Be You: Preaching in an Age of Cynicism

Cynics, One and All!

We have all become cynics. If you don’t believe me watch the first half of a prescription drug commercial. No matter the amazing effects of the drug, your main thought will almost certainly be, “Just wait for the side-effects.” Of course our cynicism doesn't end with prescription medication. It's a defense against the unrelenting advertisements, 24 hour news cycle, and regular sex scandal revelations. Throw in some economic uncertainty and a political season that seems to be the unholy alliance of every reality TV show ever made and its no wonder why we aren't filled with optimism and trust. For the Christian Church this reality presents a unique problem; one with heartbreaking consequences. Its hard to imagine people in more need of the Gospel than the jaded masses we see around us, yet often the Church finds itself ill-equipped to take the opportunity. 

It reminds me of something I heard on an episode of Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. (A fantastic podcast by the way, I highly recommend it!) In the episode he is describing World War I. The War has gone down as one of the great horrors of world history in large part because the ideas and values used in fighting wars hadn’t yet caught up to the technological reality on the ground. Imagine men on horseback charging entrenched machine guns and being cut down in droves and you get a sliver of an idea. In my experience the Church is facing a World War I moment. We are facing a vastly different world than the one we spent a century learning how to reach and as a result millions of Christians in the West are being cut down because of it.

While this moment of cultural transition has implications on any number of important issues in the church, in this post I would like to reflect on those implications and their relationship to the tradition of preaching.

Anything Fake is Worthless

While no one person can express the single right way to preach in an age of cynicism, there is one guaranteed way to lose all credibility. Be fake. If its fake, its worthless. We know this. A print of the Mona Lisa isn’t expected to sell for more than a few dollars. Authors are blacklisted if they try to pass someone else’s work off as their own. How then can we assume that the world we inhabit will suddenly drop those values at the Church door? We shouldn’t even desire it. Authenticity is a privilege. It is the chance to showcase the very fingerprints of God. Its the only thing that makes what you are saying worth hearing. If I want to learn doctrine or theology I’ll go read a book. I guarantee Luther, Calvin, and Wesley all expressed the gospel better than you can. Furthermore if I want to hear a great sermon, I have this nifty gadget in my pocket that gives me access to every sermon from every great (and not so great) preacher who has preached a sermon in the last 20 years. Pretty sure I’ll find one thats more passionate, practical, funnier, and probably better-looking. But the one thing that I can't get is you. The one person God decided should be here, in this place, right now. 

This means that every sermon has to reveal something about the preacher. A nugget of truth that reveals your heart, as a real person. It also means that a preacher, in today’s world, has to be self-aware. Are you nerdy? Are you awkward? Can you shoot hoops with the best of them but can’t remember names to save your life? Know the oddities that make you who you are and embrace them. Then make them part of your sermon. Tell people about that dumb thing you did while doing yard work last weekend. Rant about your ridiculous pet peeve. Be You! While you are being you, tell me about Jesus and what you learned about him this week. The only way to make God real in my life is to show me your real life and how God relates to it.

This by no means diminishes the importance of study. On the contrary, make it your hobby; your joy. Go deep and relish those depths. Then tell me about what you learned the way you would tell your mechanic brother. Be informally confident. You don’t have to be stiff. You don’t have to repeat the same sentence over and over. Should you know the idea you want people to remember? Of course! But let that idea emerge logically and organically rather than beating it over the audience’s head again and again like the phone number on a scuzzy law firm’s TV commercial. 

If we are to communicate to a world of cynics, we must be radically authentic; force out any vestige of formalism that has weaseled its way into our church and our communication. Preachers are not talking to people that need the higher knowledge they alone can provide. Instead they are communicating with equals. Maybe there was a time when a preacher could play the role of a learned superior generously bestowing knowledge upon their ignorant flock. That day is gone. Its not coming back.

(Post was edited in order to shorten and improve the content.)

Follow-up Recommendation:

Preaching by Tim Keller:

http://www.amazon.com/Preaching-Communicating-Faith-Age-Skepticism/dp/0525953035

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3 Leadership Tips for Ministry

   

     Leadership is something I have always been very passionate about. I have read many books about the subject, specifically on how it relates to church. I would like to share three things that have really helped me grow as a leader. Some of these come straight from the pages of countless leadership books; others come from private conversations I've had with very experienced leaders, as well as my own personal experience. So here we go:

1- Fight with your own armor
     There are many successful leaders who are great preachers, great visionaries, great administrators, and great strategists. In some way or another, these men and women have changed the way we do ministry and, sometimes, even the way we see the world. I observe time and time again very talented young men and women trying to fight in someone else’s armor, someone they look up to. The first thing that comes to mind is the story of David. While he was still very young, way before he became king, David decided he was going to fight a giant named Goliath. After trying to discourage the young man, King Saul offers David his armor to wear when he fights Goliath. Anyone remember what happens next? David tries it on and decides it is not for him. David had the chance to test drive the best armor in Israel; it was by far the most secure, the most expensive, and the most technologically advanced equipment in the market. It was perfect for battle but it had one flaw: it was not his own. If David had decided to wear Saul's heavy armor, he would have never been able to swing his slingshot around fast enough to bring Goliath down. Throughout our ministry, we will feel tempted by “great leader's" shiny armor. But remember that God has given you special talents meant to help you bring down giants. Do not settle for the shiny armor.

2- Character, not skills
     It is character, not skill, that makes a leader worth following. Skills are often easily learned and put into practice, but often times, they do not last. Character, however, is hard to build. It takes years of hard work and preparation, but every struggle is worth the trouble if we come out as men and women who lead from the heart. In shaping your character into one of a true leader, you will find many obstacles (take it from someone who is working on it day in and day out), but the biggest of them all is yourself. Through my experience, I have found that there are seven characteristics present in every leader:
     1. A Servant Attitude
     2. Passion for Purposeful Change
     3. Optimism
     4. The Courage to Overcome
     5. The Ability to Take Responsibility
     6. Authentic Integrity
     7. The Pursuit of Wisdom

     I will expand on this in another blog down the road. But the point is this: let it be your heart and character that leads others, not your skills. Do it for yourself and for those who follow you. One day your skills will run out of character to back them up and you will break your heart and the heart of those who supported you. If you are a leader, the best time to begin working on your character was ten years ago, but the second best time is today. Allow God and the Holy Spirit to work with you as you grow in character and lead to change the world.

3- Do not compare your life to someone else's highlight reel
     You really shouldn't be doing this anyway! I know it’s tempting to see how good the pastor down the road is doing, but too often, we see the success of others and feel distraught as we look at our own lives. I was recently talking to a good friend who has spent the past two years preaching all over the world. He told me that people approach him all the time asking him to give them the "key." Every time, his answer is "hard work." With a few exceptions, being successful in anything, including ministry, is the result of hard work. When we look at the artist that takes the stage week after week for thousands of raging fans, we might be tempted to think, "Well, he's got it easy!" But we fail to see the years he or she spent inside a recording studio when the public had no idea who he or she was. 

     When things are not going too well in ministry, in the workplace, or even at home, resist the temptation to look outside into someone else’s highlight reel. This is the tool the enemy uses to fill those with great potential to make a difference in the world with discouragement. Remember that those who are successful now once struggled just like you did or like you are struggling now.

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     These three simple pieces of advice have proven to be very effective in my own personal life and ministry. They have kept me on track even when I felt like giving up—sometimes, when success was right around the corner. However, as effective as these tips might be, don't forget that who you lead is not as important as who you follow. No matter what, always follow the Lord and lead others to Him. 

Photo Credit: http://goo.gl/vZR63X

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