In our two-part interview with Wayne Shaw, "The Dire Need for Doctrine" (Part 1 and Part 2), Shaw shared his concern over today's preaching being void of doctrine. Near the end of part one, Shaw offered this interesting insight:
If we're going to form a Christian community into what the Bible calls the church, we're going to have to deal with the major tenets biblically—what we're to believe and what we're to do. In other words, "What marks us as Christians? What marks us as a community of faith?" If we don't know that faith, then we're just joining another organization. That's how serious it is to me.
With those words, Shaw introduced a fascinating layer to the power and necessity of doctrinal preaching—the communal layer. What better way to stir community than by way of a doctrinal ceiling that brings us together? This alone should inspire us.
But Shaw follows this insight with a sharp warning. Though it's meant to stir community, it's awfully easy to allow doctrinal preaching to morph into something unpleasant.
If it's not uplifting—if it's just what I call "homiletical nagging"—then culture's current view of doctrine has a point. Homiletical nagging is when the preacher only looks at a particular brotherhood's specifics or his own pet peeves that he comes to again and again. These sermons often don't have any gospel in them. They're not proclamation. Many of them are not necessarily biblical! They just happen to be the culture of the church at the current moment.
How does homiletical nagging—looking only at a particular brotherhood's specifics or your own pet peeves—chip away at the creation of community?
Can you think of examples of homiletical nagging in your own preaching?
How can the preacher avoid slipping into homiletical nagging?
Posted by Brian Lowery at 12:08 PM on June 28, 2007
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Is it not very likely that any given sermon will be uplifting to some "homiletical nagging" to others, and anesthetic to the guy sitting on the front row whose snoring you have to preach over?
I have heard many preachers engage in "homiletical nagging" occasionally, I think everyone feels a need to vent on their specific issues or pet peeves. As long as it doesn't become a habit is that so bad?
Posted by: Steve on June 29, 2007
I've seen it come out through off-hand remarks that are intended to be jokes. These "jokes" are unscripted and often reveal my true values. Even though these one-liners might get a big laugh and gain me a reputation of being on the right side of (enter debate here), they are counterproductive. Rather than a thoughtful response to a culturally divided question which would create bridges, I've established a wall. Further, when the time comes to preach a text on this issue, the defenses of the unconvinced are already up. All this for a cheap laugh!
Posted by: Bob on July 3, 2007