Preaching...still the centre point of our services?

[Ian Gentles]

I grew up with the ideal that preaching was the centre point of any church service. Certainly the Reformation brought preaching back to the church. Mind you I have sat through some over long, boreing sermones, as have we all, the truth be told.
Todays more contemporary style worship seems to be pushing preaching, slowly to the side. Is this a danger?
How important is preaching? How long should a sermone last? How much time do you spend in preperation?

[Benjamin Burch]

I grew up with the ideal that preaching was the centre point of any church service. Certainly the Reformation brought preaching back to the church. Mind you I have sat through some over long, boreing sermones, as have we all, the truth be told.
Todays more contemporary style worship seems to be pushing preaching, slowly to the side. Is this a danger?
How important is preaching? How long should a sermone last? How much time do you spend in preperation?

The Eucharist is the center of my church services, as it has been for most of the Church, through most of our history. Luckily, there are many Nazarene Churches getting back to this.

[Susan Unger]

My pastor has been known to preach 45 to 60 minutes. So at least in my church, it has not gone by the wayside.

[Ian Gentles]

My pastor has been known to preach 45 to 60 minutes. So at least in my church, it has not gone by the wayside.

Twenty to thirty minets seems right to me, otherwise I doze off.

[Dwayne Petry]

A layman's point of view!

I believe that the Holy Spirit can minister to us, as well as through us using music/song as well as scripture and the spoken word. All that we do is for the Glory of God, therefore I believe that music/song as well as scripture and the spoken word are worthy forms of worship.

Sermon length, 20-30 minutes (unless extended by the Holy Spirit-[not a preacher out chasing rabbits]) followed by Communion!

If I were forced to shorten a worship service, this is my view of what it would consist of at a minimum - prayer around the alter followed by Communion!

[John Reilly]

I grew up with the ideal that preaching was the centre point of any church service. Certainly the Reformation brought preaching back to the church. Mind you I have sat through some over long, boreing sermones, as have we all, the truth be told.
Todays more contemporary style worship seems to be pushing preaching, slowly to the side. Is this a danger?
How important is preaching? How long should a sermone last? How much time do you spend in preperation?

Ian, thanks for your questions.
1. I think preaching is still central to the service. Music is very popular but I think most serious Christians seek and hunger for a "Word from the Lord."
2. Preaching is vitally important to the health of the church in that the doctrine of Christ must be affirmed and lifted up. For example, I had a new Christian tell me she was saved for bit of time before she knew Jesus was coming a second time. There is so much about God to affirm and to share we need to be vigilant in proclaiming the gospel.
3. The length of a sermon needs to be determined by the educational level of the congregation, the age levels of the congregation and the general principle that the human attention span is 12 to 15 minutes. My target is to share God's Word and truth and nuggets of gold within the 15 minute time frame but I do go longer.
4. Preparation: My preparation is a weekly journey of joy with the Lord. I actually begin the sermon prep on Sunday afternoon by reading the lectionary texts for the next Sunday. On Monday I outline the lectionary texts highlighting the common themes and in consultation with the Holy Spirit we choose one theme to share. On Tuesdays, I design a creative umbrella statement and sermon title and submit a news release for the local paper which publishes a religion page each saturday. Wednesdays, I create the sermon outline, typically highlighting three points with smooth transitional statements between points. On Thursday, I seek the Lord's direction for the invitation / challenge for the people each week. Last week, the invitation was for anointing for those dealing with anxiety and the response included many people kneeling at the altar, some sitting on the front pews. Sermon was 20 minutes and the response part of the service including anointing people and prayers was 30 minutes. (The sermon topic was "Anxiety in America") Fridays, the sermon outline is copied to be included in the bulletin for people who like to take notes. On saturday the sermon is practiced for a smooth delivery and to sharpen the illustrations. Practice preaching is necessary to avoid unnecessary words or detours that make the sermon longer. Sunday morning, a special prayer over the sermon for God's anointing and presence to be with us in the service. Daily sermon preparation includes prayer seeking God direction and actual research and reading commentaries may vary from week to week. For me, spreading out the sermon prep process allows for the unexpected interruptions to be less stressful. Actual time in preparation also includes the daily signatures of God in creation and His Presence in the midst of current events. SO illustrations may arise from the daily news or in daily interactions with people. SO sermon prep is really an ongoing lifestyle.

[Susan Unger]

Twenty to thirty minets seems right to me, otherwise I doze off.

When my pastor and I discussed me doing my required sermon at church for my preaching class, he asked me to do a short sermon. I asked him how long "short" was. He said "oh, 25 minutes." I chuckled cuz I know for some that is a normal or long sermon.

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

For me it is. Then again, I'm the one doing the preaching.

I think it is for most people in our church. That is, unless we have a pot-luck dinner that day.

Nazarene pot-lucks trump everything else.

By the way, I don't preach long - it just seems that way.

[Gary Creely]

I have always known folks who like to have a clear idea about who their "best" friend was.

I honestly never liked crowning one of my friends a best friend, because if I do than my other close friends are some thing less than best. Moreover I just do not categorize people like that.

Similarly, I do not like to view a corporate worship experience in those terms. I feel like each part has its place and is part of our Nazarene worship dialect if you will.

In fact I think the offering is a very important part of the service, not just because that is how we raise money, but because giving IMO is an act of worship. Different parts of the church service facilitate different parts of the corporate worship experience.


With all that said the reality is the pastors sermon is the star attraction for the average Joe in the pew. People are more willing to put up with bad music and good preaching than they are good music and bad preaching.

[Eric Frey]

Ian and others,

This may help

[Larry Parsons]

The Eucharist is the center of my church services, as it has been for most of the Church, through most of our history. Luckily, there are many Nazarene Churches getting back to this.

Our you saying having the Lord super is more important than preaching? Or does that mean it take up half of the service like our preaching does?
Thanks
Larry

[Cam Pence]

Our you saying having the Lord super is more important than preaching? Or does that mean it take up half of the service like our preaching does?
Thanks
Larry

Given Bens influence by the RCC and EO traditions, I would say yes he is saying the Eucharist is infinately more important than the homily.The Eucharist is (and has always been) the star of the show.

[John Kennedy]

Someone earlier in this thread called for balance. It would be well to remember that in the
2nd-3rd century church corporate worship consisted of the Service of the Word and Service of the Table. Sermon shouldn't be pitted against sacrament in some sort of holy (or quite possibly, unholy) competition.

[Eric Frey]

Someone earlier in this thread called for balance. It would be well to remember that in the
2nd-3rd century church corporate worship consisted of the Service of the Word and Service of the Table. Sermon shouldn't be pitted against sacrament in some sort of holy (or quite possibly, unholy) competition.

This...

And I think a better way to frame the question is climax. What is the climax of worship? Word/Table helps us see the balance that is needed. The four-fold makes a little clearer the movement of worship. world --> GATHER to worship --> service of the WORD --> service of the TABLE --> SENT back into the world --> world. So I would argue that this is not a bell curve with low points at the ends an a peak in the middle, but rather that worship is moving us somewhere. In that scheme, the Word does call us to the Table, but the Table also pushes us back out into the world.

[Benjamin Burch]

Our you saying having the Lord super is more important than preaching? Or does that mean it take up half of the service like our preaching does?
Thanks
Larry

I'm not sure I like the idea of "more important." Technically, yes, that is probably so. The Sacraments are "more important" than the Homily. If I were forced to only have one in a service, I would choose the Table. However, the reading of the Word and The Homily are central aspects which bring us into the sphere of grace where we can receive the sacraments. I don't like the "more important" phrase because, in my experience, it doesn't convey a larger value in the greater item, but it almost always serves to communicate a lesser value in the item that is "less important."

I an saying that the role of the homily is to move the people towards the table. Everything in the Service of the Word and the Service of the Eucharist is drawing us forward to the Eucharist Table. Everything is moving us in the direction of partaking the Eucharist. So, in this sense, it is the "climax", but, as Eric rightly pointed out, not the end. There is more, and there is something for us to do. We are to go out again into the world.

I hope that answered your question.

[Randy Wise]

I grew up with the ideal that preaching was the centre point of any church service. Certainly the Reformation brought preaching back to the church. Mind you I have sat through some over long, boreing sermones, as have we all, the truth be told.
Todays more contemporary style worship seems to be pushing preaching, slowly to the side. Is this a danger?
How important is preaching? How long should a sermone last? How much time do you spend in preperation?

Well when Jesus went to the synagogue as was His custom they read scripture. So that is a strong foundation to me for anyone to follow. As far as importance my faith (salvation context) doesn't depend on any church service. That service to me is seen as worship and gathering with like minded people. I myself don't put much if any weight in sacraments as a need. (salvation context) The coming to faith baptism may be the exception if one so desires that water baptism. Of course if that isn't done in the Jordan why bother kidding

Randy