Preacher Rehab

Sadly this story reflects the impact that many sermons have on congregations today. While they may not actually be caused physical pain, they will nevertheless regard many sermons as things to be endured rather than enjoyed.

Preacher Rehab is born out of a strong desire for more people to become involved in the privilege of the ministry of preaching, and for those already involved to aspire to become more effective in that ministry. It has sprung from more than forty years of preaching to Anglican congregations in Lancashire in various situations, from inner-city Liverpool, urban Bolton, semi-rural Mossley and suburban Manchester. This time has had many highs and lows, but through them all has continued the conviction that some of God's most effective works are accomplished by effective Spirit-inspired preaching.

It has to be said, in the words of the Preacher of Ecclesiastes (more or less) that of the making of books on preaching there is apparently no end. Look at any typical bibliography attached to a standard book on preaching and you will find no shortage of excellent treatises on this particular subject. It is a well ploughed field, so much so that any prospective writer such as myself has to begin with an attempt at justifying the exercise itself.

So what makes this book different ? Why should the aspiring preacher choose it in preference to other worthy writings ? For one thing, it has a very clear and closely defined setting in life. Look more closely at the above-mentioned bibliographies and you will discover that not many are written in the context of the English Church scene. Many are written by American authors with assumptions about the social and religious context of preaching that simply do not hold true for contemporary English society. Fewer books still are written from within the Church of England setting and which discuss preaching in the Church of England. Why is this important ? It is important because, unlike the non-liturgical or semi-liturgical settings that many of these books assume, within the Church of England liturgy the sermon has to vie with other elements for time and prominence. In many churches, what often passes for worship is perceived as simply a prelude or build-up to the preaching of the Word. The sermon is effectively the central if not the sole substantial element of the service. Within the Anglican set up however such prominence for the sermon cannot be taken for granted, and it's importance is not self-evident. There is the need therefore to set out the proper context for the sermon within the worship of the Church. Many other works on preaching nod in the direction of worship but do not the develop the theme in any detail. This perceived deficiency I attempt to make up.

What also is very noticeable is that many of the works on preaching are written by academics, people involved in one institution or another teaching homiletics. I am certainly not saying that such people do not have a valuable preaching ministry. Many do, or at least have had distinguished preaching ministries in the past. I do not wish to detract from their work in any way, and in my book I make many positive and grateful comments on the things they have written. However, it is a passionate concern that preaching is a discipline that cannot be learned in the classroom. It must be learned “on the job”, preaching to real people in real-life situations - and getting very real and forceful feedback !

Preacher Rehab therefore is written out of a marriage between academic theology (I have a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies) and practical pastoral practice (forty years as an Anglican parish priest). I believe this is one area where it is possible to have feet in two camps, so that pastoral practice is founded, as it should be, on sound theology. The marriage may go through rocky times on occasions, but hopefully the bond remains strong.

It is also true that preaching is a very individual thing. While every preacher operates in accordance with the same general principles, he or she brings much of his or her unique self to the delivery of a sermon. It could be said that there are as many different styles of preaching as there are preachers. It follows by extension that every book on preaching will be different, and reflect the individual approach of its author. While therefore I gladly acknowledge the contributions of others, using Stephen Wright's phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants” the book is very much my book, representing an individual approach to preaching that is not merely a condensation of the work of others. Certainly, no-one else should be blamed for its deficiencies !

I should offer one word of explanation and apology in advance to my sisters in the ordained ministry. I decided at a quite early stage that it would soon become tiresome and unwieldy to write “he and she” every time I wished to use the personal pronoun for the preacher. My use of “he” therefore wholeheartedly includes women priests and preachers. I am reminded of a speaker at the Keswick Convention once who explained “every time I say `brethren' I embrace the ladies” ! Incidentally, for that same reason I have included no separate section in the book for “women in the pulpit”, believing that the principles espoused apply equally to preachers of both genders. My short hand therefore in no way implies any lack of respect, and I hope therefore the book will for that reason not be passed over by female preachers.

In short, this book is a personal testimony to the importance and fruitfulness of preaching, and stems out of a real concern for the standard of preaching in the Church of England today. This concern originated when, whilst recuperating from an operation, I had the all-too-rare opportunity of listening on a regular basis to sermons, rather than delivering them. The concern has grown since, having retired from full-time ministry, I have had further opportunities of being on the receiving end of preachers. If I had any hair left, it would frequently have stood on end, or been torn out by now ! Instead of complaining to the Bishop, I have attempted to do something about it. I hope therefore all readers will find something somewhere in the book that will be of value and will enrich them as they engage in the greatest calling anyone can have.

Manchester