Spirituality of Preaching
By: Kevin Goodrich
Preaching has been integral to Christian life and practice for centuries. Preachers, whether Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox have been in many ways God’s heating instruments to warm up people to God and to God’s mission in the world. The greatest preachers in Church history have always been convinced that preaching is more than public speaking or inspirational rhetoric but that preaching is a means by which people are literally transformed from a spiritual state of darkness to light through Jesus Christ.
If preaching is truly a way in which the divine life of God spills through one human being into the hearts of others than those that preach must be careful to keep their own spirituality active and healthy. Jesus Himself provides contemporary preachers with the best model for a spirituality of preaching
1. Jesus lived His life rooted in His identity as the Son of God. Preachers must root their own lives in a personal identity as a son or daughter of God. No other identity will stand the test of illness, ministry failures, and painful life seasons. If a preacher isn’t fire and foremost a son or daughter of God by grace than they will never be able to be a truly great preacher of the God of grace.
2. Jesus was not constantly on the go. He didn’t fill up His day planner with endless appointments, meetings, and ministry opportunities. His life was rooted in a cycle of renewal and mission. Through the pages of the New Testament Jesus would preach, teach, and heal the sick and then retreat to a quiet place with his inner circle of friends. At other times Jesus would minister and then go to a quiet place to pray by himself. Contemporary preachers place themselves in danger of becoming spiritually toxic if they believe they can continually give without finding time for rest and renewal.
3. In His earthly ministry Jesus did not attempt to save, heal, or teach every single human being on the planet. He had a tight ministry focus on the people of Israel and further refined most of His work to the rural villages of the Galilee. Contemporary preachers must set their mission focus realistically and not believe the lie that ministry success is always defined by the size of their church or the recognition they receive from the wider Christian world. Success in the preaching life is defined by faithfulness to God’s truth.
For preaching to remain rooted in God’s transformational truth requires preachers to be rooted in the Scriptures. Taking time for Scripture, besides that required for sermon preparation, requires that the preacher find time for rest and renewal. Taking time for holy resting is a commandment of one the One God and without it preachers will find themselves becoming spirituality toxic. They key to a healthy spirituality of preaching is life seasonally from times of renewal to times of mission activity.
Fr. Kevin Goodrich O.P. is an Anglican Dominican Priest who travels as a teacher of Christian spirituality and living. He is the author of the book, “Cell Phone Spirituality: What your cell phone can teach you about Life and God.” Visit Father Kevin’s blog at http://dailyspirituality.com/.