Tag: preacher

Posted in preaching

Too political? I hope so!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Chase Kennedy on Unsplash

The other day, I heard about a pastor who refused to preach on topics he deemed “political.”

Really?

I’d expect his sermons to be very short since our culture has politicized everything from choosing a state insect to off-shore power generation to dog licenses. Never mind issues about beginning and end of life, marriage, immigration, and homelessness.

Plus, Jesus was political.

The angel Gabriel told Mary that her son would have the throne of his father David. If we’re talking about a king, we’re talking politics.

Jesus’s first sermon was, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand” (4:17). A kingdom? We’re talking politics. By the way, John the Baptist preached the same message.

Jesus went throughout all Galilee proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23). He sent his disciples out with the same message (10:7).

On Palm Sunday, Jesus was hailed as king as he rode into Jerusalem. He advocated paying taxes to Rome. He told governor Pilate about his kingdom. The sign over his head on the cross hailed him as the king of the Jews.

If Jesus was anything, he was political.

  • Do you want to talk to Jesus about that unborn baby? Go ahead. He knit that infant together in his mother’s womb. Give it your best shot.
  • Do you want to talk to Jesus about end-of-life pain and suffering? Go ahead. Better yet, do so while he’s dying on the cross.
  • Do you want to talk to Jesus about all the undocumented immigrants? Don’t forget he came from out of town.
  • Want to talk to Jesus about homelessness? Fine. He had no place to lay his head. Tell him all about it.

Please don’t portray Jesus as apolitical. He’s right there in the mix. You don’t have to agree with him. You don’t have to like him or his opinion. But don’t avoid the discussion.

Hey, preacher, your flock wants to know what Jesus has to say about all of these things. Don’t deny them. You don’t have to take sides. Just preach the word.

Posted in pastor

Don’t you have a key?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

I walked into the church fifteen minutes before my bible class was to begin. My arms were full with a bible, bible class handouts, bottles of water for a children’s sermon, and my alb and stoles for the next few weeks.

The door was open and I met Robert in a church t-shirt. Anne, the previous but now retired secretary, was there too. I asked, “Where should I put my stuff?”

She said, “Don’t you have a key?”

“Um, no, I don’t.” While I’ve been worshiping here for about six months, this was my first time filling in as worship leader and preacher. I assumed that they would be ready for me. That was not a good assumption.

Anne let me in the pastor’s office with the warning, “The door will lock behind you.” Maybe I should just leave it open. “Another pastor did that; someone came and took all of his stuff.” Ok. Not going to repeat that mistake.

A minute later, Anne came with a key. “Here’s a spare.” Awesome. I’ll take good care of it. I hung up my alb and stoles, then went to get ready for bible class.

I knew there wouldn’t be coffee prepared. That only happens on the first Sunday of the month. This was the fourth of five Sundays. I set out my handouts and got ready for the class to arrive.

After a lively bible class, I put my bible in the pulpit and headed back to the office to get ready. I found the microphone and beltpack, but no batteries. Hmm. I asked numerous people where I might find batteries. No one had a clue. Finally, Anne said, “I think we have some in the office.” She found a couple of AAs, and I was ready to go.

The service went well. Afterwards, everyone quickly left, and I hoped that someone was there to lock up. In the past, as the pastor of a church, I checked doors, set alarms, and was usually the last one out. In this context, none of that was my job.

This congregation has been in search of a full time pastor for three years. In the meantime, interim pastors have filled in. Who’s in charge of making sure everthing that happens on a Sunday morning happens on any given Sunday morning? Elders? Ushers? Anyone?

Sometimes it’s good to be on the other side. Now I can help them make sure they are ready for others who may fill in until they have a full-time pastor.

Posted in encouragement, faith

Preaching to a busy intersection

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s a little hard to see from these pictures, but I believe this guy was preaching at a busy intersection in my community. I believe the book balanced on the pedals of his bike is a bible, that he had just been holding in the air.

This is an intersection with a McDonalds, gas station, supermarket, and bank on the four corners. It’s busy and noisy, and the preacher didn’t have a P.A., so I doubt that anyone could hear him other than that one person stopped there with the window open. Since we all have AC, few windows are open. There are no signs about repentance or contributions, so it’s just him, his voice, and the word competing with busy afternoon traffic.

I’ve heard street corner preachers before. They had a microphone and a portable amp, lots of signs about repentance, and of course, a container for contributions. Many stopped to watch the spectacle, but I seriously doubt that anyone was converted.

I think the best evangelism happens when we get to know someone, care about someone, and make them curious about your life and faith. Once they start asking questions, you’ve got a wonderful opportunity to talk about the Lord.