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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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Book review
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In the past thirty years or so the wider church has seen unprecedented changes. Chairs have replaced pews, choruses have replaced hymns, and overhead screens have replaced stained glass windows. As Anglicans we have written two new Prayer Books, yet the previous one served us for 300 years. Outside the Anglican Church most denominations have done away with formal liturgy altogether. But what about the sermon?The sermon by contrast, has remained relatively constant throughout this period of upheaval. Beckmann thinks that it's high time the sermon underwent radical surgery too. Her diagnosis: too many 'professional' clergy sit in their ivory towers writing theological lectures with no relevance to the average person's day-to-day life. The cure: firstly, clergy need to get out and 'do life', go to work alongside parishioners in their 'secular' workplaces and face the challenges of, and find Jesus in, everyday life. Secondly, clergy need to write their sermons not in isolation, but in dialogue with a 'preaching team' of garden variety laity who will keep the sermon grounded. Such preaching Beckmann calls 'marketplace preaching'. Beckmann has some helpful insights and suggestions.I have found the experience of writing sermons with a 'preaching team' very enlightening, discovering that different people have different insights. An appreciation of these can broaden the appeal and relevance of the sermon. Likewise, rubbing shoulders with everyday life can be a refocusing experience. In reading her examples however, I was left with some questions. Her sermons are full of illustrations from her parishioners' everyday lives. Is this helpful, or distracting? Is it an invasion of privacy? Has she read the people correctly? Not convincedHer sermons also find evidence of Jesus in everyday life. Whilst this is refreshing and encouraging, I couldn't help but thinking it is unbalanced. Jesus at times found evidence of self-righteousness, of self-aggrandisement, and of hypocrisy. He was quite comfortable calling a spade a spade. Beckmann's sermons illustrate biblical principles with everyday activities: she likens the servant leadership of Jesus to people who voluntarily sell tickets for a community organisation. While at one level the comparison is useful, does it trivialise the life and death of our Lord? Further, in her desire to connect the sermon to the 'marketplace', at times she fails to do justice to the original Jesus stories. Finally, I am not convinced that all the sermon needs is more relevant application. Themes such as the need for more passion or inspiration are not explored. In sum, an interesting book with some helpful insights and suggestions. On its own, however, this book will not transform your (or your rector's) average sermons into masterpieces. |
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