I have been invited to speak at the Pastor’s Academy gathering in London this Thursday.
There is still time to book in in person or online:
My topics are:
What on earth do we mean by preaching?
Preacher, how are you doing? (A preacher’s MOT)
I think that paying attention to these two questions would stand any preacher in good stead.
If you had an opportunity to ask me any question about preaching, what would it be?
After a recent software update, I was asked if I wanted to try out the AI features that now come as standard with my package.
I typed in the words ‘John Woods: What on earth is preaching?’ I did not expect very much from this exercise, but I was pleasantly surprised.
AI, after trawling the internet, including the blogs on this site, produced two pages of under the heading, ‘Understanding preaching: Insights by John Woods’.
Apparently, according to Woods, effective preaching involves:
Connection with the Audience
Clarity and Simplicity
Passion and Conviction
Relevance to Modern Life
I was interested in this summary for a few reasons.
First, it does capture my desire for preaching to connect with people in a clear, simple and contemporary way. Preaching is of little value if it does not communicate something clearly about the true God to real people.
Secondly, I don’t tend to use the words ‘passion’ or ‘relevance’. ‘Passion’ has tended to become a meaningless buzz word like the word ‘awesome’.
Yet I certainly do believe that preachers need to feel what they are preaching and communicate in such a way that the congregation feels the impact of the truth they are proclaiming.
I also have reservations about the word ‘relevance’. It tends to make preachers jump onto the latest bandwagon, chase the latest trends, but often miss the boat. There is often not much worse than a preacher desperately trying to be relevant but monumentally missing the point!
Preaching should have a timeless quality that speaks with freshness at any cultural moment.
There is a growing trend in contemporary preaching to move away from the latest thing in search for the timeless, enduring and vintage.
The AI production concluded with the words:
“Preaching, as described by John Woods, is a profound and dynamic practice that goes beyond mere oration. It is an art form that aims to connect, educate, and inspire, playing a pivotal role in the spiritual and moral lives of individuals and communities.”
That is not too bad for a machine!
I like the way that AI picked up that I see preaching as an ‘art form’.
Technology has noticed that preaching is not merely a matter of following a few rules or techniques. True preaching is always more than the sum of the parts of any preacher or methodology.
Of course, preaching as an art form does need discipline and effort. Preaching as an art form follows the rules but those assembled words from the Saviour’s hands by the breath of the Spirit in the preacher’s mouth end up providing more than was anticipated.
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
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