Alive to the Word. Stephen I. Wright

as a whole who have responsibility for discerning God’s word, in all sorts of ways.

Even when we consider the activity of preaching as traditionally understood, it is vital for others as well as preachers to think through what it means and how it is to be done. On the one hand, there are those who regularly listen to sermons. In vital ways, the meaningfulness of the event depends on them as much as on the preacher.[5] A renewal of the preaching ministry in forms appropriate to today’s cultures will surely entail a much fuller ‘owning’ of the event by churches than has often been the case. On the other hand, there are those responsible for the selection, training, oversight, mentoring and support of those exercising a preaching ministry. Many of these people will of course be preachers themselves, but many will not, nor need they be. They do, however, need sufficient theological equipping to carry out their task with diligence and effectiveness. I hope, then, that this book will be of interest to a range of people within the churches – and even to some who would not consider themselves part of any ‘church’, but take a sincere interest in its role within society, and may, perhaps, be among the prophets through whom the Church may hear God’s voice.

      At the outset of the book I want to acknowledge that I bring my own experiences of preaching and listening, of learning and teaching, of encouraging and being encouraged, to the task. I bring also the channels of spiritual and intellectual life which have formed both my perspectives and, no doubt, my prejudices: I am involved, not detached. As I reflect on some of these channels, I smile at God’s sense of humour and those surprise reversals which are so characteristic a feature of how he reminds us of his sovereignty and of our dependence on his grace. I will mention three such paradoxes.

      First, there has been the surprise of call. I still remember the terror of my first public speaking engagement: when I was asked by my teacher, aged eight or nine, to say a word of thanks to a visiting speaker in front of my classmates. It was at short notice, and I had no idea what was expected. As I recall, the teacher relented (perhaps having noticed my confusion), and I was allowed to go up to the visitor and convey the thanks in private. I thank God for the amazing privilege of being called to preach, and for building my confidence, but also for constantly reminding me that I could never do it apart from dependence on him.

      Second, there has been the surprise of denomination. An Anglican born and bred, as an adult I have always deeply valued this heritage as a home in which evangelical faith, biblical spirituality, catholic sensibility and intellectual freedom may flourish. Yet for the longest period of my working life I have been based in a Baptist community, which I have discovered to be most conducive to the very same things, with – of course – a distinctive twist. Such is the twinkling of the kaleidoscope of God’s people.

      Third, there has been the surprise of academic specialism. After three years’ intensive research in New Testament studies, I found myself in a job which entailed the teaching and training of preachers. Now that I have the special joy of teaching both preaching and New Testament, I can look back and see what an unexpected, gracious enrichment by God it has been to have spent over a decade focused on the strange and oft-despised vocation and event of preaching. I truly feel as if nothing has been lost in that time, and much has been gained.

      This is something of the particular mixture of experience I bring to this book, but I am very conscious that it owes far more to the giants, past and present, on whose shoulders I stand. Although there will certainly be serious explorers of preaching to whom I do not attend as they deserve, I trust that the process which follows will act at least as a map of the territory, and that preachers and others will be helped and refreshed as they explore the land it seeks to open up.

      Stephen I. Wright

      Spurgeon’s College, London

      Holy Week 2010

[1] Richard R. Osmer, 2008, Practical Theology: An Introduction, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. On the significance of the development of the discipline of practical theology for preaching, see Thomas G. Long, 2005, The Witness of Preaching, 2nd edn, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, pp. ix–xi. For preaching as a Christian ‘practice’ see Thomas G. Long and Leonora Tubbs Tisdale (eds), 2008, Teaching Preaching as a Christian Practice, Louisville: Westminster John Knox.

[2] For example, David Day, 1998, A Preaching Workbook, London: SPCK.

[3] See for example Ian G. Stackhouse, 2004, The Gospel-Driven Church: Retrieving Classical Ministry for Contemporary Revivalism, Milton Keynes: Paternoster; John E. Colwell, 2005, Promise and Presence: An Exploration of Sacramental Theology, Milton Keynes: Paternoster.

[4]On these developments see, for instance, Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger, 2006, Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Communities in Postmodern Cultures, London: SPCK; Andrew Walker and Luke Bretherton (eds), 2007, Remembering Our Future: Explorations in Deep Church, Milton Keynes: Paternoster; Robert E. Webber, 2008, Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God’s Narrative, Grand Rapids: Baker.

[5] See David J. Schlafer, 1992, Surviving the Sermon: A Guide for those who have to Listen, Cambridge, MA: Cowley; 2004, Playing with Fire: Preaching Work as Kindling Art, Cambridge, MA: Cowley; Roger E. Van Harn, 2005, Preacher, Can You Hear Us Listening?, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

      part 1

      Introduction

      In the first part of the book, we will examine the variety of events which we call ‘preaching’. We cannot begin the task of analysing preaching, discussing its theological foundations, or exploring how it should be practised in the Church today, without some overview of what it is exactly that we are talking about.

Osmer describes this stage of the reflection process as ‘The Descriptive-Empirical Task: Priestly Listening’.[1] Having ‘listened’ not just to sermons, but (as it were) to the preaching ministry as a whole for a number of years, I offer in this part a framework in which preachers, and others, can themselves listen to what is occurring in the event of preaching, so that they may then go on to interpret it, evaluate it through a theological matrix, and allow this to lead into practical steps of development.

      In the following two chapters, then, I attempt a description of preaching which is broad enough to ‘catch’ the full range of activities which may helpfully bear that label, yet focused enough to exclude activities which are best regarded as ‘preaching’ in only a metaphorical or extended sense. This is more difficult than it may sound! Defining ‘preaching’ is notoriously tricky, and rather than offering a definition that is bound to include too much or too little, it is better to offer a ‘thick’ description which at least does some justice to the variety of actual practice. Any study, however, must have boundaries: these are the four I have set myself.

      First, I focus on Christian preaching. In a multi-religious culture, this should not be taken for granted, and the fact that others also ‘preach’ will be part of the cultural context to be noted in Chapter 2. It is beyond my scope, however, to offer any analysis or evaluation (still less, advice!) concerning the preaching of other great world faiths.

      Second, I focus on preaching as Christian speech. This needs to be said, because in any discussion of preaching, sooner or later someone will quote the (supposed) words of Francis of Assisi: ‘Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.’ Regarding this saying, I share the sentiments of Leanne Van Dyk in a discussion of the Trinitarian basis of preaching:

I have always reacted negatively at some visceral level to that little maxim for theological reasons connected with this topic of Trinity