The Significance of Studying Introduction to Preaching - Essay Example

? Introduction to Preaching: traditional 3 point style sermon Introduction to Preaching Introduction to preaching is a course whose aim is to introduce one to the art and craft of preaching, which is a core and central activity in the Christian church. Introduction to preaching concentrates on the various theories, theologies and practices that aim in informing and enriching the ministry of preaching. This is through embracement of efficient methods of provision of the word of God. Students at the end of the course should have relevant knowledge regarding biblical exegesis, and theological interpretation1. Introduction to preaching has helped me understand the historical and theological responsibility in the interpretation of scripture. This course has also helped me in accurate representation of the words and meaning of others. It has also played a role in my ability to ground theology in practical reality, hence leading the congregation in a reformed worship. Introduction to preaching also equip with knowledge and respect for the church of Jesus Christ. It also plays a role in understanding the relevance of theological reasoning. The significance of studying introduction to preaching helps one to think theologically about a certain text, theme or topic for preaching. It is through introduction to preaching that one can gain knowledge in imagining, developing, and implementation of a form for oral communication, which is the basis for any preaching. One is also able to exegete a biblical text for preaching. If there is proper enhancement of this one will be able to communicate through voice, thought, and body even in performance of two sermons. Since preaching is a social activity of exchanging various ideas regarding the word of God, it is appropriate for one to evaluate and assess his own preaching, as well as that of your peers. I have taken consideration of three topics, namely, understanding the history and theology of preaching, theological framework for preaching, and theoretical perspective of lent through Eastertide concerning Ash Wednesday2. One of the Topics is about knowing the history and theology of preaching, this incorporates knowing the idea of preaching was whose, and the relationship between preaching and God. In this topic, there is an examination of the organic form in the history of preaching from antiquity to the modern times. The goal of this topic was to show an aspect of an organic form that has been in existence since ancient Hebraic homilies and Hellenistic sermons. Lastly, it is to demonstrate the changes that have been there over time in this ongoing cycle. Edwards looks on preaching with regard to the Middle age where he reveals the continuing tension between the forensic topical sermon, and the expository homily. He notes that during the early Middle age clergy were not well educated; the reading homiliaries were the primary way of preaching. The priests also collected homilies designed for use in liturgical setting. The result was that only new homiletical materials were not new sermons but collections of patristic sermons known as homiliaries. Such reflections on the biblical passages in the current day church are common by the Latin Father. Homiliaries had no devotion to the sermon of any Father, or to topics3. However, there were anthologies due to the liturgical year and incorporating sermons by a number of different preachers. Edwards noted that, after centuries of expository preaching in patristic homilies, textual preaching has emerged with the reflections of preoccupation of age with argument and proof. According to Edward, the thematic sermons reflections are due to the excitement over the dialect, which characterise European consciousness after the Arabs had acquired the logical works of Aristotle. In opposition of those who regard Cistercian textual sermon form, called the Rule of St. Benedict. The form developed to become the Western monasticism standard. This form involves in interpreting biblical passages analogously so as to be applicable in the listener’s spiritual life. In this way, preaching is more like homilies of the fathers than the thematic sermons that were to characterize university preaching. Preachers of Dominic follow the Benedictine homily because it involves in developing a thematic, topical, and forensic form of a sermon. In criticism of homily form, develops a sermon, which resembles a university lecture, denoted as university sermon. Another topic covered is the theological framework for preaching, which incorporate full scope of evangelistic preaching. Evangelistic preaching is the basis for saving initiatives in the doctrine, outlook, and relations of the God head with regard to the lost. Evangelical preaching follows a Trinitarian stance relevant in framing and guiding their preaching. 1. The father as a basic attribute is hyphenated. For example, students divide into two when looking for essential attribute of God. There are those who see God’s basic attribute as holiness while others see it as love. God’s foremost attribution is both holy, and love as expressed in the book of Isaiah 6: 3, and 1 John 4: 8. It is through God’s holiness that sinners keep away from him, but his love spreads out to all. As a holy God, he will judge all people, and as love, his happiness is when all the people receive salvation from sins. God’s grace embraces on sustaining all people in spirit of their anti-God stance. God’s grace helps in saving people from sin. Evangelistic preaching shows the non believer spiritual distance from God, and also God’s effort in bridging the eternal distance4. 2. The son, Jesus on his relationship with human beings is evident in the following ways. His divine, human personhood is a proof that he is truly a son of God. His relevance and sufficiency of his work on the cross, and his universality of inviting all people is also a relevant proof as a son of God. This is how the Lord Jesus Christ presents himself even to the non believers. 3. The Holy Spirit harmonizes, in the triad of ministry of salvation as in music. The Holy Spirit’s engaging sound strikes salvation’s fundamental chord before a person’s salvation in conviction. Therefore, Holy Spirit is an essential in an evangelistic preaching to a non believer5. What I learnt and made me grow a) If there is no salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the people become eternally lost. Salvation depends on God’s gracious choice to save one from sins, and people are responsible for their preferences. b) People have a room for salvation, but not all are willing to be saved. Edwards proves this by defining ability in terms of the sinner’s inability to embrace the saviour as improper, as salvation is all about one’s willingness. c) People must embrace the Lord Jesus as the only God who saves them from their sins. In conclusion, from the theological framework, preaching helps in inviting unbelievers to trust the Lord Jesus Christ, and personally seek salvation. Evangelistic preaching involves spreading the Good News of Jesus to the non believers. Evangelistic preaching needs to be theologically differentiated from other evangelistic activities such as praying for non believers, but evangelistic preaching is a distinctive evangelistic activity oriented to non believers. Evangelistic preaching has different features: 1. Evangelistic preaching is not like any other presentation. All evangelistic presentation ends up explicitly thus offering Jesus salvation. For example, the evangelist made a lot of enquiries by the Ethiopian eunuch and modelled a perfect evangelistic presentation, as expressed in Acts 8. This can also be taken in the Lord’s incredible and insightful, self introduction to the Samaritan woman. While one evangelizes in evangelistic preaching, the observer does not follow, since evangelism does not regard preaching as public proclamation. In evangelism, one introduces and creates awareness to the people regarding Jesus Christ. Unlike other types of evangelism where one can evangelize in private, preaching can only be carried out in public, addressing the non believers in the audience6. 2. Evangelistic preaching is not a pre- evangelistic witness, which attracts even the non Christians. Pre evangelistic preaching gets the non believers interest in the gospel through the righteous deeds or appropriate words in personal or public situations. Theological framework also offers a unique and invaluable contribution to the ongoing homiletical conversation and to preaching teaching. It is the gift of a theological articulation of the unity of form, content, and delivery in preaching. The divine disclosure of Jesus Christ is the primary location in performance for practical theology. God’s self disclosure in Jesus Christ is a performative event characterized by a call, choice, commitment, calculation, and a common goal. Preaching is therefore an event of divine self disclosure, which expresses and embodies God’s claim on us7. God’s radical freedom places certain limits on sermon performance. God may on some occasions choose not to speak, and no human may be able to change it. The preacher may look back at each particular of the sermon and find nothing being defective, but the sermon fall flat. Sermon performance runs up against mysterious limits of the preached word of God rooted in the depth of the divine mystery. One of the bases of performance anxiety on the part of the preacher may stem on the fact that God has the freedom of showing on what one is preaching on. The possibility always looms that God also has the freedom of acting on the spoken word from the pulpit on any given occasion. This probability generates a healthy anxiety and humility in the time of preaching. The preaching performance is always a unique and temporal voicing of the Word of God8. God is everlasting, but the sermon performance by contrast is fleeting, so the preacher need not worry about something to last for posterity. Another lesson I covered is the theoretical perspective of lent through Eastertide concerning Ash Wednesday, derived from the book of Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17.A theological perspective tries to determine where their God is. From the Bible verses above there are two trumpet sounds. The first trumpet sound as denoted in the verses one and two raises an alarm and the second trumpet sound calls the people to respond to a natural disaster with apocalyptic implications, as expressed in verses 15 to 17. The verses 3-11 that lies between the readings give the theological basis for the response, which is repentance. The verses 12-1 also talks about the need for repentance. The consequence is an environmental disaster created by a locust plague, as found in chapter one. In chapter 2, Joel blends locust invasion with the future day of the Lord through traditional prophetic allusions. Joel’s call to repentance is an effort to relieve the ecological welfare. The prophet hope lies solely on the basis of God’s mercy. These Bible verses raise enduring theological tensions regarding God’s wrath, and nature disaster. They also talk of man’s place in the creation in relation to ecological suffering. They also embrace on the interplay of mercy and guilt in repentance, especially where guilt cannot be directly ascertained. God’s wrath and natural disaster are clear in relation to Joel’s prophecy. God sends the locust hence awakening destruction. The destruction is in the parlance of modern insurance policies, an act of God, and unforeseen manifestation of the powers beyond human intervention. By conflating images of the locusts with representations of the future day of the Lord, Joel links natural disaster with God’s vast army, covering the earth like thick darkness; this afflicts the entire creature, as depicted in verses 2, and 11. Joel 1:17-20, “All creation groans, the seeds within the earth wither, domestic cattle and sheep starve, the wilderness devours, and wild animals cry out for God’s mercy. The trumpet sounded in Joel 2:1, alerts its hearers to a comprehensive crisis involving creation, humanity as part of that creation, and even God, whose reputation is at stake. In verse 17, the priests implore their God to lift the plague. The theological world of Joel is one where God, man, and the earth interact as a single ecological system. There is sound of an alarm because the environment show signs of failure from unknown causes and all will suffer unless there is restoration of unity. After restoration of unity, people will rejoice in abundance, the land will be glad, the animals will live without fear, and the trees will be green and fruitful, Joel 2: 21-26. From these Bible verses, the ethical roots of natural disasters may remain as mysterious and unavoidable as the apocalyptic Day of the Lord, but the response is a radical response as a return to God. The repentance is to take place within individual hearts and public solemn assembly, where everyone mourns the gap natural calamity, which God needs to bridge it. Fasting, weeping, and mourning are signs of people beyond self help, and hence should embrace on humility. This is because repentance does not guarantee liberation from suffering9. Like Ash Wednesday, participants remember from dust they came, and to dust they shall return. Israel. Joel calls Israel people to see themselves in solidarity with all mortal dependent upon God created beings. In Joel, the hope present in reconciliation, realized if God leaves a grain and drink offering, is solely on the character of God, verse 14. Joel specifies the people's repentance, not as a ritual cleansing from guilt, but as an admission of their hopeless state and dependence upon God. God is forever merciful and gracious. Bibliography David, L. Bartlett and Barbara, B. Taylor. Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2 Lent Through Eastertide. Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, 2008. Paul, S. Wilson. The New Interpreter’s Handbook of Preaching: Abingdon, 2008. Read More