I recently read a copy of The Word in this World: Two Sermons by Karl Barth, a new publication edited by Kurt Johanson. This slim volume reprints two of Barth’s seminal sermons, “On the Sinking of the Titanic (Psalm 103:15-17)” preached at the beginning of Barth’s career in 1912, and “The Bremen Sermon (Matthew 14:22-33)” preached toward the end of his career in 1934. The difference between the two sermons could not be more striking.

Barth is well known for advocating that preachers preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. He also is well-known for his claim that while biblical preaching must not be boring, if the sermon is biblical it will not be boring. It could be argued that these two statements suggest a continuum with relevance on one side and biblical fidelity on the other. If so, these two sermons illustrate those two poles effectively.

The Titanic sermon is a model of preaching that speaks to the issues of the day. While the sermon does apply the teaching of the Psalm (“the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting”) the bulk of the sermon would describe what we might ordinarily classify as “topical.” The theme of the sermon seems to be captured by the following statement: “As long as self-interest is not now eradicated and replaced by the idea of one-for-all and all-for-one; as long as we do not now repent and strive for a truly communal labour, we run the risk of conjuring down upon ourselves calamities of a quite different sort than the sinking of the Titanic (p.41).”

Contrast this with the Bremen sermon, preached at a time of political uncertainty and unrest in Barth’s Germany of the 1930s. Despite the homiletic juiciness of his moment in time, the preacher doesn’t speak a word about the details of the political moment. William Willimon in his excellent introduction to the sermons writes, “it is as if the seriousness of the congregational context drives him to the text. Matters have become so dangerous for the German church that Barth dare not take his eyes off a God who saves, who judges, who teaches, who kills and makes alive. Working in a line-by-line exposition of the dramatic story, Barth marvels at the movements of the God who commands his disciples get into a boat and steer into the storm. The way to counteract paganism in the form of National Socialism is by close, obedient attentiveness to another God (p. 21).”

For my part, I found the second sermon to be much more compelling. I imagine, that sitting in that congregation, the application of the sermon would have been obvious and powerful to those dealing with the pressures of that particular political storm. I am not opposed to speaking to the issues of the day, or applying texts in practical ways. On the contrary, I encourage it. Still, I found Barth’s approach at Bremen to be inspiring. Karl Barth believed that God speaks when his Word is preached. Those of us who work so hard to speak with relevance today, would do well to remember this.

Summer offers a different pace of life for most of us and life at church is no different. Even preachers need vacation, meaning that pulpits everywhere are filled with unfamiliar faces.

In many such churches, summer relief comes from associate staff, offering an excellent opportunity for youth pastors, worship pastors, and other such leaders to have their voice heard by the congregation. Many such leaders prefer not to preach, for reasons of giftedness, but the benefits related to the congregation hearing from their staff members might be enough to outweigh any such concerns. Hearing associates preach is a good way build confidence in the ministries of these under-appreciated co-laborers. Given that many churches have only one main preaching opportunity each week, summer is a good time to be able to utilize people who would not normally have an opportunity. It may also provide opportunity for younger, emerging leaders to get an opportunity to test their gifts.

With smaller crowds in the summer it is tempting to throttle back and lower expectations, but we need to remember that the people who come are as interested in hearing from God in July as they are in January. In addition, the presence of visiting family members (many of whom don’t know the Lord) and worshipers from other locales, is further motivation for giving of our best.

It may be possible that the more relaxed approach to worship afforded by the summer could provide the preacher with opportunities to explore a wider preaching palate. Might this be a time to try a new narrative technique or to experiment with note-less preaching? You might learn some things you will want to carry over into the fall.

Summer also provides an opportunity for preachers to plan, read, and get ahead on their preparation for their preaching in the fall. Wise preachers use the time well.

So here’s to some great preaching in your church this summer, whether done by you or someone else. May many be blessed by the Word of God in these weeks to come.

This week marked my return to the office from a six-month sabbatical. Sabbaticals are one of the benefits afforded to people who work in the academic world. Of course they come with expectations. In may case, along with a few long-term administrative projects, I have been working on a new book on spiritual formation. I have taught in the area for many years, and have long wanted to write in the area. I organized my work around the question, “what does heaven have to do with earth?,” centering my thinking around the “on earth as it is in heaven” principle found in the Lord’s Prayer. Not only has the project been fruitful in terms of the written product, but it has been a powerful spiritual exercise for me personally as I have tried to think about my own responsibility to live out the values of heaven in the context of this earth. No doubt, I will share more about this later on.

But things like sabbaticals come to an end and so this week I have had to deal with the emotional struggle involved with re-engaging a more normal and regular pattern of life and work. Fortunately, the work I do is fulfilling and productive. A good sabbatical ought to lead a person to a renewed passion and that has been the case for me. After twelve years of ministry here at Northwest Baptist Seminary (ACTS/Trinity Western University), I look forward to new vitality for my ministry of teaching and leadership development. You may even notice a more faithful pattern of comments on this website!

Pronouncing the benediction at the end of a sermon or service of worship is a lost art. For some it might seem a little too liturgical. For others it might seem a little old-fashioned. I’d like to suggest that the practice ought to be resurrected. There is something beautifully moving that happens whenever a worship leader lifts his or her hands in order to offer God’s blessing on the people as they go out into the world. My friend Art Birch is a master of this practice. I can’t tell you how uplifted I feel when I hear him pronounce the benediction. I sometimes think that there is as much preaching in the benediction as in the sermon that preceded it.

Personally, I like to use one of the biblical benedictions, often rephrasing them slightly to reflect the sermon theme or any specific events in the life of the congregation that would be weighing heavy on their minds.

For a helpful list of biblical benedictions, along with a description and definition of the benediction, click on benediction.net.

I was given this comment some time ago. It’s a strong opinion, but not a unique one. As I’ve said before, I think “the pulpit sermon” is fair game for some of these critiques. At the same time, I think that there are a lot of ways that someone can go about the preaching of the sermon. Personally, I don’t think that preaching is going to end anytime soon. As long as people gather for worship, we will be preaching. What do you think?

“The sermon makes the preacher the performer, no questioning, no interrupting – but when you get home you can have roast preacher for lunch. The sermon smothers participation. It blunts curiosity and produces passivity. We do not grow by having heaps of food dumped into our mouths (if you can call it food). The sermon promotes an unhealthy and unbiblical clergy mentality. In some churches there is almost a pathological dependence on the clergy. He is the religious specialist and you are the silent pew warmer.”

“The sermon de-skills the saints. Oh how we drone on about equipping the saints for the work of ministry. Some of God’s people are just as addicted to hearing sermons as some preachers are to preaching them. The modern sermon is completely impractical. Most preachers present themselves as experts on things they have never experienced.”

“We need, I think, a restoration of the first century practice of mutual exhortation and mutual ministry. The Pulpit Sermon cannot be found in the Old Testament. It cannot be found in the ministry of Jesus Christ and it cannot be found in the life of the early Church. The modern Sermon can warm the heart, stimulate the mind, but rarely can it show how to leave the huddle.”

posted at mark-bymaswell.blogspot.com.