If you count my nine year old ministry to my teddy
bears, I’ve been preaching for 31 years. I preached in the inner city as a
teenager. I took every opportunity I could to preach throughout Bible School. I
received the Sturhahn Preaching Award when
I graduated from Seminary. I preached for eleven years at Greenfield. It’s been four years now at Bethany. And I did my doctoral work in the area of preaching. I
believe in preaching.
I do not believe that preaching is simply a form of
communication for a certain era, but that through the spoken word God has
created and recreated life from the dawn of time. (Gen. 1). God used prophets
from Abel to Zechariah (Matt. 23:35) to preach his word to individuals and
nations. Jesus came preaching and teaching. (Matt. 9:35, Luke 4:18). Jesus sent
his disciples out to preach and teach. (Mark 6:12, Luke 9:1-2, Matt. 28:19-20).
When the church began to grow, the apostles understood the importance of
preaching and wisely guarded it (Acts 6:1-4), for how can people be saved
without a preacher to tell them the good news (Rom. 10:14-15)? Throughout the
history of the church her health has always been directly related to the
quality of the preaching. The Reformation and the great revivals were movements
started and maintained by Biblical preaching. In the same way, the health of
each local church is directly related to the quality of its teaching and
preaching ministry. I would even go so far as to say that the message of the
Bible is more powerful when it is passionately and correctly preached than when
it is merely read. I guard my study time, as well as my devotional time, as I
believe that my on-going growth and development as a preacher is the best
ministry I can give to the church (outside of my commitment to Christ and the
continual development of my character).
In 2005 I decided
to start working on a doctoral degree and, since preaching is such a passion of
mine, I decided to pursue it in that area. Through a friend I got connected
with the Doctor of Ministry program at Bethel
Seminary in Minnesota, but after a year I dropped out. I had yet to take a
course in preaching and I wanted my doctorate to be all about preaching, not just a general doctorate with an emphasis
in preaching. When I explained my frustrations to some of my friends on the faculty
at Taylor Seminary (the school I
graduated from) the name Haddon Robinson kept coming up. I had never heard of
the guy, but apparently he was well-known in preaching circles. I discovered
that Haddon Robinson was teaching a preaching
Doctorate at Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary just outside of Boston. This program was all about preaching. For three years, every
course, assignment, book and teacher taught us about preaching, followed by a written
dissertation on the subject.
Haddon was our main teacher and, at around 80 years of
age, he still had the stamina to work with us each day. How the course worked
was that each year, the 24 of us who got into the program, met for two weeks of
eight hour a day classes. Alongside of
Haddon other notable teachers were brought in to teach on areas like “preaching
to women”, “preaching to children” and the “psychology of preaching.” It was wonderful
to work with a cross section of pastors from across different denominations. We
had Episcopalians, Seventh Day Adventists, Pentecostals and Baptists as part of
our 24. The group consisted of men and women of different nationalities like African
Americans and Koreans. Did I ever notice the difference an accent can make when
we all listened to back-to-back sermons on David and Goliath by a guy from Texas
and another guy from Britain!
In between our times together we read books (I probably
read 100 books on this topic during the program), worked on assignments and did
preaching “experiments” with our congregations where we’d try different styles
of preaching. We’d then have our congregation fill out surveys in order to hear
feedback. Our class also met in smaller cohorts to discuss what we were
learning through conference calls.
I was able to finish my thesis in one year during the fourth
year of the doctorate program because it coincided with a four month sabbatical
I had from Greenfield. I used those
months to do the bulk of my research and writing and then went back to Gordon-Conwell to defend it.
It was during my doctoral work that I was struggling with
my depression and panic. For that reason I chose to do my thesis on “Preaching
and Depression”. I was interested in looking at the high burn-out rates among
preachers. I wanted to look at this from a biblical, historical, contemporary
and psychological perspective and, from this, learn how to stay healthy as a
preacher. My plan was to develop material that I could share with other
preachers to help them in their ongoing health.
Here is an excerpt from the conclusion I came to in my
thesis:
"There is a strong correlation between preaching and
depression. We have seen this in literature that relates to this topic, as well
through a biblical and theological study. We have noticed this correlation in a
number of different preachers from the Bible, history, and today. This does not
mean that depression is inevitable for every preacher, but it is certainly
something that most preachers will struggle with in some form and at some
time(s) in their ministry. It may be the post-adrenaline depression followed by
the high of Sunday. It may be caused by frustration over the “results” of their
preaching. Or, it may be rooted in some of the hidden sins of the preacher.
Whatever may be the cause, preachers need to know about depression and how it
can affect their ministries.
"The call to preach involves God’s sanctifying of
the preacher to become truly and fully human.
Obviously the call to Christ-likeness is for every Christian, but the
preacher is one who, through word and action, lives that process out publicly.
God does not simply use preachers, he loves them. Therefore, he strengthens,
encourages, and disciplines them so that through them, he can do the same for
others.
"The method that God often uses for his sanctifying
work in people is a journey through a desert experience. Ironically, it can be
through the desert of depression, disappointment, failure, and God’s silence
that we have the opportunity to grow the most. It is the gospel message of
resurrection life coming out of death. It is the theology of discipleship
through the cross that must be embraced by preachers and taught to their
congregations.
"Suffering, pain, death, denial, and older concepts
like mortification, are in opposition with our culture’s ideology of
self-fulfilment. It is difficult to grow in Christian discipleship when much of
Christianity has been baptized into a way of life that is so contrary to the
ways of God. The depression that is faced by many preachers, therefore, may be
part of their experiencing the broken heart of God. As Jeremiah wept for the
waywardness of his people as well as for the judgement of God upon his people,
so should the preacher today. If a preacher does not live with this angst one
could certainly question if they have really taken seriously what they have
been called to.
"God is continually breaking his people from their
false gods so that they can see rightly and he often does so by starting with
his preachers. In a society that uses people, lives by short commitments, and
is centered on success, God puts his preachers through the fire to mold them so
they can see and speak from a gospel perspective. Will a preacher love his
congregation, continue to speak God’s Word to them, and stay committed to them
even at the cost of his personal success? Many times, in order to develop a
preacher’s character like this, God uses depression as one of his tools.
"It
is those preachers who come through these experiences, with their faith and
calling still intact, who have a new vision and commitment to their ministries.
They develop a biblical and counter-cultural gospel vision that makes a real
impact in the hearts and lives of the members of their congregation.
A preacher’s call involves the sanctifying of the
preacher’s person. It is through the personhood
of his preachers that God’s truth continues to be spoken to the world. This
does not make truth relative, but it does remind us that truth is incarnational. The preacher’s theology,
interpretations, life experiences, and style do not happen in a vacuum. Far
from obscuring the message, however, God in his sovereignty uses these things
to bring clarity to the message….
"Losing his life, especially losing it as an example
to a congregation, is the burden of the preacher. This burden, however, must be
embraced by the preacher and prospective preachers must be forewarned of this
at the outset of their training. Too many preachers spend their years grumbling
about the hardships of ministry. Instead, preachers must be given the theology
and skills to prepare them and even help them embrace the burden of ministry.
"Losing his life into Christ means a number of other
things for the preacher as well. It means that the preacher must strive for
holistic health by putting to death unhealthy lifestyle habits. Physical
health, proper habits of eating, sleeping, and exercising must be lived and
modeled. Deep relationships with others must be cultivated. Recreational and
family time must be guarded. A life of continual learning, study, and prayer
are non-negotiable. Depression may be a sign that something in this area of a preacher’s
life is out-of-balance. Depression then, like other types of pain, can be God’s
gift of warning to get us back on track in regards to our health.
"To lose his life in Christ means that the preacher
must allow Christ to sacrifice their ambitions, dreams, popularity, and
influence. Preachers are up against the principalities and powers of the world.
Yet, many times the pressure will come from within the church. Many of the
congregants that a preacher will serve do not think out of a Christian worldview
and the temptation to give the people the golden calf that they ask for will be
immense. Preachers, however, must teach and model a biblical view of success.
Obviously, we want to see people come to faith in Christ. We also want to see
people grow in godly maturity, with the church and her influence growing as a
result. Preachers must remember, however, that they can only plant and/or
water. It is God who causes things to grow. Depression may be an indication
that a preacher has gotten off course. Preachers are called to live by faith
and fidelity and realize that their worth and security is found in Christ and
in his love and sacrifice for us. Even though this is the core of the gospel,
many evangelical preachers unconsciously live out and model a “works-righteousness”.
Depression may help the preacher discover the grace of God, enabling him to
truly preach (incarnate) the grace of God.
"For a preacher to lose his life in Christ also
means allowing Christ deal with his sin. A preacher cannot live with secret
vices in his life. Sin will destroy the soul and deaden the heart of the
preacher. A life of guilt, shame, hiding, broken promises, and unjustifiable
rationalizations will severely handicap a preacher’s ability to listen to God,
love his congregation, and prepare and preach his sermons. A depression in this
case, if recognized for what it is, can save the life of the preacher if he is
willing to open up and take steps to find freedom from sin. A preacher must
flee from all appearance of evil and give himself over to honest
accountability. This battle with sin and temptation, and the sanctification and
healing that a depression may spur on, may not only save the soul of the
preacher, but make for real incarnational preaching. To never live this struggle
is to make the preacher’s sermons irrelevant to everyone who has – which means
everyone!
"As you can see then, depression may be many
preachers’ “thorn in the flesh”. It is a nasty, annoying, and frustrating
plague that weighs down the heart of a preacher, but in weighing him down, it
keeps him grounded. This is not to belittle the pain many preachers live
through. Paul prayed earnestly that his thorn would be taken away. It is,
however, a call to look at depression with gospel eyes. Depression may just be
a burdensome gift. Depression may be a death out of which resurrection life may
spring. As preachers we may be called to die weekly in order that we can bring
life into our messages on Sunday mornings. What does this mean for a preacher
living with depression? It means that they should do everything possible to
find out where the depression is coming from. They should do everything
possible to get healthy, stay healthy, and overcome their depression. With all
this being said, in the meantime they should try to see their depression as a
gift from God and learn how to embrace it in a way that brings him further
glory.
"Throughout the writing of this thesis John Newton
has been by my side as a mentor. For the past year, I have come into my office
each morning and have begun my day by studying the Bible, praying, and reading
one of Newton’s sermons or letters. On many occasions, especially through his
letters, Newton has spoken to me both pastorally and in a timely manner. I
close with a moving account of Newton describing himself as a preacher in one
of his letters. His words sound so contrary to the way many believe we should
think today, but I believe that, if we had more preachers who thought of
themselves within the paradox that Newton did, we would have a lot more
preachers truly healthy and incarnational. Newton writes:
"In secret, I am for the most part dull and
heartless as usual; but he is pleased to enable me and permit me to speak for
him in public. I feel enough to make me frequently utter David’s prayer, “O
take not thy word of truth utterly out of my mouth.” He might justly do it; he
might lay me aside by sickness, or, what is unspeakably more awful, he might
take away his gifts from me, and cause my right eye to grow dark, and my right
arm to wither. Sometimes I am almost ready to fear the sentence is coming
forth; I feel such a total inability, the Scripture a sealed book, and my heart
hard as the nether mill-stone. I know not how I shall make mention of his name
again; I am ready to sink at the prospect; but “It is he who supports me
through all, When I faint, he revives me again.”[1]
Completing
my doctorate has opened up many opportunities. I began teaching courses at Taylor Seminary on “Narrative Preaching”,
“Personal Development and Ministry” and a “Preaching Lab”. Most exciting for me
has been going over to Africa to teach at the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary. I’ve taught “Narrative Preaching”
there twice, an “Advanced Preaching” course and a “Preaching Lab.” I hope to
spend an entire semester teaching at that school during my next sabbatical and
take my whole family there for four months. Our kids will be 16, 14, and 12 at
the time and this will be great opportunity for us as a family.
Pastor Stefano has been preaching for thirty one years!
ReplyDeleteI have been listening to preachers for thirty nine years!
The Word of God remains fresh, vital, rich, life changing, challenging and beautiful, for the preacher and for the listener/student, even after so many decades.
The power is within God’s Word and is he who keeps it lively and relevant.
It is he who empowers the preacher to deliver it and opens the heart and the mind of the listener/student to receive it.
My first Pastor was without a doubt the one that impacted me the most. I became a christian under his leadership in a time when there was more black and white than grayish areas in life and in religion and his preaching reflected that.
He was born in Spain and became a follower of Christ when being a follower of Christ meant loosing jobs reputation and freedom.
When he was a young man he left his country where the iron hand of Franco was holding the confused hand of Catholicism.
He lived in Germany for a few years and finally came to Canada.
When I met him and his family, they where having worship services in Spanish in a little church in Vancouver. They were also leading a Sunday school class in Spanish in Delta.
He was a fine carpenter by trade and his income came from his work with wood.
He preached with his voice and with his life, his ministry extended from the pulpit to the homes and the needs of the Hispanic community of Vancouver/Delta/ Surrey.
If someone needed a ride to church, he went to get them, most of his free evenings he spent visiting and together with his wife they served, taught and loved the Hispanic people.
Antonio Guillen is eighty two years old now, his wife suffers from Parkinson’s and he is the sole caregiver. He still is the loving husband, God’s servant, friend and preacher.
Below it is a translated fragment of a poem I wrote and declaimed, the day of his inauguration:
More than a heart of flesh
more than an outstretched hand
He is a voice in the desert
a messenger of the truth
in his work and in his life.
More than a wise counselor
more than a compassionate soul
more than a leader, more than a guide
more than a gifted speaker
he is the laborer chosen,
the servant whom God
has anointed to be our Pastor.
His messages point us
to the cross
to God’s grace
he humbly serves God’s flock
and devotedly shares
the beautiful story of Jesus.
Alicia
Sometimes preaching is not done in a conventional way. Sometimes it is a persons character that speaks volumes about their innermost thoughts and special connection to a living God. It is these people that shape us and change us. Their humbleness evident, even in their shining hour or during their greatest adversities. They lead by example, not so much words.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has a gift for children. She dragging small beings to the door, lovingly introducing them to me, early on. The little ones not much smaller then her. The dollies of early childhood, now flesh and blood. Soon she married and gave birth to three of her own...but her heart was still so full of love ...and she could see such a great need in the world. So she lovingly brought home, three more, a family to adopt and make her own. She's trying her best to get them healthy, instil decent behaviours in all of them and to grow them into respectful, productive adults. The most powerful sermon to me is the one that she is acting out. She caring on even when sometimes ill.
Then there is my son. His gift is humbleness. His joy (being a volunteer fireman/EMT) is helping others. His academic prowess, a means to an end. He had no clue that he was second in the world because of a scientific paper he wrote. He didn't know until his dad gave him a heads up and probably didn't even care. His PhD, secondary to being a good husband, dad and firefighter. He has turned down accolades and awards: most scholarships, too because others needed them more so ...he could work. Many of the firefighters have no clue of his education level. My son realizes that it is just a God given gift.
My kids never have sought the limelight, their goals and results grounded in Godly values. They serve with a purpose. Their lives preaching to me who Jesus is.
Stef also has that gift of caring and that impresses me more then his preaching. It is the gestures that reflect Christ the best and impacts our lives the most.
One of my favorite preachers is the senior pastor of New Creation Church in Singapore. His name is Joseph Prince. His style of preaching is expository, that is, exposing the person of Jesus in every sermon.
ReplyDeleteHe brings Jesus out of the shadows in the Old Testament. He goes to great lengths explaining types and symbols in OT scripture including the Law and Prophets and how all these point to Jesus Christ. He edifies the body of Christ, the believers, when he teaches on the Psalms and God's covenants with the patriarchs, the kings, and the nation of Israel.
He magnifies Jesus in his earthly ministry as told in the four gospel books. His exegesis of the New Testament epistles and many of Paul's letters to the churches bring out the glory, majesty, and beauty of Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
It becomes easier to behold Jesus when I watch and listen to his sermons. He preaches the gospel of God's grace in a refreshing, bold, and scandalous way. He always preaches in context and he interprets scripture verses using also scripture.
On a personal level, I get all of his jokes and metaphors and hyperboles. Most probably because we share many common traits of Southeast Asian culture which is deeply rooted in respect for the elderly, for patriarchal authority, for culinary traditions, and meritorious acts for familial gain. He also shares many of his struggles such as his childhood stuttering and mental anguish trying to be a perfect disciple of Christ early in his ministry.
He is an anointed preacher of the Word and a wise steward of God's elect.
Through his teachings, I am able to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe the ultimate goal of every preaching is to bring Jesus to the center of our lives so that our faith in Him, His finished work on the cross, His resurrection, and His coming again will lead every follower to the abundant life - the zoe life that is in Jesus Christ alone.