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geoff new – the rising cost of electricity

Jun 14th, 2011
by Geoff New.
6 comments

I wonder how many sermons could still be preached this week if the national power grid failed early Sunday morning. I wonder how many preachers would be wailing and gnashing their teeth because their sermon depended upon PowerPoint, YouTube or that must-see-movie-clip? But now there is no data-projector which means there is no multi-media which means there is no way the sermon can be preached. Not really.

I wonder about the anxiety-driven arguments (or are they urban myths?) which has led to an overuse of multimedia in preaching and an utter dependence upon it. Arguments (or urban myths) such as “but young people these days only relate to screens”; “but people’s attention span today is only [7/8/10] minutes”; “people have different learning styles” and the big-daddy of them all – “we need to stay relevant.”

Relevance. If staying relevant means losing the distinctiveness of the Christian heritage and faith; count me out. I wonder if the over-reliance upon multi-media when preaching the Scriptures is exacting a terrible cost. I suppose we could say that it is the terrible and hidden cost of electricity! That cost includes preachers losing their skill in being able to communicate with their people with nothing other than Bible in hand and a heart burning from loitering on the Road to Emmaus during their preparation. And now they stand before their people and, in concert with the Spirit, lead their people to an encounter with the Risen Christ. However, I wonder if fewer and fewer Kiwi preachers are able to do that. Yet I wonder if there is an even more horrendous cost than just a loss of skill: there is a loss of confidence in the Word.

I wonder if we have become so enamoured by the use of multi-media and image-driven preaching that we have lost our trust and confidence that the Word can be proclaimed  and received aurally and for the Word to achieve the purpose for which it was sent (Isa 55:11). As Eugene Peterson says, when we approach the Word of God the first human organ to be utilised ought to be the ear, not the eye. I wonder if the overuse of multi-media is causing a famine of the Word among the people of God.

I realise that throughout church history every age has had its version of multi-media – stained glass windows, icons and artwork. However I think the difference is that they did not displace the preaching of the Scriptures or lose their Biblical distinctiveness.  I wonder if Christ was to level a criticism at preaching (if not, worship) today, whether it might be in the tradition of His message to the Seven Churches (Rev 2-3). Specifically that the church has taken on so much of the surrounding culture (spirit-of-the-age) in this regard, that it is difficult to distinguish who is who.

If you do not think that your use of multi-media when preaching is an issue, go cold-turkey and preach without it for the next month. Then gauge whether you and your people need a fix of multi-media or whether the Spirit has enjoyed more space to move.

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geoff new: the life and times of the preacher

Nov 24th, 2010
by Geoff New.
3 comments

In a sermon entitled, “The Real Point of Conflict Between Science and Religion”, Harry Emerson Fosdick said:

What areas of human need science has met in my lifetime! When I was born, Edison was thirty-one years old; Sigmund Freud was twenty-two; Henry Ford was fifteen; Charles Steinmetz, thirteen; Madam Curie, eleven; Orville Wright, seven; Marconi, four; Einstein, minus one.

(as quoted in K.L. Northcutt, Kindling Desire for God: Preaching as Spiritual Direction (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2009), 40-41).

Northcutt points out how Fosdick orientated his life and ministry with an awareness of these powerful personalities and their influence upon the context into which he preached. When I read this quote, I was challenged about how I view the world in which I inhabit and preach. I was reminded of two verses especially; “…of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”(1 Chr 12:32) and “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died” (Acts 13:36). These verses always grip me because of their sense of discernment and intentionality in living life for God with awareness and insight. Fosdick essentially paraphrases 1 Chronicles 12 and Acts 13 and his exercise inspires me to consider the times into which I preach week-by-week.

What are the influences and legacies which have shaped the world today? Am I competing against such forces or complementing them? Am I even aware of the influences, let alone whether I am for them or against them?! So, I have sat down and crafted my own Fosdick File. I have deliberately omitted theologians, preachers and influential Christian leaders – except for one. I simply could not find it within myself to leave her out!

When I was born, Mother Theresa was fifty-five years old; Nelson Mandela was forty-six; Sir Edmund Hillary, forty-six; The Beatles, generally mid-twenties; Muhammad Ali, twenty-three; Bill Clinton, nineteen; Steve Jobs, ten; Bill Gates, nine years old; Oprah Winfrey, nine; Osama Bin Laden was seven; Michael Jackson was six; Bono, four; Princess Diana, three; J.K. Rowling, minus 4 months; Tiger Woods, minus nine; Sam Morgan, minus ten; the four Facebook founders – generally minus eighteen.

No doubt I might have to justify why some have made my list and others haven’t – but why don’t you create a Fosdick File and post it here? From your pulpit, what does the world look like? What is your understanding of the times (1 Chr 12:32) so that you might serve the purposes of God in your generation (Acts 13:36)?

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Geoff New has been minister of Papakura East & Hunua Presbtyterian Church since 1997. He is currently working on a DMin thesis exploring the effect of using Ignatian Gospel Contemplation and lectio divina in sermon preparation.

geoff new: a funny thing happened on the way to the pulpit

Sep 9th, 2010
by Geoff New.
5 comments

What’s the funniest sermon you’ve heard? Who’s the funniest preacher you know? What’s the funniest thing you’ve said in a sermon? As far as sermons and humour go, I suggest there are four main types of “funnies” which emerge. (more…)

geoff new: why preachers make lousy paparazzi

Mar 16th, 2010
by Geoff New.
2 comments

So here’s the thing. As good and responsible preachers we beaver away with our exegesis for the sermon and utilise all that we learnt in our training. We gain a good understanding of what the text meant “back then” and discover various meanings of Hebrew and Greek words and are now somewhat an expert on the passage of Scripture at hand. But now we have to bridge the gap between “there and then” to “here and now”. And so we cast a furtive glance over our shoulder to make sure no-one is looking and we make the leap and break the conventions of good exegesis. (more…)