Preach Magazine Issue 1 - Creativity and innovation in preaching | Page 20
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INTERVIEW
JS That is quite a statement in
itself. I wonder how many of us
would say the same thing. Tell us
about that one sermon that made a
lasting impact.
A board member of the school,
very wealthy, owned a large orange
juice company that was later sold
to Coca-Cola. Each week one of his
trucks pulled up and we students
would unload crates of orange juice,
which he provided free to the school.
We practically worshipped this man,
our source of fresh orange juice, so
when he spoke in chapel that day we
paid rapt attention.
You may have heard this phrase:
‘to afflict the comfortable and comfort
the afflicted’. I’m impressed by the
two-edged sword Jesus used in his own
teaching. He pricked the consciences
of the proud, the self-righteous, the
wealthy. At the very same time, he
brought comfort to those who were
vulnerable and hurting. If a preacher
can do that... well, he or she is
following the Jesus style.
IN MY WRITING I LOVE TO
HIGHLIGHT CHRISTIANS WHO
SERVE IN OUT OF THE WAY
PLACES, WITHOUT MUCH
ACCLAIM, BECAUSE I HAVE FOUND
THEM TO BE THE MOST DEEPLY
FULFILLED PEOPLE I KNOW.
An Italian immigrant, he spoke
with a thick accent, and clearly had
little experience in public speaking.
To our shock, he spent that service
telling us about his greatest failure
as a businessman. After a severe
winter in Florida, he cheated by
adding sugar to his pure orange
juice, against government rules.
I’ve never forgotten that lesson in
humility and transparency. We were
prepared to idolise him. Instead, we
went away convicted by our own
natural instincts to ‘look good’, and
conscious of the times we had failed
to live as we should.
I’ll mention one other chapel service
that just came to mind. Perhaps the
most beloved teacher in the school
stood up and said, ‘I have prayed
and worked all week, but I’m afraid
I have no word from the Lord for
you today.’ He then dismissed us!
Again, a lesson in humility and
transparency.
JS The cynic in me would say it
might have also been a lesson in
how to get away with showing
up to preach when you haven’t
prepared… What do you think
should be the main goal of a
preacher in a church setting (aside
from actually preaching, which
perhaps isn’t a given after all)?
LWPT8173 - Preach Magazine - Issue 1 v3.indd 20
Philip Yancey’s new book, Vanishing Grace,
is out this autumn. In it he explores how the
church has failed in its mission to dispense
grace, what communicates best to a culture
running from faith, whether the gospel is
in fact good news, and how we as Christians
can be heard amongst all the other voices
lobbying for support.
17/10/2014 12:53:48