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Brian Niece on Why Preaching Has Been Too Narrowly Defined
Recently, a friend asked me “Weren’t you called to preach?”
You see, he was under the assumption that I had to be a pastor to preach. And since I resigned from the typical pastorate last autumn, I must not be preaching anymore.
I do miss the whole string of actions that is typically considered preaching: prayer, study, listening, creating, speaking. I miss the interaction with a group of listeners/participants. I do occasionally get this opportunity. That’s about all I miss from pastoring.
Especially since I’ve been able to preach everyday in my new role as a shelter manager.
The “sermons” I’ve preached while elbow deep in some dark earth while planting flowers around the building, or while propping up a very intoxicated resident, or while sharing a meal with someone who hasn’t eaten anything for 24 hours, or while listening to a resident friend as he smokes and reminisces about his life choices … these are more profound, more real, than anything I pontificated on in a typical sermon.
Every single day I preach with the way I live my life. And while I’m usually very particular about the preachers I would go sit down and listen to, the sermons that are forced upon me each day but those I rub shoulders with are spectacular.
What I’m experiencing these days helps me understand why Jesus rarely preached in the temple or synagogue. And the few times he did, somebody got run out with violence: either him or those corrupting the house of prayer.
Rather, Jesus chose to preach while living life. Occasionally he would sit in a boat, or on a hillside and teach. But usually this preaching was in the context of his actions: either feeding people or meeting their physical shortcomings with healing and forgiveness.
Jesus’ most startling and wonderful sermons came while he was walking with his friends through fields or from town to town. Or while sitting at a well where women came to draw water. Or while creating some art in the dirt. Or while drinking and eating with societal rejects.
The imposed pressures and expectations of a “preacher’ that come from the church are so off-base with what Jesus actually did.
And, at least for me, I’ve heard the call to “go and do likewise.”
——
Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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Category: Friends, Justice, Ministry, Mission, Preaching, Sacramental Living, Serving Others | Tags: incarnation, incarnational living, Preaching, serving the poor 3 comments »
June 14th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
The truth is, from my perspective, about your pastoring, is that you continue to be a pastor every day. You’re simply not constrained to a building and a rigid set of expectations from people sitting in chairs watching you.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
you are exactly right…
June 18th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Anyone who thinks that one can only be considered a “preacher” if they show up to some building 3 times a week are simply narrow-minded and delusional. Todays church has strayed so far away from what I believe God intended. I don’t recall Him ever saying for people to build him a building, show up on Sundays and Wednesdays, call it a church and worship. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall ANY reference to a church EVER being a building. Sir, you are doing what God did: preach in the streets and in peoples homes. Good job and God bless!