On Preaching with Imagination, not Grocery Lists
Sometimes we can make lists of profound truths as if the Lists, not the Truths, have gained the upper hand. “Five Shocking Facts About Tap Water.” “Five Amazing Loopholes in the IRS.” “Five Profound Truths About God.”
These truths are profound, it’s true. But the medium doesn’t fit. Like we all know, the medium always has an effect on the absorption of the message, and maybe this is never more true than when the message centers on reality of the highest order.
If these “truths” are really profound, why do we have to encounter them in a grocery list format? And why the awkward labels, as if we’re afraid our audience might overlook the fact that these truths are deeply transformative if we don’t overtly spell it out?
Wouldn’t it be better to call gospel truths “little known facts” and let them speak for themselves? Otherwise, we run the risk of resorting to quick labels but then failing to substantiate our claims. I often think that we resort to mere labeling because our communication gifts and creative abilities just aren’t up to the task of describing infinite glory. They never are.
But instead of failing to try, maybe we should put all our puny energies into illustrating and explaining in order to hold up one little mirror to divine reality–rather than merely saying, “This is amazing,” and leaving it at that.
I guess this is a case of show, don’t tell. Many of us know that Jesus is profound and all-satisfying and a genius to boot, but few of us have seen it with life-changing clarity and none of us see it all the time. So people who talk about God shouldn’t just toss around superlative adjectives. Sometimes, an adjective is just the slave of a lazy imagination.
We don’t need to be told again that God is a remarkable being and worthy of our worship. We need to taste and see for ourselves. Hearts and imaginations need to be engaged, not just list-making and test-taking skills.
April 28th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I think you are on to something here: “Hearts and imaginations need to be engaged, not just list-making and test-taking skills.”
Hearts…God demands our hearts. Interestingly, the word for knowledge in the OT is not for information, but intimacy. And that only comes through prayer. If we could show a life full of prayer (thus, full of the Spirit), then people might actually catch a whiff of the divine flavor.
Interestingly, the word “taste” comes to mind most when I try to describe spiritual encounters. Not to mention several of our words for beauty and ugliness convey from eating: gorgeous, exquisite, bitter, sour, etc.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I was thinking about “taste” in that vein recently, when I read a Touchstone Mag article where the author compared God’s word to wine and cheese. (It was actually a pretty good article.:)
Good job description for a preacher: Put people out of taste with the world and in taste with God…