Re-imagining Preaching as a Process Part 2

All of us are living through what can only be described as the greatest communication revolution in the history of the human race. Technology allows us to communicate in ways that were only before dreamt of or written about in science fiction novels.  This revolution has changed the way we understand communication and has influenced the style and aspirations of information technology. In the light of this extra ordinary advance in communications there is an undoubted case to be made to re-evaluate the way preaching is carried out in our churches. Congregations in this brave new world may discover  themselves sinking  in the Tsunami  of change  or discover a new found confidence in being empowered to contribute to the over all worship experience including the sermon through the creative use of technology. 

How Can We Engage Interactive Preaching

How can we engage with the idea of interactive preaching?  Can we use technology to help that interaction take place?  In my last article entitled, ‘Re-imagining Preaching as a Process’, I was seeking to find a way to express the function of preaching as more than just a performance by an individual but rather as a  process of interaction  by the Holy Spirit between preacher listener and scripture. In this article I’m going to try and attempt to understand each of these roles and perhaps reflect on how technology and the creative arts  are being used and can be used to further enhance this interaction. 

What I’m saying of course is not new. It was always part of the reformed tradition that preaching should not be separated from worship as a kind of ‘stand alone’ performance but rather seen as part of the whole contribution that makes worship itself a process rather than an event.  There is no place in the reformed  tradition for a Eucharist to take place without the Word first being preached. 

Within the Scottish Presbyterian tradition the preacher also has the role of being the prophet. When you take time to think about the roles that the prophets in the Old Testament played, quite often they were willing to engage with the creative arts, not only speaking forth the Word but acting out the Word.  Jesus of course is the fulfilment of all the prophets for that is exactly what he did. He was the Word made flesh. ‘Salvation lived out” He not only spoke forth the Word, he brought forth the Word in action.

Worship as Active Learning

Last Sunday morning on retuning from church my wife, who is an educationalist, said to me,  “I see you used the ‘Active Learning Model’ in worship today, it worked well!”  She was referring to the educationalist theory which suggests that people learn as they participate and understand more  as they become involved. 

This then must be the challenge for the preacher to engage the people of God with the great theological truths of the scripture in such a way that they learn  from a kind of  ‘incarnational  Model ‘ in which we live out the encounter of the preaching and teaching  through engaging with the message in the moment. In order to capture a glimpse of the eternal. This in my book is what theology is all about. All doctrine must have a practical application for the daily moments and be pointing us beyond ourselves to the eschaton.