Quote Originally Posted by Benjamin Burch View Post
I am not convinced that he would in fact say that. But maybe he would
Maybe he wouldn't... I would

Maybe it is just the way I am reading it. But it still seems to center on the sermon being a place where we're given some idea, concept, or even "advice" of sorts. I wouldn't put it past me to be reading this wrong.
I don't know that you're necessarily reading it wrong. Remember, they are two different people writing from different contexts and experiences. Yes, there is and should be some connecting since they're both talking about preaching and liturgy. And I think there is.

You're right, though, Tim's post is not about leading the congregation to the Table. But that doesn't mean it's not about proclaiming the word faithfully. Maybe he doesn't view Eucharist as the climax, or maybe he does and just didn't flesh that out in this specific post.

I do understand how you can see Tim's "we want you to make our difficult lives make sense" being directly against the other post. But other statements like "We don't want you to make it easy..." and "Go to a Christian book store, look at the book titles, and say the exact opposite things" can show that he's not just talking about getting advice. He wants honest dialogue and engagement. That's the point of his post.

So I guess what I'm saying is that yes, they are saying different things. But I don't think they are fundamentally at odds because they are focusing on different things.

Perhaps both posts could be expanded to include some ideas on how preachers can faithfully proclaim the word in holistic, engaging ways so that God's people are led to the Table.