the end of the first-year course Tisdale, Professor of Homiletics at they all great church leaders, or do I teach on preaching, all the students Yale, who says ‘the goal is not to make we talk about the great example are asked to preach a short sermon our sermons more palatable; it is to we’ve seen of a mum looking after for a small group of other students, make them more hearable’.2 The sign her kids at home, or the lawyer living and to give and receive feedback from of a really good sermon is when your out their faith in the courtroom, or each other. It’s a bit of a daunting hearers leave the church feeling that the teacher at school? experience for some, especially those who haven’t preached much before. they’ve really wrestled with both the AB Bible and with the issues of the day, What advice would you give to But every time I am pleasantly and that what you have given them preachers who wanted to be more surprised by the passion and skill will help them to live more effectively self-conscious about discipling people have for preaching God’s Word.

as Christians in the places to which people though preaching? Some of them are amazingly creative, they go in the week. EI and it’s humbling to hear what they One thought is to make sure all do with the passage they’ve been AB Aside from specific issues that you’re preaching for real people. given. Christians face in society, how might Someone once suggested to me that preaching shape the everyday lives of as you sit down to write your sermon Generally in the church I think there God’s people – at work, at home, out you should think of the names of is a real hunger to engage with the and about in the local community? five people from your congregation Bible and to wrestle with what it says – a mix of ages, male and female, for us today. I am encouraged by the

EI I enjoy preaching at conferences different roles in life – and write places I see this happening in pulpits and occasions such as ordinations their names at the top of every page. up and down the country. The ability and weddings. But one of the real Then ‘check in’ constantly with those to share thoughts and ideas via social privileges is where you get to preach, people, as it were, asking whether media has the potential to help too week in, week out, to a gathered what you are saying will in some (as well as being an unnecessary community of disciples. I love it here sense be ‘good news’ for them. distraction at times!). Karl Barth at Trinity when our faculty members famously encouraged us to ‘take your preach in our weekly services of Holy The other thing I’d say is that we Bible and take your newspaper, and Communion, and I see those who need to preach from the whole of read both. But interpret newspapers teach our students also discipling Scripture (yes, even the awkward from your Bible’.3 John Stott said and pastoring those same students bits) in order to help people gain something similar. That’s great advice, through their preaching. a full and rich picture of God and but I wonder if today we should God’s work in the world. Unless substitute ‘newspaper’ with ‘Twitter It’s really important that as preachers we base what we say firmly on the feed’. There is such a high calling on we learn to address the issues and Word of God and allow that to speak us as preachers to become really good ‘ordinariness’ of the everyday lives into everyday lives (that can be listeners – primarily to the Holy Spirit of our listeners. Too often sermons tougher with some passages than speaking through the Bible, but also to are about how to do church well others!) then we’ll be in danger of the world around us, and especially to rather than how to live life well as a forming people in our own image the congregations we serve. Bringing follower of Jesus wherever you are – at as preachers, rather than allowing those three together in our preaching home, in school, in work. One of the them to be formed and shaped by each Sunday morning (or whenever things I’ve learned from some study God, into the image of his Son Jesus. your community gathers) is an of feminist ideas of preaching is that awesome and amazing task, as we the illustrations and examples we use play our part in enabling God’s people in our sermons can be so important, to be shaped and discipled by God’s and it’s too easy to get into a rut with TOO OFTEN SERMONS ARE Word for the week ahead. that. Do we always use male stories to ABOUT HOW TO DO CHURCH illustrate what we say, or are some of WELL RATHER THAN HOW TO 1. Brueggemann, W (2001), The Prophetic Imagination our examples from women? Do we pick LIVE LIFE WELL AS A FOLLOWER (second edition), Minneapolis: Fortress, page 13. up on the obvious characters in a story 2. Tisdale, L (2010), Prophetic Preaching: A Pastoral OF JESUS WHEREVER YOU ARE. Approach, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, page 42. (David) at the expense of the more 3. ‘Theologians: Barth in Retirement’, Time Magazine, ‘hidden’ perspectives (Bathsheba)? 31 May 1963. Available from http://bit.ly/BarthTime (accessed 5 December 2017). 12 FEATURE

Preaching from where

standI

by Nell Goddard FEATURE 13

What difference does the everyday context of your congregation Preaching make to your preaching – in preparation, delivery, content, and response? from where This is the question I posed to three different preachers from three different churches. standI by Nell Goddard 14 FEATURE

DBDave Bruce is Chase Team LFLukundo Fagade is on the CBClive Burnard was an atheist Rector of St Andrews and All Saints leadership team of King’s Church, until the age of 32 when the Lord churches in Malvern. He taught Manchester, and helps lead a ‘turned him around’. He’s now been in physics for 15 years before training at church plant in Higher Blackely. ministry for 25 years, the last two of Trinity College Bristol and completing She also works part time as a which he’s spent being Senior Pastor his curacy in Malvern. community pharmacist. at Mutley Baptist Church in Plymouth.

NG How were you taught to preach? was refined as I went to Bible school DB We cover a huge demographic How has your preaching developed and read books on preaching, and I’ve – from 0 to 101, with two church and changed over the years as you’ve matured in my delivery and approach members over 100! Malvern is quite matured in your style, delivery, and over the past few years. I weigh largely retired, so we have a lot of theological thinking? things up and hold the scriptures in early retired people who played key tension, listening to the Holy Spirit, roles in their employment lives and DB I was brought up on expository but I’m always open to learning are now active volunteers. On top of preaching, and, despite a bit of and journeying with people, as a that, we have a strong children and input at theological college, I’ve community – not just preaching at young people’s work with a mix of learnt mainly from watching other people. We all feed into one another. young families and those who are preachers. Preaching for me is about working full time. The churches are a GB My default would be expository ‘hook, book, look, took’ – hooking pretty fair representation of the local preaching – but whether it’s thematic people in, looking at the Bible, area: we’re mainly middle class, and unpacking it, and then taking it and or systematic, preaching is about bringing out truth, making it relevant often with a scientific background using it. through wise exegesis and sound as Malvern has a strong scientific heritage, which suits me as a former More recently, however, I’ve begun to hermeneutics for the people in front physics teacher! reflect on the idea of response – how of me at that moment in that time in can I preach in a way that allows God their context. It’s about taking timeless LF We have an average age of truths and applying them to today. to meet with people in his Word by about 37, made up of lots of families his Spirit and respond in a way which When I’m preparing, I’ll always take with young children or teenagers, brings transformation? How can I, the congregation with me to the text… young adults, and a handful of through my preaching, grow disciples? listening to the Holy Spirit for leading grandparents. Most people in the How can I help people to encounter and guidance and then being faithful congregation work full time, in an God? I am trying to preach in a way to the text, sitting under its authority, array of professions, with a couple which will equip people to grow in and trusting that the Holy Spirit will of older volunteers here and there as faith themselves and live as disciples give me the application for the context well. in the rest of the week in the places of the people I’m speaking to. that God has put them. In terms of what people do, the NG Tell me a little bit about your congregation is very representative LF I’ve been preaching since I was church – numbers, demographic, age, of the wider community, but we about 19 or 20, armed only with a variety of jobs etc. How far does the tend to have more racial and ethnic passion for God’s Word and emulating make-up of your church represent diversity. 83 per cent of people live what other people did! My technique your local area? within a two-mile radius of the FEATURE 15

school where the church meets, so 85-year-old whose wife is in a care as I work part-time as a community we’re a very local congregation. home with Alzheimer’s, and spoke pharmacist. A lot of the shaping of the with him about what it looks like to be examples will come out of the context CB We have a congregation of about a disciple there, and then shared his of the congregation. I will preach from 420 over three different services story with the rest of the church. the Bible and on what I believe the on a Sunday; the evening service is Holy Spirit is highlighting to us, but made up mainly of 18–30s, who make Going out and meeting people where I will give examples based on things they are has been a really key thing up 33 per cent of the population of people can relate to, i.e. their work life, – hearing their stories and their Plymouth. The two morning services home life, etc. bring a different demographic, and struggles. It means I can share them we have a lot of economic and ethnic in a sermon which inspires those who diversity across the three services, hear it. I will often end my sermon giving us a range of people more with an application point which gives diverse than Plymouth itself has. We a few 30-second suggestions of ‘this have lots of different people coming might be what it looks like in your along to services: consultants, GPs, context’. I try to ground it in what solicitors, recovering addicts, asylum I’ve seen and what I know about my seekers, homeless, factory workers, congregation. full-time parents, military personnel, LF As you can imagine, the job thing shop workers, and foster carers. is a big thing, particularly work-life NG What issues does your balance coupled with questions about congregation face in their everyday family and relationships, and raising lives, and how is your preaching children. The issue of the workplace is shaped by these particular issues? a particularly prominent one, along with time management as a number DB Fairly typical for the demographic of people work every other weekend, present – parenting struggles, work- or have regular night shifts. The life balance. A lack of time is a real outworking of faith in the workplace is issue for people, as is the high stress also a big question for many people in level of their jobs. For those who are the church. retired it’s how to discover their God- given calling in their retirement years. The major thing that shapes my preaching, then, is my examples. In my sermons I’ll often talk about I take the principles of what the God still wanting to use those who Scripture says, consider how we apply are older. What I’ve done is spent time those, and reflect people’s lives in the going out and meeting people on their illustrations used. I give work-based frontlines… but not just workplaces. situations as examples, which are The other week I went to visit an particularly easy for me to come by I

I WEIGH THINGS UP AND HOLD THE SCRIPTURES IN TENSION, LISTENING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT I’M ALWAYS OPEN TO LEARNING AND JOURNEYING WITH PEOPLE, AS A COMMUNITY – NOT JUST PREACHING AT PEOPLE. 16 FEATURE

CB For some it’s addictions, or asylum-seeking, or the sheer pressure of working in a strained NHS. In such GOING OUT AND MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE HAS a diverse church, the challenges and BEEN A REALLY KEY THING – HEARING THEIR STORIES AND opportunities people face in their Monday to Saturday lives are complex THEIR STRUGGLES. IT MEANS I CAN SHARE THEM IN A and varied. My aim in preaching is to SERMON WHICH INSPIRES THOSE WHO HEAR IT. equip and prepare them to live well for God and with each other where they find themselves in the week. notes to focus on ‘how does this NG Finally, what advice would you Whenever I prepare a sermon, I take apply to our frontline?’ It’s about give to a preacher who wanted to the people in my mind to the Bible doing joined-up thinking, keeping the preach in a way that was more alert as I’m preparing, whilst allowing conversations ongoing in that week, to the everyday context of their the Bible to speak for itself. This and being accountable to one another hearers? isn’t eisegesis – reading into it – but whilst sharing stories and testimonies. exegesis – reading out of it. I don’t DB Go out and visit people’s contexts. LF I preached on Deuteronomy 6:13 – work from a full script because I Share stories yourself, or get others ‘serve the Lord your God and his name expect the Holy Spirit to bring extra to share them as part of your sermon. only’ – and focused specifically on the and unique applications in as I am Create space to process – even just word ‘serve’, which classes work and speaking. I trust that the Holy Spirit three minutes at the end of a sermon worship as the same thing. It’s a lot knows who is in the congregation, – and to talk about what it means in more holistic than we often think. I and will bring something into my your context. notes depending on the service and wanted to help people realise that the who is there. Preaching is a living and work they do in the week is worship to LF Get to know people – if you know dynamic thing – it’s not just the text God as well. your people you know what’s going on the page but the inspiration of the on. Use examples – things often make CB We were preaching through Holy Spirit who knows everyone who more sense in examples. Use other the book of Ephesians, and I was is there better than I ever could. people’s stories, and get them to share speaking on Ephesians 5:1–21, ‘the testimonies. NG Can you give a specific example call to holiness’. I knew that there of a time where the context of your were people there who would never CB Prepare as if prayer makes no people made a difference to how think that they were holy, so I went difference, and pray as if preparation you’ve approached or applied a back to week one and talked about makes no difference. Bring the people specific passage in the Bible? how if you’re a Christian you’re called whom you serve, love, and value and a saint, because it’s Jesus’ love and to whom you are preaching to the text DB As part of a series on the call grace that makes us holy. What does with you. I would commend planning to follow Jesus, we were preaching it look like to be holy in your everyday for a whole year of preaching, on ‘the call to speak out’, and the life? ‘Be imitators of God, dearly attempting to cover different genres, preacher (not me!) had given a great loved children…’ What does practical themes, books, and texts. Have faith example from a work context about holiness look like? I didn’t want to that when you preach God is going to speaking out for a colleague who give people mere propositional truths do something with it and transform hadn’t been promoted when they (vital though they are), but took the people’s lives. should have been. The second time propositional truth seriously and she preached this sermon we changed rooted it in what it looks like for them, the response, inviting people to turn with practical examples. to those around them and discuss situations on their frontlines where Whole-life preaching is not about dumbing down, but about teaching they see an injustice, or something Nell Goddard they could speak out about. This gave up – letting people know how loved Nell Goddard is LICC’s writer, people a chance to process how the and precious they are, and helping penning (or editing) the weekly sermon applied to their Monday to them rise to the occasion, knowing emails, and attempting to be funny yet informative on social Saturday context. that the God who loves them will equip media. She occasionally them. It’s about choosing workplace speaks at churches or conferences, frequently In our mid-week groups we often illustrations, but it’s also about letting gets emails addressed reflect on Sunday’s sermon, and we’ve God be who he is, and letting the Word to ‘Neil’, and really, really likes dogs. now started writing the discussion speak for itself. FEATURE 17 Context. Context. Context.

by Neil Hudson 18 FEATURE

It was drummed into our heads as we eager, budding preachers sat week by week in our homiletics class. Context. Context. Context. And then, twenty years later, as a homiletics lecturer myself, teaching a new generation of would-be preachers, I repeated the mantra that had been passed on to me.

nd of course, my predecessors family and friends, there was a part were right. And so was I. It’s of me that breathed a sigh of relief. Preaching 101. If I want my The preacher had tackled the passage Acongregation to grapple with sensitively. He had remembered Mark 10:32–45, I need to work out why who he was preaching to. That day Mark placed this section where he the congregation’s context really did. Assuming that he was a careful mattered. enough writer to have good reasons for ordering material the way he did, So, if I can be alert to the context of I will look at what has gone before, my listeners on some Sundays, why and what follows. I will see the section can that concern be so sporadic? I within the whole gospel, and listen think the answer has much to do with to the echoes within the wider New the presuppositions with which I have Testament and the scriptures as a been accustomed to approaching the whole. And, if I do this, I know that I task of preaching, and the way I have will be able to design a sermon that approached my congregation. If there has depth and nuance and which is a potential pastoral concern in the resonates with the wider biblical preaching, it is easy to be alert to it. message. But if there isn’t, then it is all too easy to forget about their context. But despite all this careful work, there is a sobering thought that I need to On the whole, I believe that our be aware of. I can do all this thinking churches are great at caring for one another pastorally, ensuring about the context of the text and miss Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem that we are seeking to be nurturing the context of my listeners completely. and his disciples are astonished communities, able to help one another At least sometimes. and afraid. It seems that everyone thrive and feel accepted. But at the in Jesus’ circle knows that this is a At other times, I am only too aware of same time, on the whole, I believe that life-and-death confrontation with the the context of my listeners. Recently, most of our churches have not been as authorities. Intuitively, they know it when one my church’s preaching strong in equipping one another for may not end well. If they were in any team was dealing with the beginning the lives we live away from our church doubt, Jesus confirms their fears: of Mark 10, I was listening intently, communities. This is largely because ‘They will condemn him [the Son of only too aware of the context of we have not kept in mind the whole- Man] to death and will hand him over our community. In a congregation, life context of our hearers as a matter to the Gentiles, who will mock him where we have people in a range of of course. and spit on him, flog him and kill him.’ relationships and none, a sermon Maybe by the time they had heard dealing with marriage, divorce A WHOLE-LIFE AWARENESS this they were in no fit shape to be and adultery demands pastoral reassured by the punchline: ‘Three sensitivity. At the end of the sermon, Back to Mark 10. As the passage days later he will rise’ (Mark 10:33-34). as we prayed with people who were continues through verses 32–45, how struggling in their relationships as might this ‘whole-life’ perspective In the midst of astonishment, fear well as praying for those who were shape the way I approach this and confusion, tragedy becomes farce concerned for members of their passage? as James and John apply for the FEATURE 19

positions of right- and left-hand men head of year in a different school, in the new kingdom they were certain a community outreach worker was coming. Jesus acknowledges that connected with the local semi-pro there is a kingdom, and that there football club, the voluntary workers are responsibilities, but tells them he in a community cafe, asylum seekers can’t give those positions away. But who have no power, Zimbabweans it does give Jesus the opportunity who came as economic migrants and to talk about the nature of power. have to accept much less responsible In a fiercely hierarchical society, he jobs than the ones they had previously. says: ‘Not so with you’ (10:43). For his All these people understand the disciples, service is the way. It’s easy problems of power in their everyday to preach that within the confines of contexts. As I was preaching from this the gathered church, appealing for passage, I wanted all of these people humility and a servant-heartedness to see how we can use power to serve I CAN DO ALL THIS THINKING others: to direct but not control, to to one another. But is it relevant in a ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF THE work context? empower but not abandon authority, to hold high standards without TEXT AND MISS THE CONTEXT On the day I was preaching this being crushed under the weight of OF MY LISTENERS COMPLETELY. passage, in the congregation was a perfectionism. Even if the amount of new head teacher, along with a new power we have is limited. 20 FEATURE

in silence. Others find it helpful to THE CHALLENGE OF process out loud; they would much UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT prefer to talk to someone else, or be in a general conversation prompted To do this well, the challenge is clear. by what has been said. It’s not hard How can we better know the people to believe that even churches that we are preaching to, especially if are most driven by the clock couldn’t they are reticent to tell us about their find a few minutes in their services everyday contexts because they fear to do this. Preaching would then we might be too busy, or it may not be become a corporate occasion, driven significant, or they may feel it is not by the concerns of disciple-making, relevant to their ‘church life’? rather than an event received in total silence. 1 We can make it our practice to ask. Once I know where people are, I 3 We can give time for people am able to ask questions that might to share stories of their contexts. give me greater understanding of A simple exercise like ‘This Time their own pressure points as well Tomorrow’ (TTT) can bring about as the opportunities they have to a small but significant shift in the serve God there. I need to be able life and culture of a congregation. to ask in a way that goes past the Here is an opportunity to spend five superficialities of ‘how’s work?’. And I minutes hearing from a member of have to do it without being intrusive the congregation as we ask questions or inappropriate. like: Where will you be this time tomorrow? What will you be doing? Social media lends itself to doing this Who will be there? What can we pray sort of reconnaissance. It’s not hard for? TTT increases congregational to pose a question on Facebook and awareness, and the stories can let people interact, especially if you become fodder for preachers wanting are upfront about wanting help to to understand where people are in know more about people’s different their daily lives. worlds. But there is probably nothing better than actually visiting someone’s 4 Finally, so many people have frontline location. It’s the most told me that they do not expect the daunting thing for most, but the most preacher to be an expert in their rewarding for all. You see the physical field. All they are asking for is some space. You become aware of the verbal awareness that some of the issues interchanges. You get a real sense of and the different contexts are known. the culture. And that influences your We all want to know we have been preaching. heard and valued.

2 We can give time to reflect and We don’t need to become professional process. Sermons are often given ethnographers in order to do away too cheaply. On the whole, this task well. We learn it over congregations know that no one will time through observation and ever ask them ‘What do you think?’ or conversation – paying attention to even ‘Was that helpful?’ So we preach people, asking questions, listening into a void, hoping and praying that to stories, gathering insights – all of it does some good, that it connects which can make a difference to our somehow. awareness of where people are at. When members of the congregation Most UK churches have fewer than know we are listening to them and 100 people in attendance at worship taking their situations seriously, services each week. We could just they’re more likely to listen more ask a congregation to process what closely themselves, and more likely they have heard through the lens of to become confident of the ways that where they will be the next day. Some God can work through them in their would value being able to do that everyday lives. FEATURE 21

10 WAYS TO UNDERSTAND LIFE CONTEXTS

1 Use a simple survey amongst the 6 In deciding what to preach, congregation every few years. have conversations with those Include questions about their people who are most involved frontlines and the pressures they in the lives of people in the face and the opportunities they congregation. They might carry have to serve God there. official titles linked to pastoral care, or may just be people who 2 Bring together a number of are kind and have the time to be people who would represent the involved with others. You could demography of your congregation offer them the various ideas you and share the ideas you have for have, explaining your thinking, a series of sermons, encouraging and see what they feel would be them to reflect on the way the biblical book or passages would of most help at this time. shape their frontline experiences 7 Visit people in their frontline and expectations. contexts and ask them about 3 In your ongoing weekly pastoral how the recent sermons have work use appropriate occasions connected their experience of to talk about your preaching and gathered church with their upcoming sermons and listen to scattered life. Somehow, being how people react to what is being in a frontline context, wherever taught so that you can see how it may be, offers the chance of a your sermons can connect more more focused conversation. directly with the daily lives of your 8 Learn more about what people congregation. are watching and reading 4 Hopefully there will be people in the so that you become more congregation who are still to come aware of what is shaping their to faith in Jesus. You need to know imaginations. Engage with the how they are making sense of the questions that are being raised. sermons. You might have a team of people who could be primed to 9 From time to time, distribute ask those questions directly, or in cards and ask people to write smaller churches you could do it down one topic about which yourself. they would really like to hear a sermon. 5 Invite your leadership team to reflect with you about the things 10 Ask house group leaders to they find helpful in the sermons, and spend time in one of their listen to what they feel would help sessions discussing what issues more. Try hard not to be defensive. people are facing day by day You might have things that you that would benefit from being could ask them to do which would thought through from a biblical help you as a speaker. perspective.

Neil Hudson Neil Hudson leads LICC’s Imagine ALL THESE PEOPLE team and oversees their work with UK and international UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS churches, alongside co-leading a OF POWER IN THEIR church in Salford. He loves to be out and about with church leaders EVERYDAY CONTEXTS. and their teams, inspiring them with his extensive experience and infectious laugh. 22 FEATURE The whole-life text by Mark Greene

The obvious is only obvious when you’ve seen it. Obviously.

can still remember the first time it. How easy to generalise too quickly The challenge of considering the it really hit me that the David of and preach David’s psalms as if they context carefully when preparing to the Psalms was actually a soldier. were written by a contemporary preach is made harder, I think, by IIt happened when I was reading singer-songwriter struggling with the reality that biblical narratives Psalm 144:1, ‘Praise be to the Lord inner demons, emotional anxiety, and give us much less detail than the my Rock, who trains my hands for relational breakdown, rather than stories we’re used to reading in war, my fingers for battle.’ Suddenly written by a soldier facing Philistine contemporary literature. In the I realised that David was saying that armies, the threat of execution, average novel, for example, detail God trained him to be effective in and civil war. But how could I have abounds about period, place, what his day job as a soldier, a dispenser missed it? And therefore missed the most of the people or places look rich range of potential application to of death in the service of his God. like. So we have to work harder to contemporary workaday situations? All those references to shields and think our way into the situations, to swords and enemies came out of his I missed it because I didn’t pause force ourselves to ask those basic actual experience of battle, of feeling to ask those basic questions about questions about the context, and to the force of an enemy’s sword on his authorship and context that I suppose pay more attention to the carefully shield, of being a fugitive from Saul, of we were all taught to ask: who is selected details we are given. Let’s being the target of his own son’s rebel this, what is happening, where is it look at two examples of how this forces. It was obvious but I’d missed happening, when is it happening? might work. FEATURE 23

proactively looking after a new worker’s in his genealogy, and that only really IN THE FIELDS WITH RUTH practical needs. He recognises that emerges as we pay attention to the When we come to prepare a sermon someone so poor that she has to glean context. What kind of man is David’s on Ruth 2, it’s easy not to pay attention may have had no food to bring with great grandfather? Like Ruth, like the to who’s there and what they’re doing. her. Hence his offer of roasted grain. wife of Proverbs 31:10–31, he is a man The It’s easy to miss that Boaz is not just Beyond that there is his appreciation of chail – valour, heroic character – a a potential kinsman redeemer for his of her social needs: ‘Come over here’, he match for the godly Ruth (Ruth 2:1; 3:11). much more lauded future wife, but says, like a CEO inviting an immigrant Of course, this attention to the a farmer whose character is equally cleaner to join the team for lunch. physical and historical context, to lauded and whose qualities are being Similarly, it’s in a standard workplace Boaz’s role as a landowner and boss, shown to us through the way he whole-life that we see how very creatively Boaz to the reality of Ruth’s social and manages workers of different status empowers his team to be generous economic vulnerability opens up rich – his foreman, the hired workers, the to Ruth, giving them permission to veins for application in preaching to Israelite gleaners, and the Moabite pull out stalks for her at his expense. contemporary workplaces globally. woman. How much she takes home will not How shall we treat and pay migrant text Similarly, the historical time marker be determined by Boaz but by Ruth’s workers and displaced people – now that opens the book, ‘when the judges co-workers. At the end of the day she numbering in their tens of millions? ruled’ (Ruth 1:1), sounds an important goes home with the equivalent of How shall we ensure that women are if ambivalent note. On the one hand over 297,000 grains of barley; she’d safe from sexual harassment and it is there to remind us that God have been hard-pressed to glean that physical abuse in our workplaces? raises up rescuers for his people. On many in a week, never mind a day. How can workplace leaders inculcate the other hand it is there to remind He is teaching his workforce about values of generosity and kindness in us that the book is set in a time of generosity. Boaz of course doesn’t have the people who work for them? How moral and spiritual decline, a period to do any of this – it’s grace. The law can workplace leaders imitate Boaz in which will culminate in the gang rape only requires him to allow the poor praising the good character qualities of a priest’s concubine by the men to glean. Yes, he will become Ruth’s of their workers, praying for them, of Benjamin. Women are not safe in kinsman redeemer, but the text is at protecting them, and providing for Israel. It is in such a context that Boaz least as interested in his character as them? recognises that Ruth, a youngish female and poor foreigner, might be highly vulnerable to the unwanted attentions of the village men. His response is exemplary but implicitly not the norm: he takes the initiative not only to order his men not to touch Ruth but also to allay her legitimate fears by telling her what he’s done.

Indeed, the recognition of the context – a workplace away from the town – and of Boaz’s position clarifies the radical nature of his actions. Here we see a person with power and high status 24 FEATURE

Paul spends around three months Christian’s. We may not win the IN A SHIP WITH PAUL with a variety of different groups of argument. But when we are proved Not surprisingly, when you know you people: a centurion, a captain, a crew, right, then perhaps people will listen have to deliver a sermon in a few days’ a detachment of soldiers, a group of when another situation occurs. And time, it’s harder to pay attention to prisoners, and no doubt some other that is precisely what happens here. context when one’s eye and heart are passengers. It’s a context where the Ignored today, listened to tomorrow. caught by a text’s more obvious riches pagans outnumber the Christians 273 Some weeks into the voyage after and applications. Take, for example, to 3, and where Paul is very definitely several days of storm and darkness, Acts 27 – Paul’s rather eventful voyage not calling the shots. And it’s in this Paul stands up and says: ‘Men, you to Malta. There’s so much going on workaday context that God warns should have taken my advice not to here – the storm, the appearance of an the captain and the owner through sail from Crete; then you would have angel, the shipwreck. And there are so his servant that to continue is to spared yourselves this damage and many rich parallels with other biblical guarantee disaster. Does God care loss. But now I urge you to keep up passages: Paul and Jonah, two men enough about our daily frontlines to your courage, because not one of in boats charged with preaching to speak through us for the benefit of you will be lost; only the ship will be Gentiles, both caught in a storm, both others, whether wisdom formed by destroyed’ (Acts 27:21–22). with despairing crews throwing the word and experience, or wisdom given cargo overboard, but responding very by the same Spirit who Jesus promised Paul doesn’t deliver his message in an differently. Similarly, there are parallels would give words to his disciples when ‘I-told-you-so’ way. He cites their past between Paul and the people with him tried by synagogue leaders? mistake only to build their confidence in a boat and the disciples of Jesus in a for the present. Indeed, he affirms this boat in Galilee. With such texts, it’s easy Interestingly, in this context, Paul’s not only by informing them of the to spiritualise very quickly, to shift from spiritually-discerned warning is supernatural intervention of an angel the actual storm to the metaphorical ignored. How should Christian but of his own prayerful concern for ‘storms’ we all face. workers respond, or indeed family them: ‘Last night an angel of the God members, when their spiritually- to whom I belong and whom I serve On the other hand, if we pause and discerned warnings are ignored? stood beside me and said, “Do not think about the context – who, what, Should we jump ship? And what be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial where, when – we perhaps see that happens if we can’t? before Caesar; and God has graciously Paul is in a workplace, and that this given you the lives of all who sail with is the first time in Acts where we see Winning the argument isn’t the issue you”’ (27:23–24). Paul forced to spend a prolonged here. Paul knows that God doesn’t period of time in close proximity with need a ship to get him to Rome; he can This prayerful concern for the non-believers. He’s not arguing in the whistle up a whale from the North passengers’ survival is matched by his synagogue and then going home. He’s Atlantic and dump him at the mouth practical concern for their immediate not debating on Mars Hill and then of the Tiber. Paul’s job is to speak up health, encouraging them to eat to scuttling off to a friend’s house. Here for the welfare of others. So is every keep up their strength (27:33–34).

WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO DELIVER A SERMON IN A FEW DAYS’ TIME, IT’S HARDER TO PAY ATTENTION TO CONTEXT WHEN ONE’S EYE AND HEART ARE CAUGHT BY A TEXT’S MORE OBVIOUS RICHES AND APPLICATIONS. FEATURE 25

In sum, attention to the context in Of course, attention to context is not this case opens up for preachers the just vital in narrative but in poetry and potential scope of a disciple’s concern apocalyptic, and in law and epistle. TRYING TO UNDERSTAND for those they work with: their Indeed, for almost every text, attention A TEXT WITHOUT PAYING economic welfare, the preservation to context offers the safest and richest of the enterprise they’re involved in, route to potent application. As in all ATTENTION TO ITS CONTEXT their physical wellbeing, their very great literature, it is often in the very IS LIKE TRYING TO ASSESS A lives, and their eternal salvation. particularities of specific context and DIAMOND WITHOUT TAKING Paul’s loving concern is made all the character that the most powerful, most OFF YOUR SUNGLASSES. more remarkable by the clear and widely applicable insights emerge. present danger to his own life. Here, For my own part, I know that trying then, is an opportunity to reflect on to understand a text without paying potential implications of the passage attention to its context is like trying Mark Greene for ourselves and our congregations. to assess a diamond without taking How far do the horizons of our love for Mark Greene is LICC’s Executive off your sunglasses. The trouble is, as Director, and is forever looking others stretch when we find ourselves obvious a mistake as it may seem, I for fresh ways to inspire people. physically and emotionally exhausted? He used to work in advertising often forget to take off my sunglasses. (so you can trust every word And in such circumstances will God he says), and spends his days give us the resources we need to Watch Mark Greene’s short address delivering talks, writing pieces for a range of publications, and trying sustain such loving faith? Apparently, on Ruth 2 at Movement Day in out a variety of different accents on it is not only ‘unawares’ that we may Westminster Central Hall: his long-suffering colleagues. entertain angels. licc.org.uk/boaz 26 SERIAL The Late Greats JOHN STOTT

by Rev Dr Jonathan Hustler1

Photo©Adam Greene John Stott – Timeline

1921 1940-45 1950 1982 John Stott University of Cambridge: Appointed Foundation of born Modern Languages at Rector at All London Institute Trinity and ordination Souls’ for Contemporary training at Ridley Hall Christianity

1938 1945 1975 2011 Conversion Curate at All Became Rector Death of experience at Souls’ Langham Emeritus to give John Stott Rugby School Place more time to a wider ministry SERIAL 27

he impressive regency style priests but urged hearers to know that columns of All Souls’, Langham they were saved by the blood of Jesus. Key features of the preaching Place, stand in London’s West Stott’s learning was apparent in of John Stott End, neighbouring the BBC. For T his preaching. He believed ‘all true c Prea ching is biblical and therefore six decades, worshippers in All Souls’ Christian preaching’ to be expository:9 would frequently hear the voice of expository the exposition was clearly the result John Stott, whose careful articulation c Preaching moves from the Bible to The Late Greats of careful study, both of the text in and received pronunciation matched the world and back its original language and of any anything that was broadcast next door. c Preaching is based on meticulous contemporary questions that were to The length of Stott’s association with All study of the text and careful research be addressed. Stott not only read widely Souls’ was extraordinary. Stott’s father into contemporary questions but consulted for advice on scientific was a Harley Street physician and All or ethical questions.10 Perhaps as a c Preaching is dialogical, anticipating Souls’ was a regular place of worship result a Stott sermon was often light the listener’s questions for the young John and his mother. on illustration, a point that he (and his c The delivery is critical: every word After ordination in 1945, Stott served friends) noted.11 is carefully chosen and clearly his title as assistant curate at All Souls’, articulated; theatricality is avoided became rector in 1950, and continued This was evangelical preaching in the c There is clear theological content to minister as rector emeritus from sense of it being evangelistic. Stott and doctrinal points are explained 1975 until his death in 2011. The key would often end the sermon with a experience of his life, however, did not plea to those in his congregation who c Difficult questions (moral, take place at Langham Place: John Stott were not converted to come to Christ. theological, or political) are carefully experienced his evangelical conversion In a late sermon on Matthew 9,12 Stott addressed whilst at school at Rugby. Neither did drew out four features of the gospel c Preaching challenges its hearers to the length of residence in one place passage on which he was preaching deeper faith and better witness mean that Stott’s was a parochially and ended by asking if any were still c There is always an introduction to confined ministry; on the contrary, the disciples of John, who had heard the theme and a summation of the throughout the last four decades of of Jesus but did not believe in him. main points his life Stott built up an international Having made, implicitly or explicitly, reputation, travelling frequently the appeal, Stott would then usually end the Bible offered. Carefully, methodically, to speak in public, and exercising a with prayer, asking that the faith of the dialogically, and uncompromisingly, John ministry of proclamation through his congregation might in some way be Stott then articulated the answer to all the many published writings.2 His work in deepened through their encounter with world’s needs: the Good News of Christ. global mission continued after his death the Word.13 through the Lausanne Partnership in As that sentence implies, this was which he and Billy Graham were the 1. I am grateful to the Revd Dr Paul Weston for his comments on an earlier draft of this piece. 3 evangelical preaching in the sense that founding influences. 2. For the biography of John Stott, see Dudley-Smith, T (1999), it was unashamedly Protestant. Stott John Stott: The Making of a Leader, Leicester: IVP and All Souls’ has published online an did not shy away from rebutting liberal (2001) John Stott: A Global Ministry, Leicester: IVP. archive of sermons, over 300 of which interpretations, expounding a classical 3. lausanne.org/our-legacy 4. allsouls.org/Media/AllMedia.aspx are Stott’s, from the early 1960s to the evangelical soteriology, or quoting 5. Dudley-Smith, T (2001), John Stott: A Global Ministry, mid-2000s.4 Throughout that period, the Book of Homilies.14 Particularly Leicester: IVP, page 336. 6. Stott, J (1982) Between Two Worlds, Grand Rapids: Stott’s was a consistent evangelical voice influenced by the nineteenth-century W Eerdmans, page 183. (Published in the UK as I Believe in a changing church. The five traits that Cambridge evangelical, Charles in Preaching, London: Hodder & Stoughton.) 7. Stott, J (1982) Between Two Worlds, Grand Rapids: one of his assistants recognised – that Simeon, Stott saw himself as being W Eerdmans, page 316. Stott’s preaching was clear, biblically firmly within the Reformed tradition 8. ‘Why was blood so important?’ bit.ly/ASLP-A061 9. Stott, J (1982)Between Two Worlds, Grand Rapids: based, balanced, intellectually satisfying, and articulated a biblical doctrine of W Eerdmans, page 125. and non-theatrical5 – are apparent in election as a way of making sense of 10. Dudley-Smith, T (2001), John Stott: A Global Ministry, Leicester: IVP, page 338. examples drawn from any period. our own experience and a positive 11. Stott, J (1982) Between Two Worlds, Grand Rapids: expression of the sovereignty and W Eerdmans, page 236. For Stott, all true preaching was the grace of God.15 This was not a 12. ‘The Real Deal’ bit.ly/ASLP-C129 biblical; and that meant that all 13. Stott, J (1982)Between Two Worlds, Grand Rapids: dogmatic approach; Stott was often preaching expounded the New W Eerdmans, page 254. dialogical:16 ‘You might say to me....’ is a 14. ‘Day by Day: Daily Witness’ bit.ly/ASLP-E020 Testament. For all that he advocated 15. ‘Does God choose?’ bit.ly/ASLP-C016 phrase which repeatedly recurs as he 16. Stott, J (2008),The Last Word: Reflections on a Lifetime reading through the whole Bible of Preaching, Milton Keynes: Authentic Media, page 29. 6 anticipated his congregants’ objections annually, repeatedly urged preachers 17. Stott, J (1982) Between Two Worlds, Grand Rapids: and painstakingly laid out his position. to cover the whole of Scripture,7 and W Eerdmans, page 137. 18. Stott, J (2008),The Last Word: Reflections on a Lifetime undertook alone or with others sermon The establishment of the London of Preaching, Milton Keynes: Authentic Media, page 55. series which worked through books Institute for Contemporary Christianity of the Bible, it is remarkable how few was an embodiment of Stott’s Rev Dr Jonathan Hustler of the sermons in the web archive homiletical approach. The image of the Jonathan Hustler is a Methodist presbyter have Old Testament texts. In those sermon as a bridge between the Bible who has served in three circuits and as vice that did, Stott spent much of his time and the world of today17 dominated principal of Wesley House, Cambridge. He teaches and writes on church history, expounding New Testament ideas. A Stott’s thinking about preaching. preaching, and pastoral theology. He is sermon on Leviticus 17 (‘Why was blood His aim, he explained, was ‘double now Ministerial Coordinator for the 8 18 Oversight of Ordained Ministries so important?’), for instance, dwelt listening’, hearing what question the in the Connexional Team. only briefly on the ministry of Hebrew world was asking and what response 28 SERIAL G D in the movies FANTASY AND FABLE

We never forget the stories which shape us in childhood. The characters and fantasy worlds we encounter at an early age, when our sense of self is still being formed and our imaginations are at their most vivid, stay with us for a lifetime. Many of us came of age alongside our fictional heroes, immersed in their adventures on the page and on the big screen.

he phenomenal success of Both of these franchises are notable for The beloved work of writer Madeleine the Harry Potterseries in the their underpinning Christian symbolism. L’Engle gets the blockbuster treatment noughties revitalised the genre, Even in a post-Christian culture, the in Spring 2018 with the release of Treminding us of the power and stories which speak to audiences of all A Wrinkle in Time. L’Engle isn’t as resonance that so-called children’s ages most profoundly are those which widely known in the UK, but in the stories can have. The decade’s three echo deeper spiritual themes. US she is often revered alongside CS Narnia adaptations were arguably Lewis as a creator of classic Christian less successful, opting for a rather fiction. WhenA Wrinkle in Time was wooden take on CS Lewis’s magical first published in 1962, however, allegories, and – crucially – failing to WHAT IF WE ARE HERE FOR A fundamentalist groups tried to ban it, find the huge audience their budget alarmed by its veneer of strangeness REASON? WHAT IF WE ARE PART demanded. The series stalled after and mysticism. ‘They said it wasn’t a The Voyage of the Dawn Treader OF SOMETHING TRULY DIVINE? Christian book,’ L’Engle recalled in a (2010), though a belated version of The A Wrinkle in Time later interview. ‘I said, “Quite right.” Silver Chair, with an all-new cast and I wasn’t trying to write a Christian creative team, is now in the works. book. But, of course, it is.’ SERIAL 29

The new film (in cinemas 23 March Similarly, last year’s A Monster Wonderstruck’s story is structured 2018) stars Storm Reid as Meg Murry, Calls used elements of fantasy and like a puzzle-box, so stuffed with a young misfit whose scientist fable to explore a child’s journey coincidences that it seems more fitting father (Chris Pine) has disappeared through loss and grief. It’s easy for to call them miracles. There seems under mysterious circumstances. adults to forget how frightening to be not only an underlying order, Accompanied by her brother Charles childhood and adolescence can but an underlying benevolence in the Wallace (Deric McCabe) and classmate be, especially if we’re forced to film’s universe: something that all of Calvin (Levi Miller), guided by prematurely confront the hardest us, young and old alike, long to be true supernatural forces, Meg must set out aspects of life. In fantastical fiction, of our own. to defeat an evil which threatens the the monsters of our trauma and whole universe. fear are brought out into daylight. Film club: questions to ask The story is about one girl’s coming- ‘Stories are how we make sense of-age – but it also touches on the idea of an inexplicable reality,’ says c What were your favourite of transcendence, and of our place in Patrick Ness, author of the book on stories as a child, and why? What aspects of these stories the greater scheme of things. which A Monster Calls is based. ‘We have particularly stayed with have to tell stories about it or we you? couldn’t live in it.’ c How can fable and fantasy YOU’RE GETTING OLDER, AND help us to deal with the difficult YOU’LL SEE THAT LIFE ISN’T aspects of life? How might fantasy help us grasp spiritual LIKE YOUR FAIRY TALES. THE ALL OF US ARE IN THE GUTTER, realities? WORLD IS A CRUEL PLACE. BUT SOME OF US ARE LOOKING c How do stories reveal our Pan’s Labyrinth AT THE STARS. longing to live in a world of Wonderstruck order and meaning? How might the Christian story help to meet this longing? Some of the greatest films about childhood are not really children’s Stories help bring order to the films at all. The unsuspecting parents otherwise overwhelming experience Damaris Media who took their little ones to seePan’s of growing up and finding our place This article comes Labyrinth (2006) were in for a nasty in the world. This idea is perfectly from Damaris Media, who create free film shock – the film has the trimmings embodied by another new film, resources for churches of a fairytale, and its heroine Ofelia Wonderstruck (in cinemas in Spring and community groups. Download exclusive videos, discussion guides and (Ivana Baquero) is only eleven: but 2018), adapted from a book by Hugo more at damarismedia.com. If you want to get it’s a dark, disturbing and sometimes author Brian Selznick. Two parallel in touch and let us know how you’re using our resources, or to tell us what kind of resources would violent tale. Set in post-Civil War narratives follow two deaf children be helpful to you, email [email protected] Spain, the story is about confronting – one in the 1920s, one in the 1970s – Keep up to date on the latest Damaris Media the evils of the adult world with whose sense of isolation is healed as resources by subscribing to our e-newsletter at damarismedia.com courage, love and self-sacrifice. they discover hidden connections. 30 FEATURE

T H E W H O L E - L I F E P R E A C H E R

by David Lawrence FEATURE 31

Back in 1997, Mark Greene carried out some research into the outcomes of preaching, and found that ‘it was clear that for some people a sermon could be excellent – but irrelevant’.1 His findings indicated that the reach of the sermon was largely limited to the church premises: ‘the further Christians get from the church building the less likely they are to have an adequate basis of teaching to lead their lives in a godly manner.’ That’s quite an indictment!

by David Lawrence 32 FEATURE

adly, the passing of two decades does not seem to have improved the situation much. As a recent major S study carried out by the Church of England, published under the title Setting God’s People Free reports, ‘one of the most common reflections we heard from frontline congregations was that people lacked “confidence” in applying their faith into their Monday to Saturday lives’.2

So, how do we preach in a way that people are equipped for the challenges of life, obeying Jesus and functioning as salt and light in their part of God’s world? And how do we prepare ourselves as preachers, so that we are not simply the messengers but also the embodiment of the message of whole-life discipleship?

THE LISTENING WHOLE-LIFE PREACHER

John Stott famously advocated the Inquiry Immersion skill of ‘double listening’, by which he meant listening to the Word Take every opportunity to ask As a church leader, I arrange to visit and listening to the world. For a individual members of your people in their workplaces. My first preacher, to become culturally aware church about the realities of such outing was with Ted, who drives in a general sense requires paying their daily lives. Train yourself a large cement tanker, collecting dry attention to contemporary media, to make sure that, whether you cement from Bristol and Newport cultural trends, what and who is are engaged in a formal pastoral docks before delivering it to various making the news, and so on. But encounter or an after-the-service- building sites around South Wales for the whole-life preacher, double coffee conversation, you enquire and the West of England. Spending listening involves paying attention about what they do Monday the day with Ted was fascinating and to what is happening much closer to to Saturday and what it’s like gave me a real insight into his world home, in the daily lives of our actual to do it as a Christian. These of work.4 Immersion doesn’t have to congregation. conversations become part of a involve visiting the workplace; it could rich stream of information which be as simple as spending time in a Fred Craddock observed that ‘sermons local coffee shop or walking around a are not speeches for all occasions but ensures that when we wrestle local housing estate, paying attention are rather addresses prepared for with God’s Word in our sermon to what you are seeing, hearing, and one group at one particular time and preparation, we also address place... the listeners participate in the the real worlds of those we have sensing as you do so. 3 spoken to. However, we may wish sermon before it is born’. To allow Imagination that to happen, a whole-life preacher to go beyond mere investigation should adopt three practices: inquiry, and actually immerse ourselves in This is where, as a deliberate act immersion, and imagination. their worlds in some way. within our sermon preparation, we FEATURE 33

THE ENGAGED WHOLE-LIFE PREACHER bring the fruits of our inquiry and Spending time listening to our non-Christians we do so ‘on duty’, in times of immersion to mind, and ask congregation’s experiences of Monday a quasi-professional role that colours what differencethis text makes to Ted to Saturday living is a vital first both the way we relate to others and the or the people in my local coffee shop. step towards becoming a whole-life way they relate to us. The disconnection What questions would they want to preacher. However, there is really no that this professional distance can ask – and am I addressing those in substitute for developing our own cause between our preaching and my sermon? I always try to imagine a frontline. our congregation should not be range of different people’s responses underestimated. Rather than preaching A ‘frontline’ is somewhere where we to the text so that my sermon might as ‘one of the congregation’, sharing spend significant amounts of time have traction and implications for as with people. Those of us who are their experiences of daily life, we are many listeners as possible. lay preachers or bi-vocational have perceived to be one step removed from a great advantage here, because their reality, and therefore from being we are not solely dependent on the able to apply God’s Word to their world. second-hand accounts of frontline To bridge the gap between our church- discipleship shared by others, but are THE DISCONNECTION THAT based ministerial role and the lives of regularly having our own experiences! THIS PROFESSIONAL DISTANCE our congregations, why not consider CAN CAUSE BETWEEN OUR For those of us who are paid as full- developing a frontline, where you are PREACHING AND OUR time church workers, the situation is not ‘on duty’, where you get to build CONGREGATION SHOULD NOT rather different. It is quite possible to relationships with non-Christian people BE UNDERESTIMATED. live in a Christian bubble, spending as an equal, and where you get to work nearly all our waking hours with out what whole-life discipleship feels other Christians. Or when we do meet like from the ‘other side of the fence’? 34 FEATURE

My own attempt to do this has meant like sheep among wolves. Therefore carving out time to join a local music be as shrewd as snakes and as THE group. I don’t see this as my hobby, innocent as doves... You will be hated or as ‘me-time’, but as my place of by everyone because of me, but the GRACED intentional whole-life discipleship. one who stands firm to the end will It’s a place to work out what my be saved’ (Matthew 10:16, 22). Paul PREACHER faith looks like and how it connects is no less blunt: ‘In fact, everyone to people who aren’t relating to me who wants to live a godly life in One of the biggest challenges of as the local minister but as a rather Christ Jesus will be persecuted’ whole-life discipleship is how to mediocre trombone player! It’s been (2 Timothy 3:12). present it in such a way that it a valuable experience. I’ve enjoyed If our preaching is to equip people doesn’t feel like a tick-list of tasks the music-making, but even more so for whole-life discipleship, we must to carry out in daily life. Be kind to the interaction with a great bunch of reckon with the fact that this is no my colleagues: tick. Forgive my boss local people whose lives I have begun easy option but something that for his meltdown: tick. Confront to share in some way, and with may cost them everything, and an the bullying attitude of my mates: whom I have been able to discuss enterprise in which disappointment, tick. Tell my neighbour about Jesus: faith to some degree. failure, and opposition are part half a tick. If whole-life preachers give the impression that whole-life The backwash of investing in my own of the deal. This means that our discipleship is just another God-given frontline has helped me develop as a preaching needs to come with ‘to do’ list we’ve really missed the whole-life preacher. The members of insight into the challenges posed point. my band also accompany my sermon by the worlds our congregation inhabit, and also be offered in a preparation (though they don’t know The life of the disciple is really a tone where disappointment, anxiety it – yet!). As well as imagining how matter of the overflow of God’s the biblical text would address the about the task, and frustration with work in us, rather than the outflow members of my congregation, I also the kickbacks are acknowledged of our work for him. Jesus offers as normal. Having our own stories imagine what questions my frontline to spiritually thirsty people who from our own attempts at faithful friends might have were they to read come to him not just a fullness of frontline living is a way of levelling it. In that way the practice of double life, but an overflow of life (John the playing field between the listening is doing its work of joining 7:37–39). Whole-life disciples who assumed poise of the pulpit and the the Word of God to the world of real live out of the overflow of the life real experience of our lives in the people in my local community. of the Sprit within them can’t help world. but be a living witness to a different dimension of life. Engaging with a The messy unpredictably of whole- frontline overflowing with love, joy, life discipleship demands that we peace, patience, kindness, goodness, THE balance the call to action with the faithfulness, gentleness, and self- understanding that God is no task- control will tend to mark you out as HONEST master: he is the restorer of souls, different. WHOLE-LIFE the friend of sinners, and the one who lovingly recommissions those Challenging as ever, Dallas Willard PREACHER who have denied him by their words wrote: ‘If those in the churches or actions on the frontline. really are enjoying fullness of life, As soon as we take time to listen to evangelism will be unstoppable and So, whole-life preachers, let’s by all 6 people about their everyday lives, largely automatic.’ This is far from means consider how we may spur and as we make room to engage in a checklist approach to whole-life our congregations on ‘towards love our own frontlines, we are forced to discipleship. It requires whole-life and good deeds’ (Hebrews 10:24) on acknowledge afresh that whole-life preachers to be ministers of Word their frontlines, but let’s heed the discipleship is not easy! and Spirit. More than that, it requires cautionary words of Chris Voke as them to be modelling what the One of the perils of the pulpit is we do so: ‘If [the congregation] are overflowing God-life looks like. We that it is possible to preach from a left drained from a challenge they cannot overflow with that which does posture of idealistic indifference to have not met, discouraged from not fill us; if we want our preaching the real-world challenges of being instructions they have not kept or to inspire, envision, and equip faithful to God. Jesus himself pulled condemned by laws they have not overflowing whole-life disciples, then no punches and offered no easy obeyed, then they have not heard we ourselves need to be overflowing counsel here: ‘I am sending you out Christian preaching.’5 with that life. FEATURE 35

THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE GOAL OF PRAYER – TO ENCOUNTER GOD AFRESH – IS LIFE-GIVING. THE VALUE OF READING SCRIPTURE IS UNDENIABLE, BUT THE GOAL OF SCRIPTURE – TO ENABLE US TO HEAR GOD SPEAKING – IS PRICELESS.

Back in the seventeenth century, the to believe, and heartily entertain that experience his grace – not just in times Puritan Richard Baxter wrote in his Saviour whom you offer to them.’7 of worship but in every nook and book of counsel for pastors: cranny of daily life. And this must also To ‘entertain’ in Baxter’s day carried be true of the whole-life preacher. ‘Many a tailor goes in rags, that maketh the meaning to receive as a guest, costly clothes for others; and many a to show hospitality, and possibly to James S Stewart (1896–1990) was a cook scarcely licks his fingers, when cherish or to experience. To equip minister in the Church of Scotland, he hath dressed for others the most whole-life disciples means to help who in 1999 was awarded the accolade costly dishes… Take heed, therefore, to them receive Jesus as a guest, to of being the best preacher of the yourselves first, that you be that which show him hospitality in their lives, twentieth century by Preaching you persuade your hearers to be, and to cherish his presence in every magazine. His one test of preaching believe that which you persuade them moment of every day, and to expect to was to ask, ‘Did they, or did they 36 FEATURE

not, meet God today?’ For Stewart, the preacher’s own encounter with God was central to the cause of the congregation’s own encounter with him. Preachers, he said, ‘must possess the Word – or rather... must be possessed by it – as a living, personal experience’.8 T H E

The surest way to slake our spiritual thirst and to continually receive Jesus W H O L E - as a cherished guest is by committed use of what are popularly called the L I F E spiritual disciplines, but which back in the eighteenth century John Wesley called ‘the means of grace’. I prefer P R E A C H E R Wesley’s language. It points to the goal rather than the practice. The practice of prayer is important, but the goal of prayer – to encounter God afresh – is life-giving. The value of reading Scripture is undeniable, but the goal of Scripture – to enable us to hear God speaking – is priceless.

This is not the place for a fuller exposition of the practice and value of regularly using the means of grace. But it is the place to assert that if If people are going to meet Christ, he 1. Greene, M (1997), ‘Is Anybody Listening?’ Anvil 14, 4, whole-life preachers are not accessing pages 283–94. needs to be encountered in daily life, fresh grace for every day, then their 2. The Church of England (2017), Setting God’s preaching is unlikely to enable their introduced by whole-life disciples, People Free: A Report from the Archbishops’ those in whose lives he has taken Council bit.ly/CofE-SGPF hearers to do so. 3. Craddock, FB (1985), Preaching, Nashville: residence. As the Setting God’s People Abingdon, page 25. Free report says: ‘Until, together, 4. Bishops in the Diocese of London are making a habit of visiting members of their churches on ordained and lay, we form and equip Fridays. Reports of their visits are published online lay people to follow Jesus confidently as ‘Frontline Fridays’, bit.ly/DoL-ff in every sphere of life in ways that 5. Voke, C (1999) ‘Putting the Gospel Back into Preaching’, Evangel 17, 2, pages 39–43. CONCLUSION demonstrate the Gospel we will never 6. Willard, D (1996) The Spirit of the Disciplines, set God’s people free to evangelise the London: Hodder & Stoughton, page 257. nation.’10 7. Baxter, R (1974), The Reformed Pastor, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, page 54. Whole-life preachers have a vital role 8. Stewart, JS (1946), Heralds of God, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, pages 31, 217. The recently published British Social in this task of ‘setting God’s people 9. ‘British Social Attitudes’,bit.ly/BritSocAtt Attitudes survey found that for the free’ for confident, distinct living in 10. The Church of England (2017), Setting God’s People first time the majority – 52 per cent their Monday to Saturday lives. To Free: A Report from the Archbishops’ Council bit.ly/CofE-SGPF, page 2. – of British people self-describe as fulfil our role we need to be listening non-religious. The situation was even to the whole lives of those we serve more marked among 18–24 year olds, as preachers, tasting the reality of David Lawrence where 72 per cent claimed to be non- frontline life for ourselves, honestly 9 David Lawrence looks after religious. The bad news for those of helping people face the ups and downs LICC’s Imagine church projects us who inhabit church buildings on of real life (the Bible is an excellent in the South West of England, engaging with leaders and a regular basis is that what we do resource for this, by the way!) and, networks across the area in there is perceived as ‘religion’ and perhaps above all, modelling what through a mix of workshops and training days. He also leads therefore something that is of no it means to live a Jesus-shaped, Thornbury Baptist Church, and interest to a growing majority of our Scripture-formed life in the overflow harbours a secret desire to be a lighthouse keeper. nation. of the Holy Spirit. COLUMN 37

COLUMNIST NATALIE COLLINS What lies beneath I am a regular visiting preacher at a few churches locally. In all of them I find myself to be either the youngest adult or one of the youngest adults present. Being a young-ish preacher and my proficiency in both leading the service and preaching often invites much positive feedback from those within the congregation, which is really wonderful.

few months ago I was positive feedback to anaesthetise me with ourselves about whether our preaching at a church, and I to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit relationship with God is actually in knew deep down that I hadn’t pointing out how I was failing. I had good shape. Amade the effort I should have a choice at that point; I could ignore been making with my relationship the Holy Spirit’s voice and focus on with God. I hadn’t been praying the positive feedback. Or I could regularly, my Bible reading plan swallow down my pride and choose I KNEW, DEEP DOWN, THAT had taken to emailing me to tell me to be open to the need to create IF JESUS WAS SHINING OUT I needed to catch up and if there myself a spiritual MOT and work out OF ME, IT WAS IN SPITE OF was such a thing as a ‘spiritual how to change course. MY LACK OF EFFORT, NOT IN MOT’ I probably would have been For each of us there will be spiritual PARTNERSHIP WITH ME. called back requiring a load of rhythms and practices that we extra work before I could be passed. discover bring us closer to God and However, when I preached and led enable us to maintain an awareness the service, my competence wasn’t of his presence. For me, journaling, In Acts 20 we hear that Paul’s affected by my less-than-healthy regularly reading the Bible, running preaching went on so long that spirituality. After the service, lovely and monthly God days walking on a young man named Eutychus congregation members shared with the coast are all aspects of staying fell asleep and fell to his death me how wonderful my sermon was, close to God. I recently purchased a from the window ledge where he how great my service leading was, very cheap version of a Fitbit, and had been sitting. Paul promptly how much my life shined with Jesus. have set its alarm to vibrate four raised him back to life and And yet, I knew, deep down, that if times a day. Each alarm is a prompt continued preaching. I hope that Jesus was shining out of me, it was to become aware of God’s presence my preaching doesn’t send people in spite of my lack of effort, not in and choose to resubmit myself to him to sleep or to their death, but I do partnership with me. and his purposes. hope that my priority is building In that moment I saw how easy As preachers, we have a responsibility a relationship with God which it is to be a competent preacher to build our relationship with God. allows him to partner with me in without seeking to build godly It is not primarily our proficiency preaching the Gospel, rather than character, especially as a visiting as a public speaker that we should working in spite of my failure to preacher, with no accountability or be focussing on, but rather our prioritise him. investment in the community I was relationship with the Almighty. We’re leading that week. I could come, not delivering a TED Talk, but rather skilfully deliver the service and serving God with our words, seeking Natalie Collins then leave. No one would be any the to communicate something of the Natalie Collins won Preach magazine’s 2016 Sermon wiser. Divine to our family of faith. of the Year and is an authorised preacher within the Anglican tradition. She is a gender justice specialist, And yet, as the congregation And when we are being celebrated Director of the DAY Programme, organises Project 3:28, works in the Christian Feminist Network celebrated my skills, God was for our skills in leading or preaching, collective, founded the Fifty Shades is Domestic nudging me, insisting that I remain we must be careful not to get Abuse campaign and can usually be found on Twitter having opinions: @God_loves_women honest with myself and not allow carried away, but rather be honest 38 REVIEWS

Book Reviews

OUTSTANDING

GOOD

PERFECTLY OK BUT NOT VERY EXCITING

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO SPEND TIME ON THIS BOOK

SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN WRITTEN REVIEWS 39

God Soaked Life: Discovering a Kingdom of Spirituality Chris Webb, Hodder & Stoughton (2017) RRP £12.99

Chris Webb’s God-Soaked Life discusses precisely that: how we can utterly saturate our lives with God by opening them to his presence and kingdom. HIS REASSERTION OF JESUS’ This beautiful image of God soaking our lives is sustained through the ALIGNMENT OF THESE TWO book, in a vivid reminder of a God who not only wants to be part of our lives, but wants to be part of every bit of our lives, drenching us with his THINGS – THE KINGDOM OF love. The challenge of the book then comes to us and what we can do with GOD AND THE POWER OF this incredible love in the world around us. The prologue presents an idea LOVE IN COMMUNITY – IS of heaven, portraying people working and creating all sorts of things – COMPELLING, AND MAKES construction workers alongside musicians – just as they do in our lives on FOR BOTH AN ENCOURAGING earth, but there is ‘a single golden thread: love’. AND CHALLENGING READ Webb considers worn-out clichés of love in a new way, in a refreshing look FOR ANYONE AT ANY POINT IN at Scripture, including a detailed analysis of what exactly is ‘the kingdom THEIR CHRISTIAN JOURNEY. of heaven’. His reassertion of Jesus’ alignment of these two things – the kingdom of God and the power of love in community – is compelling, and makes for both an encouraging and challenging read for anyone at any point in their Christian journey. He makes it clear that this is something for every one of us to participate in, not just the leaders of the church or the elders in a community – Jesus himself was never a Pharisee in the synagogue. This encouragement is followed up by ‘Over to You’ sections at the end of each chapter, in which Webb suggests Bible passages for the reader to reflect on and pray over. His honest examination of the human heart concludes that it is simultaneously powerful and ugly, and it is precisely this that consolidates his argument: our distorted and perverted human love desperately needs Jesus to make it whole and pure. In our modern world that is so deeply divided and broken, where it is so easy to hate and scorn, God-Soaked Life is a beautiful vision for what Christian community, and indeed community as a whole, has the potential to be. It just takes some serious ‘God-soaking’ and a whole lotta love.

SHAMMAH BANERJEE 40 REVIEWS

Radical Leadership: Networks for Faith Formation: In the New Testament and Today Relational Bonds and the Spiritual Growth of Youth Michael Green, IVP (2017) Steven Emery-Wright and Ed Mackenzie, Wipf & RRP £9.99 Stock (2017) RRP £17.00

Radical Leadership seeks to describe characteristics, The aim of the book is to describe and commend eight key drawn from the New Testament, for effective church networks, relational bonds that nurture and nourish faith. leaders. The first chapter highlights methods used by Each network draws on biblical and practical theology as Jesus to ‘train’ the twelve disciples with subsequent well as aspects of the social sciences. Each network assists chapters looking at leadership principles found in young people with ideas for positive encouragement within Peter, Corinth, Luke, the Ephesian elders and Paul. the suggested networks. There is a chapter on women in leadership and a final chapter which seeks to apply the biblical review to The book is very well researched, drawing on a wide-ranging church leadership today. bibliography, and shows the capabilities and experience of the co-authors’ work in ministry and theological education, At 101 pages this is a relatively short book and together with discipleship. I suspect that there are very few consequently somewhat superficial with limited space books which provide such a comprehensive overview of to develop the ideas in any depth. young people’s relationships and their faith. Many of the principles that Green described could The ten chapters are relatively short and all are eminently and should apply equally to all Christians and not readable. The first chapter (‘Grace through Networks: A just leaders. The need for regular prayer, humility, Theology of Relationships’) is the most important, as it sets exemplary lifestyle and the indwelling power of the the tone of the book and its contents. The format of each Spirit are characteristics that all Christians should chapter is similar, with an explanation of the points that aspire to. Green weaves a thread on leadership are being made, a short conclusion, and (most importantly) structures into the book, giving his view on the ‘Putting it into practice’. There follows a list of books for relationship between bishops, elders, and deacons. further reading. The most interesting chapter is the one on women in The book is good: there is no other way to describe it. As ministry where Green introduces a number of ideas an example of how easy it is to use, I received the book on that were new to me which caused me to go away and a Monday morning, and after reading the first chapter, take a deeper look at them. decided to use its contents on the Tuesday evening at an Air Becky Pippert sums up the target readers in her back Cadets padre’s hour to challenge the cadets (most of whom cover testimonial: ‘A must read, not only for leaders do not go to church). The results were astonishing in that in ministry but also for those who want to be!’ with they all reflected seriously on the relationships they have ministry in this case heavily biased towards clergy. As and what they gain from them, but more importantly what someone who is not a minister and doesn’t want to be they can give. The commanding officer was so impressed he a minister this book wasn’t for me. I was disappointed wanted to know how to get hold of the book. that the book didn’t develop ‘radical leadership’ Every leader in the church should be encouraged that there principles that could be applied to leadership and are real, practical ways to help people grow in faith. It is an ministry in a secular environment in addition to a excellent book to have in your library. church environment.

ALAN IRVIN ALAN RASHLEIGH REVIEWS 41

Women’s Voices and the Whole life worship Practice of Preaching Sam and Sara Hargreaves, IVP (2017) RRP £9.99 Nancy Lammers Gross, Eerdmans (2017) RRP £16.99

Just occasionally a book comes along that chimes with This very practical book took an unusually long time to your own experience or interests. From my perspective, read (well, for me, at least) because I spent so much time this book is one of those. making notes, copying and filing away good ideas and looking up websites mentioned. Fired by a heartfelt desire to preach the truth of the Gospel, and enable other women to do so too, Nancy Basically, this book attempts to bridge the gap between Lammers Gross examines why and how women lose Sunday worship and our weekly lives, or, to use the their voices – why they speak quietly or apologetically terminology of the book: ‘gathered worship’ (when we even while occupying a preaching space. Having all come together as a church) and ‘scattered worship’ identified and addressed common problems, she sets (which is what we do – or should be doing – when we live about rectifying them. our daily lives). Her thesis is simple: ‘The voice is a full-body instrument. The book is divided into two parts – the first is a Many women struggle to speak. Many women struggle description of the ‘problem’; the disconnect between to speak because they are disconnected from their how our daily lives relate to our church gatherings. The bodies.’ scriptural analysis of the situation is helpful. The second part is an attempt to help with the solution, by providing Stories of becoming disconnected are told before practical ideas for our gathered Sunday worship that Lammers explores three reasons why women find it will help us to relate it to our Mondays to Saturdays. In hard to speak: ‘they struggle to feel good about … their bodies’; they ‘are trained to be nice and kind, calm and fact, some of these ideas seemed so obvious and easy to quiet’ and they are therefore disconnected ‘from the implement that several times I found myself thinking, truth of their own experience’. Freedom comes through ‘Now why haven’t I done that before?’ realising who we are in Christ. The last two chapters Although the book gives the disclaimer several times of the book contain exercises in becoming one with our that it does not attempt to deal with sermons, I found bodies, and reading Scripture interpretively. the book really useful as a preacher – there was enough While I wholeheartedly commend this book to every material in this one book to include in several sermons, woman preacher and everyone who teaches women but also it approached worship as a whole, ensuring that to preach, I also believe it has much to say to everyone the preacher did not simply ‘slot in’ to whatever else was who has felt robbed of their authentic voice. Lammers happening, but that he or she realised that whatever was by no means suggests that only women have the said or done had an impact on everyone’s lives for the problems she describes, it is simply that women are the rest of the week. focus of her own study. Her conclusion is that ‘in our I would recommend that as many of you as possible go mutual calling to the gospel ministry, nothing matters out and buy this book, or at least have access to it, so that more than embodying the Word of God.’ Her book this important message is shared as widely as possible. encourages commitment to that call.

LIZ SHERCLIFF KATHRINE DAVEY 42 REVIEWS

Musings of a Clergy Child As Kingfishers Catch Fire: Nell Goddard, BRF (2017) A conversation on the Ways of God Formed RRP £7.99 by the Words of God Eugene Peterson, Hodder & Stoughton (2017) RRP £14.99

Daughter to not one but two ordained parents, Nell Eugene Peterson is by far and away my favourite living Goddard takes the reader through a series of tips, Christian writer. If you only know him for his paraphrase letters and musings, which offer some advice, as well as of the Bible, The Message, I urge you to explore his many reflect on her own experience of growing up in a clergy other books, starting with this, his latest. household. As Kingfishers Catch Fire is a collection of sermons I appreciated many of Nell’s tips for vicarage survival. Peterson preached to his congregation in Maryland, USA ‘Always lock the toilet door’ brought to mind a over the 29 years he was their pastor. It was as brilliant particularly embarrassing moment when a church as I expected it to be, my only criticism being that neither warden walked in on me in the bath! The letters section the title nor the subtitle shed any light on what you moves beyond the often-witty anecdotes described in might find inside the covers. Hopefully this review will ‘tips’, to address specific pastoral issues. Interspersing help in that regard! Bible quotes and her own reflective poetry, I found much of this poignant and helpful. ‘A letter for when you feel Organised around key biblical authors, from Moses church has stolen your parents’ particularly struck a to John of Patmos, each sermon explores a set text chord. with imagination, depth and an eye to its real-life implications. As he writes in the preface, Peterson is Nell’s voice is a wise one and her personal love of Christ unfolds as you move through the book. ‘Musings’ are concerned primarily with congruence, congruence an assortment of writings, described as ‘spiritual ‘between what is written in Scripture and our living out reflections’. Most end with a Bible verse and all consider what is written… congruence between preaching and the character of God. living, congruence between the sermon and what is lived in both preacher and congregation’. This book is hard to describe because it is too many things. Although the introduction states that it is based These sermons are delightfully local and specific, on a blog, and as such will not read as continuous prose peppered with references that locate the teaching in – being condensed into book form, in my opinion, stifles the time and place it was delivered, and yet they ring it, and does not settle on an audience. Nell comes across with universal truth. I read the book a sermon or two a as very likeable, and it is clear that she has laid herself day, using it as a devotional. It would also work well as bare in her writing, which is to the book’s credit. I would a resource for preachers preparing their own sermons welcome an adaptation that specifically focusses on on the same passages. And I’d recommend it for anyone children like mine, to help them navigate the peculiar who needs a reminder of the depth, transformational experience of vicarage life, or I would enjoy following power and enduring relevance of the Bible. As all great her musings online, dipping into the thoughts of an preachers do, Peterson pulls our imaginations and our obviously godly young woman. Simon Ponsonby states in hearts into the great treasure trove of Scripture and in his endorsement that, ‘This book has it all’. For me, ‘it all’ doing so invites us to encounter God himself. was a bit too much in one book.

SOPHIE STYLES JO SWINNEY REVIEWS 43

Animating Liturgy: The Dynamics of Worship and the Human Community Stephen Platten, Sacristy Press (2017) RRP £14.99

MANY OF US WILL HAVE ATTENDED A BAPTISM AS A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH MEMBER AND SPOKEN THE OFFICIAL PROMISES AND PRAYERS, THEN OVER THE YEARS NEVER SEEN THE PARTICULAR FAMILY DARKEN THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH AGAIN. THIS MAY SOUND RATHER HARSH BUT IT IS A SITUATION THAT IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR AND NEEDS This is a wide-ranging collection of essays that cover three main areas of ADDRESSING. worship: the sacraments, their history and celebration; liturgical history, study and practice; and general theological, practical and ethical aspects of liturgy. If all this sounds rather erudite and academic it is, but the author, who has a wealth of experience and expertise behind him, covers the material with enough information to interest a broad readership. Stephen Platten’s style and approach to his subject is beautifully demonstrated in his opening essay entitled ‘Building Sacraments’ in which he enters ‘the world of sacramentality from the unlikely departure point of railway architecture.’ A discussion on the merits and function of St Pancras, Euston and King’s Cross is a singularly arresting way of introducing his theme. The remaining nine essays continue along this line (my pun not Platten’s). An essay exploring eucharistic living begins with an extract from Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals and goes on to include the Church of England’s 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the Kingdom of God parables of Jesus, the Taizé Community in Burgundy, the relationship between Abelard and Heloise, Kilvert’s Diary and so on. Platten has a very broad and deep theological and liturgical set of interests taken from a whole variety of sources and he uses these both to illustrate and illuminate his subject. One of the most interesting and pertinent essays concerns the rites of Christian initiation. Many of us will have attended a baptism as a congregational church member and spoken the official promises and St Andrews Bookshop is prayers, then over the years never seen the particular family darken passionate about resourcing the doors of the church again. This may sound rather harsh but it is a Christian preachers with situation that is all too familiar and needs addressing. Platten explores the best Christian literature all the issues of baptism, confirmation and faith in some detail and this available and so is delighted to essay will repay close reading. offerPreach readers 10 per cent Stephen Platten must be congratulated for putting together a collection discount. Simply use the coupon of essays that cover his theme in such a diverse and broad-ranging way. code Preach14 at the checkout. The subject of liturgy can be very dry and appeal only to an interested minority, but the author has done his best to make his subject not only All the books recommended worthwhile to the aforesaid but also of interest to the layperson. in this issue can be found at standrewsbookshop.co.uk/preach RAY TAYLOR 44 SERIAL

Welcome to Issue 14 of The Preach Book Club! Each quarter, we introduce you to a new book to encourage and challenge you in your preaching ministry. You can expect a summary, a review or two, discussion questions written especially for the book club, an interview with the author, and an online forum to share your thoughts with others. We suggest you get together with three or four other preachers, lay on the coffee and cake, and dive into some inspiring conversation.

What Angels SUMMARY Long to Read: ‘Even angels long to look into these things.’ Peter wrote to encourage and embolden isolated and vulnerable believers. His Reading and Preaching timeless words have consoled and challenged ever since and show how the the New Testament eternal Gospel is true even in the toughest circumstances. The last sentence in 1 Peter 1:12 profoundly illustrates that the experience we have each time we open Mark Meynell, Langham up the scriptures is nothing less than a heavenly privilege, a privilege that angels Preaching Resources (2017) do not have but would love to! For discussion questions and Mark Meynell skilfully brings the New Testament to life. Guiding the reader an interview with Mark Meynell through preaching the Gospels and Acts, the Parables, the Letters and Revelation, as well as all previous as well as using a host of worked examples, sample sermons and personal book clubs, please visit exercises, this book offers ideas and approaches to stretch even the most preachweb.org/book-club seasoned preachers.

REVIEWS I read a lot of books on preaching – some geared for rookies, some for veterans. Once in while a book is written that speaks to both, to rookies and veterans alike. And Mark Meynell has done this with much skill. I especially appreciate that Mark does not move to the ‘how to’ stage of preaching the different genres of the New Testament until he takes us through the ‘what are they?’ investigation, which he does in engagingly fresh ways. His sample sermons are amazing: exposition that immediately connects with culture. Darrell Johnson, Teaching Fellow, Regent College; Professor of Preaching, Carey College, Vancouver, Canada

Mark Meynell offers contemporary preachers a wonderfully readable guide for sermons on the New Testament that does justice to a biblical book, its genre, the geographical and historical context, as well as the individual angle of each writer. He has succeeded in bringing years of academic scholarship on the scriptures into a condensed, connected and relevant whole for the benefit of sermon preparation. This is an essential manual for every preacher’s library. Myrto Theocharous, Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament, Greek Bible College, Athens, Greece

Mark Meynell does a favour for preachers at every level by making simple the macroscopic view of the Bible without sacrificing the microscopic details. The For the discussion book serves to make simple many complex theological, hermeneutical and textual questions, author questions the conscientious preacher encounters. Its lack of academic jargon interview and more, please doesn’t negate its intellectual credibility. Every preacher can learn something visit preachweb.org/book-club from reading this useful book. Sam Tsang, Faculty Member, Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, Hong Kong SERIAL 45

ESSENTIAL READING FOR PREACHERS by Krish Kandiah

n the business of trying to keep Explosive Preaching: Letters on a masterclass in how to expound them up with life and ministry, crises Detonating the Gospel in the biblically, Christologically and pastorally. and commitments, sometimes 21st Century It’s like a musician being taught to play I our preaching gets stuck in a rut. by a virtuoso – just by being trained on When we have developed a style of Ron Boyd-MacMillan (Paternoster) a few extracts some of the methodology preaching that we find ourselves Terry Virgo, veteran preacher and and skill will rub off. I was inspired by comfortable with, we become more founder of the New Frontiers movement, this book to attempt a preaching series in efficient at preparing and delivering recommended this book to me recently. the Psalms that celebrates the rich, raw competent sermons, but our I had thanked him because, as a young and rewarding nature of the Psalms for preaching risks becoming routinised, believer listening on my Sony Walkman Christian discipleship. predictable, and, dare I say it, boring. as I walked home from school, his weekly Not only boring for our listeners, sermons had been foundational to my Preaching to a Post-Everything but to be honest, sometimes for us faith. Terry responded by showing me World: Crafting Biblical Sermons preachers too. What can we do to this little book by Ron Boyd-MacMillan that Connect with Our Culture reignite our passion and kick-start he had just finished reading. It’s an Zack Eswine (Baker) a revolution in our preaching? Here unconventional book with a style you Our culture is increasingly biblically are four books I have read recently will either love or find frustrating. The illiterate and our congregations have that really challenged my preaching author forces you to find new language to to live out their daily lives amongst practices: think about preaching. I was personally friends and family who do not share challenged by this book to think not just the Christian faith and may even be Preaching the Luminous about what I am trying to preach but why antagonistic to our faith. Our preaching Word: Biblical Sermons and and how. must help to equip our congregations Homiletical Essays Preaching the Psalms: to understand and apply their faith but Ellen F Davis (Eerdmans) Foundations for Expository also to explain and defend their faith. Insufficient preparation often means Sermons in the Christian Year It must be apologetic not just to help our sermons are flabby rather than believers, but also for the persuasion of forceful, silly rather than sensitive, Sidney Greidanus (Eerdmans) unbelievers and sceptics who may come they ramble and roam more than they For many Christians the Psalms are some to church. Too often our sermons say rumble and roar, they circle instead of of the most precious words in Scripture. very little to outsiders. This is a double coming to land. Reading the sermons These worshipful poems often give problem as we neither evangelise nor do contained in this volume will challenge words to emotions and experiences we we expect or equip our congregations to you to get your sermons in shape. In struggle to articulate and they also carry share their faith. Eswine’s creative and the same way that my jogs around the the voice of God to us. Although many challenging book offers not just pointers block suddenly step up a gear when our churches use the Psalms in worship, we in the right direction when it comes to local multi-marathon runner whizzes don’t often preach them. This can leave sermons that connect with people but past me, these sermons set a new our churches emotionally weakened, a comprehensive plan for our weekly standard for our preaching to aim at. ill-equipped to handle the range of preparation. It challenged me to invest Davis is the Distinguished Professor of emotions, expectations and experiences more time in thinking how my sermons Bible and Practical Theology at Duke that modern life presents to us. So I was will connect with non-Christians. Divinity School, working alongside delighted to receive this new book on such academic luminaries as Stanley preaching the Psalms. In it Greidanus Dr Krish Kandiah Hauerwas, who writes a generous takes us through the 22 Psalms that come Krish Kandiah is an author, foreword to the book. These are up in the Revised Common Lectionary academic, consultant and founder beautifully crafted sermons, showing Year A. At first I found this annoying, as I of the charity ‘Home for am not from a liturgical tradition. But in Good.’ He recently launched just how much theology, exposition and an initiative encouraging application you can fit into a concise fact the selection of Psalms cover a whole Christians to read more good and poetic 15-minute sermon. range of styles and Greidanus gives us books: booksforlife.uk 46 FEATURE FEATURE 47

by Antony Billington 48 FEATURE

Although it has taken different forms, the sermon has been a constant feature in the worship of Christian congregations from the very beginning. The most appropriate context for preaching has been seen as the worshipping community, with ‘God’s people assembled in God’s presence to hear God’s Word’. For it is here that ‘the living God is present, according to his covenant pledge, in the midst of his worshipping people, and has promised to make himself known to them through his Word and sacrament’.1

he integral link between ‘the preached Word is integrated with stands at the heart of it – that the preaching and gathered worship every other part of gathered worship congregation is shaped over time perhaps offers a gentle challenge and that the structure and content of and empowered to serve as Christ’s T to some of our practices, and the whole is directed by Scripture’.3 witnesses. encourages us towards an enriched view of the place of preaching In some contexts, where several AN ENRICHED VIEW OF in worship for the spiritual and people may be involved in taking a missional formation of God’s people. service, this requires communication WORSHIP: WORSHIP AS and cooperation between the AN ENRICHED VIEW OF preacher, the leader, the musicians, FORMATION and the intercessors. While this is PREACHING: PREACHING demanding in time commitment, it James KA Smith helpfully reminds us could be to the greater benefit of the of the temptation to reduce worship AS WORSHIP congregation as Word and worship to expression, the tendency to think become bound more closely together, of worship only as an ‘upward’ act of In Preaching as Worship, Michael the people of God who offer up their Quicke describes what many of us the one serving the other. In this way, it becomes possible for the sacrifice of praise to God, express are likely to be familiar with – that their thanks to God, confirm their churches often view a Sunday worship whole service to cohere around the devotion to God – all of which is service in individual units of time, theme of the passage to be preached. absolutely essential. Except this view segmented into functional parts, each In particular, readings, songs or is easily hijacked by an individualism with their own outcomes. The sermon prayers immediately before and which sees even gathered worship as takes its place as one component after the sermon can lead into and more like a collection of individual, alongside several other components. out of the topic explored, providing private encounters with God in which However, Quicke encourages us to an opportunity to respond or reflect worshippers each express their own look at the role of the sermon not as further on how God’s Word not only interior devotion. Christian worship, an isolated part of a service, but in the speaks to us, but shapes our lives whole sweep of it, to understand that – individually, together, and in the however, is more than expression. It ‘preachers worship when they preach, world. also involves a ‘downward’ encounter hearers worship as they listen, and all in which God is the primary actor. Hence, whether churches follow a participants worship as they respond’.2 Worship isn’t just something we do; lectionary or do series on topics or in worship, God does something to At the very least, this enables us to see biblical books, hearing the Bible read us! Worship is a space where we are ourselves as worshippers before we and preached is not incidental to nourished by his preached Word are preachers, to see that preaching gathered worship, but an essential – as well as in song and through itself is worship. Beyond that, church component of it. In the preaching of prayer and by bread and wine.4 So, leaders and preachers encourage Scripture, we not only encounter God’s worship is not just a platform for and equip the people of God to be Word to us, but are drawn once again our individual expression of worship whole-life disciples of Christ by into the story of salvation history and upwards to God, but the place for the preaching God’s Word faithfully, but called to be shaped by it. Through Spirit’s downwards formation and also by praying it and singing it, and Scripture, we become attuned to God’s transformation of us. by putting in place structures which ways of working in the world, God’s encourage and sustain it at other acts of grace, the promise of God’s Smith sets this in a larger context points in church life. The key principle presence and power to serve him. It of how we’re influenced and shaped is for preachers, in collaboration with is by proclaiming again and again in all sorts of ways in everyday life other worship leaders, to ensure that the biblical story – and the one who – through the ‘liturgical calendar’ of FEATURE 49

the sports season or the ‘sanctuary’ the world to be a people who serve in different Christian traditions – of the shopping centre, for instance. God. Even the seemingly trivial and meaning there is a challenge here The habits and practices associated potentially awkward practice of for those of us tempted to make too with these cultural phenomena mould greeting one another acknowledges much of the sacraments and those of us into certain sorts of people with that we are present not simply as us tempted to make too little of them. certain sorts of ‘loves’. It’s in this light individual worshippers but as the We gather to renew our relationship that the various elements of gathered family of God. We sing God’s praise and with God as his covenant people, worship are designed to shape and give thanks for his work in the world. receiving his gifts through the form us into people with different The preached Word brings us face to preached Word and the administered desires and affections.5 face with Jesus and his power to equip sacraments. The celebration of us for everyday life. The taking of bread baptism and communion, like the Every church has some pattern and and wine nourishes us as we take our preaching of the Word, show us that flow to its worship. It would be rare place in the story of his redemption God works through ‘ordinary’ means, to find a congregation that did not of us and all things. We pray for the addressing us through the concrete go through some combination of Spirit’s empowerment of each other in realities of everyday life. But these praying, singing, reading and opening daily living and witness. It’s practices ‘ordinary’ means – words, water, up of Scripture when it meets. It is like these carried out faithfully and bread, wine – incorporate us into our immersion in these practices – in regularly that nurture our identity the larger biblical drama, remind which preaching plays a central and as God’s people and enable us to us of our place as recipients of gifts crucial role – that forms us and equips align ourselves more closely with his us to be God’s people in everyday life. purposes for the world.6 from God, sustain and equip us as we gather, and then empower us as we The very act of gathering expresses In particular, the Word and the are sent out to embody God’s mission our identity as those called out of sacraments have rightly gone together in our lives for the sake of the world. 50 FEATURE

Scripture thus informs and cultivates our activities in the workplace, public AN ENRICHED VIEW OF worshippers’ identities as participants square, and civic life.8 MISSION: WORSHIP FOR in the mission of God, drawn into God’s self-offering of redemptive love Here, then – through preaching as an MISSION through Christ and in the power of the integral part of our gathered worship Spirit.’7 – is where worship and mission flow Worship embraces both what we do into and out of one another. From when we gather at set times with At its best, then, worship forms us not the opening call to worship to the other Christians and what we do only in our relationship with God, but final blessing, God commissions us when we’re scattered the rest of the in our relationship with the world in back into the world as stewards and time in our everyday lives. Authentic which we’re called to take our place. disciples, equipped and shaped for worship takes place in a rhythm of As James KA Smith points out, our the callings he has laid on us, in the gathering and scattering – like the public and political life is also caught various places we find ourselves, and regular breathing of a healthy body, up in the dynamics of desire and in a way that the glory will belong to like the back-and-forth movement of formation, where we become what we him alone. a well-played accordion. We gather as love. As such, we are to be a people a community, then to be scattered into whose political vision is animated by 1. Stott, JRW (1982),I Believe in Preaching, London: Hodder & Stoughton, page 82. a vision of the King who is coming. the world to serve God and others. 2. Quicke, MJ (2011), Preaching as Worship: An Those leading and preaching help For Smith, this means learning to Integrative Approach to Formation in Your Church, members of the congregation to see walk a line between quietism and Grand Rapids: Baker Books, page 88. activism. We’re not just sitting around, 3. Quicke, MJ (2011), Preaching as Worship: An themselves as God’s people gathered Integrative Approach to Formation in Your Church, in order then to be sent out to take not caring about our shared public Grand Rapids: Baker Books, page 224. part in God’s mission in the world. As life; we’re waiting for the King. But 4. Smith, JKA (2016), You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, Grand Rapids: Brazos, Ruth Meyers notes: nor are we activists in the sense that pages 74–77. we presume we’re going to bring the 5. See Smith, JKA (2009) Desiring the Kingdom: ‘When Scripture is proclaimed in end about. We wait actively. We are Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, Cultural Liturgies (Volume 1), Grand Rapids: Baker the assembly, worshippers enter caught up in what God is doing in the Academic. this stream of salvation history and world, and the formative practices 6. See Hargreaves, S and Hargreaves, S (2016), Whole come to understand themselves as of the church shape us as a people Life Worship: Empowering Disciples for the Frontline, London: IVP for further insights and many practical participants in this story and actors who then shape the world. There is a examples of how the patterns of worship in different in the performance of God’s connection between the vitality of our church traditions might be utilised in order to form people as followers of Jesus in daily life. See mission... The proclamation of congregational life and worship and also the suite of resources produced by the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, licc.org.uk/ wholelifeworship 7. Meyers, RA (2014), Missional Worship, Worshipful Mission: Gathering as God’s People, Going Out in God’s Name, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, page 81. 8. Smith, JKA (2017), Awaiting the King: Reforming Public Theology, Cultural Liturgies (Volume 3), Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Antony Billington Antony Billington is the Head of Theology at LICC, a job which involves a deep knowledge and love of Scripture and having an office packed full of books. He previously taught hermeneutics at London School of Theology, and he enjoys spending time with his family or working his way through a TV box set. SERIAL 51 How I prepare

by Lindsay Caplen

preachers to minister to the whole of This series considered the grand READING MY PATCH a person’s life. Somehow, in a way I do narrative of Scripture from Genesis nce upon a time I was a housing not fully understand, I as a preacher to Revelation, helping us discover the officer, with responsibility for am able to partner with God in his missionary call of God that pulses several housing estates – my transformative work. For me, this is through the entire Bible. It enabled O‘patch’. I learned to ‘read’ my where the pastoral meets the missional many to grasp better the link between patch. I visited the area frequently, – pastoring through preaching in a our ‘call’ (to be God’s people) and listening to and observing the physical, way which shapes people for their our character and ethics (how then economic and social environments. It everyday lives as disciples of Jesus. should we live?). We began to see was always time well spent as it gave This feels like an incredible privilege ourselves as part of God’s cosmic plan me a sense of what was ‘bubbling and responsibility – and one which also of redemption, bringing his light, life, up’ underneath, and of the struggles, drives me to prayer. healing, justice, reconciliation, and love to all creation. Sermon titles included: challenges, hopes and dreams of the In my experience, it’s prayer that sets ‘Blessed to be a blessing’; ‘Blessed community and its people. preaching apart from a great talk or to be his witnesses’; ‘Blessed to do TED-style presentation – the prayers of I next worked in crime prevention righteousness and justice’; ‘Blessed to the preacher as well as the prayerful and urban regeneration. This further bless creation’. honed my ability to read a ‘patch’, but I engagement of the congregation and learned to pay attention to the spiritual other leaders as active listeners. Only It was the most difficult series of environment too. Assessing and through this can we truly sense what sermons that I have ever prepared. responding to these environments was God wants to say to us and how we First, because I had to wrestle with should join in with what he is doing. some deep theology and then make it vital if my work was to have significant accessible to others. Secondly, because transformational impact. ‘BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING’ the resonances between Scripture and the emerging socio-political situation WHOLE-LIFE PREACHING At a previous church, I had a growing were so clear that I recognised the sense that many, even mature believers, This ability to ‘read my patch’ became need to allow the Bible to speak into were failing to understand fully the invaluable when I began preaching. the world situation as much as into nature and purpose of the church. They Yes, I exegeted Scripture (through our daily lives – both individually and seemed to lack awareness of who they careful reading of the passage, use as a community. There were ‘lightbulb were as a community of God’s people of commentaries, etc), but I also moments’ as we saw how Old and New and what God had called them to do. I exegeted the congregation and wider Testaments together tell God’s story. We strongly suspect this is often the case. community. This continues to impact grasped afresh the significance of our Could it be that if our churches grasped my preaching, hopefully helping to lives within ‘our patch’ as part of that their true nature and purpose then we unfolding story. Certainly the series avoid the real danger of a yawning would see an incredible move of God in helped me – impacting my own life as a chasm developing between my sermons this nation? disciple and causing me to turn toward and the daily lives of those I serve. Christ with more and more of my life. I spent time thinking and praying, Of course, this sort of preaching is not Such is the awesome privilege of the sitting in my study and in cafés reading new. Jesus shaped his parables and preacher! the Bible, commentaries and books, stories using culturally appropriate googling for resources, and writing language and metaphors that engaged copious notes. Gradually a series of with the everyday lives of his listeners, Lindsay Caplen sermons started to develop. I called it making the truth come alive. Lindsay Caplen looks after LICC’s ‘Who Are We and What Are We Here Imagine church projects in the South East of England, engaging I am now a Baptist minister and For?’ As I typed on my laptop, I found with leaders and networks across the increasingly find that whole-life myself continually cutting, pasting and area through a mix of workshops and training days. She is also a minister preaching connects with the worlds reorganising wording. I became excited in the Eastern Baptist Association, a people inhabit. A sermon comes alive as the relevant bits started to take order trustee of BMS World Mission, loves trekking and eating gelato. as the Holy Spirit uses our words as and ‘land’ in my mind! 52 SERIAL Soul care for leaders

T HE G BE ILIN NEFI ROF TS OF PERSONALITY P

by James Catford

Over the years I’ve been Myers-Brigged, had my Enneagram tested, looked deep into my Dark Side and grappled with Insight Discovery. All of these psychometric tests, and others besides, have been hugely helpful in my self-awareness and fruitfulness in ministry. But it’s been a long journey. SERIAL 53

s a young leader I was Patrick Lencioni, they want to do increasingly popular. Insight pathologically opposed a good job. Things get toxic when Discovery is the leading provider, to anything remotely we interpret different personality but C-Me based in the UK and run by A psychological or self-analytical. profiles through the lens of our Christians, is a worthy alternative. If I met a psychotherapist at an event own personal values. The result is So impressed have I been with this I would immediately shrink away, a potent mix. The devil thrives on approach that I have been trained not wanting to be exposed in front of, confusion and mistrust and the best in C-Me as a way to better assist the well, a shrink. Surely they would see management tools work to bring several charity boards and agencies right through me? clarity and build confidence in both that I serve. individuals and groups. Now, several years later, and through For some people, associating the persistence and generosity of colleagues with a colour is somehow a several employers, I have embraced WHAT’S ON OFFER? more humane way of understanding personality testing and what the them, rather than giving them a professionals call psychoanalytical The Enneagram number or a code. Each has its tools. I’m not yet a junkie for them, My pick of the crop starts with the advantages, but I’d rather be seen but I’m certainly evangelical about Enneagram. Not only is it a proven as ‘green’, the colour profile given to their beneficial properties. way to understand ourselves better, relationships, than as INTJ, which is my Myers Briggs profile. Sure, they have their flaws, and I but it’s free online. wish that there were some really I recommend taking it three times NOT THE BE ALL good products and programmes that from different providers to see if had stronger Christian foundations. the results match up. It’s worth the AND END ALL Nevertheless, psychological profiles extra effort and will take very little have their place and can greatly time. Tests that come with more These tools are powerful ways help in personal development and substantial reports attached are also to gain self-knowledge and strengthening teams. available for a small fee. understanding. However some Two team members are locked still see them as self-indulgent and Wikipedia has the best general introspective. I can see the point. They in personal rivalries and become commentary on the nine different ‘passive aggressive’. This is when can be positively dangerous if they are Enneagram personality types, and used to label or pigeonhole those we inner feelings are hurt but the IVP has published a wonderful outward persona remains calm, cool work with or people in our care. Most Christian guide to the Enneagram good things can be used badly. and collected. A consultant from called The Road Back to You by Ian outside the church once asked me Morgan Cron and Suzanna Stabile. For all their considerable value, ‘are Christians always this nasty to personality profiling will have failed each other, but under the veneer The Myers Briggs if we complete a test believing that of polite charm?’ Or as a Christian Type Indicator this is how God sees us. We are indeed believer trying to work with another fearfully and wonderfully made and brother put it to me, ‘beware of the The Myers Briggs Type Indicator any number of online questionnaires, Christian smile’. (MBTI) was created in 1987, but dates or hours in the psychiatrist’s chair, back much further. Widely used will not fully make sense of us. You don’t have to be a part of in many professions, I prefer the many teams to see the importance application of Myers Briggs to what At its most profound, God’s view of us of understanding how we are so is known as ‘the Dark Side.’ This is is one of total love and acceptance. fearfully and wonderfully made. not a reference to the satanic or His assessment, in the words of Paul, Unresolved disputes, clashes in some science fiction fantasy. Rather, is always ‘yea and amen’. Ultimately values and misaligned priorities it looks at who we are under pressure our profile and identity in Christ is yes, can get bitter. They seem to hound and what kind of behaviour is most yes, yes. the Christian preacher and spiritual likely to undermine our ministry of leader every bit as much as those preaching, teaching and leading who respond to our message, others. I have found it the most sometimes even with a level of insightful test that I’ve taken, but James Catford sophistication and vitriol that it does need an experienced coach James Catford is Chair of exceeds those who don’t share our Renovaré Britain & Ireland, to interpret the findings and apply founded by Richard Foster. faith. them to our situation. Inevitably, this He also serves on the board can be pricey. of Renovaré US, chairs the It doesn’t have to be like this. Most Apprentice Institute at team members are doing the best Friend’s University and is a Colour profiling senior fellow of the Dallas they can with what they have got. Willard Center. Follow him They want to be good people and, For groups of leaders and teams, on Twitter or email at [email protected] according to the management guru colour profiling models are becoming 54 SERIAL

Unbelievable?

THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT by Justin Brierley

A crisis of faith is never I’ve gotten to know Drew since he and podcast I host on Premier had that crisis of faith. He is still a Christian Radio. Bringing Christians welcome in a Christian’s Christian working in ministry. But and non-believers together for an life. Perhaps even less so experiencing profound doubt changed hour of weekly dialogue created a the way he approaches Christianity. It space for listeners to wrestle with in a church leader’s life. sent him on a quest for the historical questions, hear from ‘the other side’ And least of all in the Jesus. It led to a new venture, and deal honestly with doubts. exploring the big questions with an middle of a sermon they atheist friend on a new podcast called Initially, the format didn’t sit well with are preaching. Hinge. And, ultimately, it has led him everybody. ‘Why do we need to hear to an unexpected, new and deeper from atheists on a Christian radio faith... which he wouldn’t change for station?’ complained some listeners. the world. However, I believe such questions come n 2014 Drew Sokol was the assistant from a place of fear rather than faith. pastor at a 2000-strong church in Los Angeles. One Sunday he Christians often desire a bubble- Faith vs Doubt wrapped faith, hermetically sealed I was preaching at the first of three services. He says, ‘I was pointing to from challenging questions. But Faith is not the same thing as Jesus as the ultimate source of truth, the problem comes when we are certainty, nor is doubt always the but towards the end of that sermon confronted with a crisis – the death enemy of faith. For all Christians, I just stopped believing it. Mentally of a loved one, a child who says they I just began to break down. I’d had doubts, questions and uncertainty will don’t believe, or some aspect of our what I thought were small doubts inevitably feature in the highs and worldview that gets challenged. lows of our faith journey as we learn about my convictions for more than Too often I’ve seen Christians collapse a year, but I didn’t quite realise how to trust in a God we cannot physically when such crises arise, because much until that moment.’ taste, touch and see. they’d never been willing to expose Drew says he suddenly ‘felt like a In his helpful book The Benefit of themselves to doubts to begin with. fraud.’ the Doubt, Greg Boyd writes: ‘The faith that God’s people are called Over the years I’ve personally had ‘I maintained composure but then I to embrace is one that encourages plenty of doubts thrown across the went and found a bathroom stall and people to wrestle with God, to not studio desk at me by some of the just sobbed. I even threw up a couple be afraid of questions, and to act world’s leading sceptics. Yet today, I of times. And that’s what the rest of faithfully in the face of uncertainty.’ feel more confident in my faith than that day looked like. Forced composure when I began. Not because I have all on stage for two more sermons, but an In many ways, that has been the the answers (the more I learn, the existential crisis off stage.’ purpose of the Unbelievable? show more I realise how little I know). There SERIAL 55

by Justin Brierley

remain lots of details to disagree sphere. From its birth, Christianity our own ability to discern what God about and plenty of questions to be was an eminently falsifiable religion. is doing, to see his faithfulness when filed under ‘mystery’ until we reach That may sound like a bad thing, but our lives turn messy, and to trust the other side of eternity. in fact it’s a very important principle him all the same. As one emotionally in the search for truth. The claims of overwhelmed father said to Jesus, Nevertheless the core of the Christian most religions simply can’t be verified ‘I do believe; help me overcome my faith turns out to be remarkably robust, one way or the other. unbelief’ (Mark 9:24). and makes sense of the world at large. However, the evidence for Jesus’ life, I heard a helpful maxim about death and resurrection is remarkably bravery recently: ‘Being brave doesn’t Christianity strong (as many sceptics who tried to mean that we don’t get scared. prove it otherwise have discovered). Bravery means doing the right thing is falsifiable That’s not to say that our faith in Christ even when we are scared.’ is based in the strength of the historical From its inception Christianity has evidence alone. But it does mean that The same idea can be applied to our been a public religion making claims the head and the heart come together faith journey. Having faith doesn’t that could be held up to historical so that, rather than leaping blindly into mean living without any doubts. Faith scrutiny in the place it was birthed. the dark, we are taking a reasonable is about trusting in God even in the step of faith by trusting in Jesus. presence of our doubts. That’s not true of other religions. The precepts of Buddhism originated in The good news is that, whether the mind of the Buddha alone. The emotional or intellectual, God ancient writings of Hinduism derive Trusting God welcomes us with all our questions from mystical teachings that are not But doubts will still come. and doubts and by his grace can use located in a historical framework. it all as a pathway to trusting him in Islam is constituted by the teaching I had the privilege of interviewing new and unexpected ways. and stories of the Qur’an, as related Archbishop Rowan Williams at the to Muhammad in a private angelic end of his time in office. I asked him visitation. Likewise, many newer if he ever had any doubts about God. Justin Brierley religions such as Mormonism have He answered, ‘Doubts that God exists? Justin Brierley presents Premier Christian Radio’s Unbelievable? emerged out of the claims of private Doubts that God is loving? I don’t think faith discussion show/podcast and revelations to individuals. so. Doubts about whether I’m making is editor of Premier Christianity any sense of God? Yes, very regularly.’ magazine. Justin Brierley’s In contrast, the claims by the first book Unbelievable? Why, after years of talking with Christians about the life, death and Likewise, the doubts most of us will atheists, I’m still a Christian resurrection of Jesus are all events face are not necessarily the big (SPCK) is available now: unbelievablebook.co.uk that were accessible in the public intellectual ones. Instead we doubt 56 SERIAL Painting by Jenny Hawke SERIAL 57 Painting the Word

by Jenny Hawke

I URGE YOU, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN VIEW OF GOD’S MERCY, TO OFFER YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD – THIS IS YOUR TRUE AND PROPER WORSHIP. DO NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS – HIS GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL. Romans 12:1-2

Jenny Hawke Jenny Hawke is a London-based watercolour artist and author. She uses her paintings to convey a sense of faith, peace and beauty. She also posts a thought for the day and a recent painting on her Facebook page (bit.ly/JennyHawke). Jenny’s website is creativegrace.co.uk issue 14 in partnership with

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THE FINALS : JUNE  ST 

Hear the four fi nalists preach their sermons LIVE in front of a panel including Antony Billington, Anne Calver, Krish Kandiah and Chloe Lynch. Prizes include free or discounted study at London School of Theology or a voucher for the LST bookshop.

Thursday June 21st, 7 pm – 8.30 pm at London School of Theology, Green Lane, Northwood HA6 2UW. Light refreshments provided. Book your free ticket at www.preachweb.org/sermon-of-the-year £9 Whole Life Worship issue 14 in partnership with Worship is more than just music. It’s a lifestyle. ip fro We all believe this to be true, but finding compelling ways to connect our church gatherings sh m o with our everyday lives is often a struggle. Fresh, creative, liberating – Whole Life Worship is er nl b y Sign up to membership and receive four Preach the informed and practical book which helps to make that connection. em m l magazine issues a year! Sam and Sara Hargreaves have a rich background in leading worship, training others and creating resources. Drawing a u on this knowledge, they have produced a passionate book that offers biblical foundations, practical frameworks n Each issue is full of content to resource preachers:

and a wealth of examples for the planning and delivery of worship services. Whole Life Worship also represents n a £ opinion pieces, features, interviews, book reviews a significant contribution towards establishing a sustainable culture of whole-life discipleship in your church 24 and more! community – whatever your tradition or stream. ‘Packed with thoughtful provocation and practical innovation, this is a vital book for all those who lead in our churches.’ Krish Kandiah, Founder and Director, Home for Good visit www.preachweb.org ‘Sam and Sara offer an important corrective to twenty-first-century church worship … the message is revolutionary if we will only take it on board.’ Mike Pilavachi, Soul Survivor

Preach magazine is produced by The Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust (Charity no. 1107967) ‘A helpful, well-thought-out, biblically sound and beautifully practical book.’ Kathryn Scott, songwriter, worship leader, Pastor of Causeway Coast Vineyard Church

THE FINALS : JUNE  ST 

Hear the four fi nalists preach their sermons LIVE in front of a panel including Whole Life Worship Journey Pack Antony Billington, Anne Calver, Krish Includes usb pen with ready-to-use Kandiah and Chloe Lynch. Prizes include resources, printable small group study free or discounted study at London School guide and five short animated films of Theology or a voucher for the LST £20 bookshop. This companion to Sam and Sara Hargreaves’ Whole Life Worship contains five service outlines around five themes connecting gathered worship with the worship of God’s people in the world. There’s a variety of creative ideas and fresh approaches for every component of the service, suitable for both adult and all-age contexts – prayers, hymns and songs, sermon outlines, reflections plus five animated films that introduce the five themes.

Thursday June 21st, 7 pm – 8.30 pm at London School of Theology, Green Lane, Northwood HA6 2UW. GET THE BOOK AND JOURNEY PACK BUNDLE FOR £25 Light refreshments provided. Book your free ticket at www.preachweb.org/sermon-of-the-year

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