Who Likes Being Preached To?

            The other day I was watching a TV program.  It was a program I can generally take or leave—if I happen to stumble across it, I’ll watch for a while, but I don’t make any particular effort to see it.  Anyway, this particular episode was one which had a message, and was intent on making sure everyone understood the message, to the point that it felt like I was being hit over the head with the message.  I thought, “Just tell me a story.  I don’t like being preached to!”

            Well, that’s quite a thought for a pastor, isn’t it?  If I don’t like being preached to, why should I assume that other people do?  And if most people don’t like being preached to, what’s the point of what I do every Sunday morning?

            I’ve written some things recently about the need for the church to change, but I had not really thought that much about changing the sermon.  It always seemed to me like the sermon was the centerpiece of the worship service.  If there’s one thing that a worship service needs, it seems like it would be a sermon.  Besides, I really enjoy preaching, and I feel like I’m fairly good at it.  I really would not want to give it up.

            On the other hand, as I’ve written before, the worship service is not about what I like or what I want.  The worship service is about making disciples of Jesus Christ.  If, in fact, most people are like me, and don’t really like being preached to, then perhaps we need to rethink the whole idea of the sermon.

            Now, in saying that, I’m not saying that we should stop talking about God’s word in church.  We need to talk about it there.  After all, if we don’t talk about God’s word in church, where are we going to talk about it?  I’m not advocating that we abandon the Bible, nor am I even advocating that we entirely abandon preaching.

            On the other hand, Moses did not get a command from Mt. Sinai that said, “Thou shalt listen to a sermon every Sunday.”  St. Francis of Assisi wrote, “Preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words.”  The poet Edgar A. Guest may have had that in mind when he wrote, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.”

            There are lots of ways we can spread God’s word besides having one person stand in the front of the church and talk.  We can spread God’s word through music.  We can spread God’s word through drama.  We can spread God’s word through comedy.  We can spread God’s word through discussions.  We can spread God’s word by getting out of the church and into the community.  We can spread God’s word by finding ways to show love to the unchurched or underchurched who are all around us, right here in the communities in which we live.

            I’m not saying that we’re not going to have a sermon in church next Sunday.  I would like us to think about this, though.  The fact that I enjoy preaching does not mean that it’s the best or most effective way to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  Remember, in this and all matters, that’s always our goal.