Well I can’t claim the idea was original (thanks Kenny) and I can just hear Tony and DJ lamenting that I have started yet ANOTHER blog (I can’t keep up with the ones that I currently have), but I have begun to post my weekly sermons at http://jayssermons.blogspot.com/.
I don’t claim to be the Bible Answer Man (to use Doug’s description) sharing the secrets of the universe in my sermons. What I do try to do is to make the scriptures come alive for folks that haven’t experienced them much, and to connect how these stories relate to our faith. In my tradition preaching is not teaching, but proclamation, that is, proclaiming a specific word from God for a particular community during a particular time. This isn’t an attempt to make a universal truth claim on the text, although it may indeed contain some universal truths about God. This is an attempt to discern how God is speaking to a particular community at this time.
One of the things that I have been mulling about since the Emergent Convention is both Tim and Doug’s sermons on preaching. Both described a dialogical approach, allowing time in their services for response to their thoughts. While I would love to add a response time to our service, I recognize that for many reasons it may not be possible in our place at this time. What I can do, however, is to prepare the sermons as if they are a dialogue, and now, to utilize the comments feature of the Blogger to allow responses, and perhaps even discussion.
I would write more on preaching, but I’ve got to get the girls to bed.
Only Wonder Understands 