Grace & Peace Magazine - Winter 2020 by graceandpeace

A D I A LO G I CA L R E S O U RC E FO R N A Z A R E N E C L E R GY

ISSUE 22 | WINTER 2020

Ministry in a Connected Culture

U S A / CA N A D A R E G I O N , C H U R C H O F T H E N A Z A R E N E

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Mi ni s tr y i n a Co nne c te d Cu l t u re A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE USA/CANADA REGION CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

Grace & Peace Winter 2020, Issue 22 www.graceandpeacemagazine.org Bob Broadbooks USA/Canada Regional Director Associate Editor | Jeanette Gardner Littleton > GPmagazine@nazarene.org Assistant Editor | Rebecca Rodeheaver > GPmagazine@nazarene.org Layout & Design | Caines Design - J.R. Caines

This publication is a dialogical resource for pastors and ministry practitioners affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Its purpose is to increase ministry effectiveness, stimulate theological and missional reflection, and promote healthy dialogue among its print and online readership. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission. Among other things, Grace & Peace Magazine commits to the following priorities for its readership: leadership development, theological identity, new church development, missional outreach, and church renewal. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NIV: From The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Our Perspective: We seek to continue the tradition of the early Church of the Nazarene that sought to integrate the diverse theological and methodological voices in the church. We seek to be a movement of people who care about the same things, but not in the same way. Yet, always maintaining that difference is not the focus—Christ is. We seek to be informed by missiology and cultural anthropology, which gives permission to innovate and seek renewal. We want to be open to listen, value, and pay attention to a variety of structures, missions, and programs, while affirming our commitment to the Wesleyan theological tradition. We seek methodological innovation in response to a changing culture as we work to make Christlike disciples in the nations. Questions? Email GPmagazine@nazarene.org. Endorsed by: Wesleyan Theological Society, Wesleyan Holiness Consortium USA/Canada Regional Office Church of the Nazarene 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa, KS 66220

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C O N T E N T S

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WINTER 2020

I N VO C AT I O N : Preaching As Worship by P h il Fulle r

From Informational to Transformational by James H. Diehl

I N T E R V I E W: Theological Foundations of Preaching: An interview with Jim Fitzgerald

Exploring the Depths of Personal Transformation by Simone Mulieri Twibell

Listening Before You Preach by Kathryn Mowry

I N T E R V I E W: Finding Your Voice: An interview with Dale Shaeffer

Preaching God’s Word Transforms Our Community by Marlene James

Scoring a Touchdown with Your Preaching by Tim Fisher

Communion: A Meaningful Ending by Steve Rodeheaver

It Takes a Church by Brian Thomas

Come to the Altar by Nathan Ward

Preaching a Church Back to Life by Donna Wilson

T H E PA S TO R ’ S S P O U S E : When You Don’t Feel Called by Diane Estep

N B C C O R N E R : Preaching for Change by James R. Russom

B E N E D I CT I O N : Your Most Important Quality by Bob Broadbooks

NEWS: 4-5

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Preaching As Worship Phil Fuller

“I

t is impossible to worship God and remain unchanged,” wrote Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God Day by Day. We believe preaching is integral to worship—a form of worship delivered by the grace of God so that neither the listener nor the preacher can remain the same. We instinctively understand that transformational preaching is the delivery of a message from God’s heart for all people. Preaching is worship. Genuine worship is transformation. I am not naïve enough to think every message preached rises to such a noble level, and certainly not by mere human effort can preaching attain such heights. I have listened to, and preached, a few sermons in which nothing about the message was divine and no transformation was imminent. One Sunday evening, when I realized my speech was boring, even to me, I stopped in the middle of the message, closed my Bible, and said, “You are bored. I am bored. Let’s pray and go home.” No one argued. That evening I vowed, with God’s help, to be a better preacher. John Wesley said, “Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God . . . such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.” 1 Preaching that shakes the gates of hell isn’t boring at all! We confidently affirm with pastors everywhere that despite our limited abilities, on occasions far too numerous to count, God uses our words as catalysts for the transformational work of the Holy Spirit. Remember the parishioner who testified how a certain phrase in your message helped him come to grips with God’s direction for his life (though you are certain you spoke nothing remotely similar)? Or how another parishioner wrote to you, “Your message on Sunday was exactly for me. How did you know?” To me, these exemplify the miracle that allows our human speech to become a message

and a means of grace. The preacher is granted sacred trust by his or her people to listen for God’s message and to faithfully deliver it through words of obedience. Anything less is merely a nice speech. Thankfully, a sermon saves no one, sanctifies no one, and is unable to change anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do that work. Nevertheless, in the same way that we believe, as David Busic has said, “Something happens in the water [of baptism],”2 and that, as the Manual proclaims, “Christ is present by the Spirit”3 in the Lord’s Supper, so, too then, preaching is a pathway of God’s grace. A divine something occurs when we preach. Transformational preaching, by God’s mercy and help, engages the listeners and moves them toward Christlikeness. May we find that we are not alone in our endeavors to preach the Word, and may the stories and insights of fellow ministers spur us onward in our holy calling. We must never lose sight of what our Wesleyan-Holiness tradition asserts about genuine preaching; it “shake[s] the very gates of hell and usher[s] in the kingdom of heaven,” here and now. Transformational Preaching. Is there really any other kind? John Wesley, in a letter to Alexander Mather, as quoted in The Life and Times of the Rev. John Wesley by Luke Tyerman (London, 1871), III:632. 1

David Busic, Sermon, “Something Happens in the Water: Sacramental Practice in the Church of the Nazarene” (District Superintendent’s Leadership Retreat, Carlsbad, California, February 2018). 2

Manual, 2017-2021: Church of the Nazarene (Nazarene Publishing House, 2017), 260. 3

PHIL FULLER has served as superintendent of the Virginia District since 2004. He is passionate to see the Church renew her commitment to evangelism, baptism and church planting. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Midlothian, Virginia.

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EVANGELISM AND NEW CHURCH DEVELOPMENT WELCOMES NEW CHURCHES, OFFER TRAININGS In 2019, 135 new churches were started and the momentum continues. If you have not attended one of the new church training events, consider joining us at a DCPI (Dynamic Church Planting International), CPC (Church Planting Churches), CPE (Church Planting Essentials), or EMT (Evangelism and Multiplication Training) events. For more information, see USACanadaregion.org/events. IF you’re planning to attend Exponential 2020, the national church planters’ conference in Orlando on March 2–5, Evangelism and New Church Development can get you tickets for $100 each, and the team has reserved a block of rooms at Westgate Resorts. At this conference, the Nazarene Association of Church Planters will host a dinner on March 2 at 5:30 p.m. for $15 per person. To take advantage of any of these special prices, contact newchurch@nazarene.org or 913-577-2876.

Alan Hirsch will be one of the leading voices at Exponential 2020

NAZARENE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY CELEBRATES 75 YEARS! This year the Nazarene Theological Seminary celebrates 75 years of ministry. The seminary was established by the Eleventh General Assembly in June 1944 and started its first school year in 1945 with 61 students. Throughout the year, the seminary will highlight the anniversary with memories, special events, and intitiatives. To learn more, see www.nts.edu. Nazarene Theological Seminary Dates to Remember DATE

EVENT

March 24

Pastors Day: Dr. Sondra Wheeler (Mercer Lectures on Holiness) www.nts.edu/pastorsday

May 2

Commencement

September 29-30

Preachers Conference with Brian Zahnd

October 27

Earle Lectures on the Old Testament with Dr. M. Daniel Carroll

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MULTICULTURAL MINISTRY EVENTS In the fall, eighty Korean pastors and their spouses gathered for fellowship, rest, and renewal. The group attended workshops on marriage, mental health, Nazarene identity, and Nazarene Safe. Pastor David Lee was elected to continue His leadership as the Korean ministries coordinator for two more years. Registration is now open for the National Black Nazarene Conference 2020, which will be held July 30– August 2 at Stone Mountain, Georgia. All who are interested in ministering in and to the Black community are invited to attend. The theme for the conference is “The Power of Unity: Spirit, Love, Diversity, Affirmation, Equality, Social Justice, Celebration.” Learn more at www.usacanadaregion.org/nbnc2020. Here are more Multicultural Ministry events you may want to attend: DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

March 11—13

Chinese SRT Meeting

Hampton Inn, Shawnee, Kansas

March 31—April 2

Haitian SRT Meeting

Hampton Inn, Shawnee, Kansas

April 20—22

Korean SRT Meeting

Hampton Inn, Shawnee, Kansas

May 5—8

Arab Conference

Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, Asheville, North Carolina

May 27—30

National Hispanic Conference 2020

Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, Oklahoma

July 7—9

Filipino and South Asian SRT Meetings

Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California

July 28—August 3

Black and Multicultural Congregations SRT Meetings

Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort, Stone Mountain, Georgia

September 29—October 1

Hispanic SRT Meeting

USA/CANADA REGION ROLLS OUT NEW WEBSITE Be sure to check out the rebuilt USA/Canada Region website at www.usacanadaregion.org. The site offers great resources and is rebuilt to be more intuitive and easier to maneuver.

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n reflecting over my half-century (plus) preaching journey, I quickly see where I’ve learned a few things. Allow me to share some of those insights with you. First, I had too much content in my earlier sermons. I packed too much into the box. In this day of sound bites, text messages, tweets, and Facebook posts, people won’t retain what you said in a message titled, “Seven Reasons Why I Want to Go to Heaven.” I’ve learned to build the sermon around one or two “takeaway truths.” One or two! Sure, build around them, wrap them in Scripture, illustrate them, and develop them. If our listeners can remember our one or two takeaway truths by the time they get to the parking lot, we’ve succeeded. Next, I’ve had to learn how to preach to their hearts—not just preach to their heads. Of course, I want good content in my sermons—scriptural, factual, and some historical—but the people in the pews or chairs are silently asking, “So what? How does this message help me deal with the pressures, stresses, challenges, and disappointments I’ll face this week?” Preacher, translate the Word of God to the real-life journey your listeners are on, and go for their hearts. To be a good preacher in this culture, we must become a good storyteller. Jesus told stories! Telling stories still works today! Good stories are like windows in the room—they let the light in! We don’t tell stories just to get a laugh but to illustrate a truth. Therefore, we preachers need to look and listen for stories every day of our lives. They are in the newspaper, the news, the event that happened at the gas station, the quote you heard while having coffee with friends, and selected stories from home. (Caution: Some stories about our spouse or kids are embarrassing to them, so leave those out of the sermon. Yes, I had to learn that, too!) I was taught way back in journalism class to “develop a nose for news.” Preacher, develop an eye, an ear, a nose for another story right out of your everyday, down-toearth, busy, busy, busy lifestyle. Remember this: They will remember your story longer than they will remember your sermon!

Because I’ve been asked numerous times to preach in revivals, camp meetings, youth camps, and crusades, I’ve learned one difference between preaching as an evangelist and preaching as a pastor. As an evangelist, a person may get to preach to people four or five times, or even just once or twice. I refer to that type of preaching as “hit and run preaching.” On the other hand, preaching as a pastor means you and your congregation are running a marathon race together. Not a quick sprint—a marathon! A pastor can say, “By the way, this truth relates to what I preached to you three weeks ago.” Since the pastor and the listeners are in this marathon together, as the pastor grows, so grows the congregation. As the pastor learns, so learns the congregation. As the pastor matures, so matures the congregation. No hit and run preaching here! It’s a marathon! On this joint marathon race, if the preached message doesn’t challenge the pastor, it won’t challenge the congregation. If the message doesn’t burn in the pastor’s heart, it certainly won’t light a fire in the listeners’ hearts. If the message doesn’t feed the pastor, it won’t feed anyone else either. In feeding the flock, the preacher gets fed as well. Above all, when the Holy Spirit’s anointing is upon the preacher, the listeners’ hearts will be “strangely warmed,” as was John Wesley’s heart. The Spirit’s anointing makes all the difference! If there is no anointing, we are just delivering a religious speech. Therefore, saturate that message in prayer! Saturate that preacher in prayer! Saturate the entire development and delivery of the message in prayer. What a difference the Holy Spirit’s anointing makes. And the people can tell when the preacher is anointed! Oh, Lord, send the anointing! A very popular form of preaching in this culture is series preaching. I like that connected style of preaching and, in fact, I preached a series of messages last Advent season under the title, “That’s Some Good News!” However, I’ve observed that a onemonth series is better received than a two- or three-month series. It’s back to our culture where people maintain interest for a while but not for long.

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TO B E A G O O D PREACHER IN THIS

CU LT U R E , W E M UST B ECOM E

A GOOD STO RYT E L L E R . Now, to contradict everything I have just said about series preaching, if I were a pastor again, I would love to preach a yearlong series on “The Mountain Peaks of the Bible.” Fifty-two mountain peaks of scripture. That would help both pastor and people to grow! Wouldn’t that be fun? We preachers have been called by God to help see people transformed, not just informed. Yes, there is a place for teaching and information-giving in our ministry, but there is also a place for preaching—Spiritanointed preaching! Transformational preaching is where both the preacher and the listeners are changed. How wonderful it is to hear the preacher say at the close of the message, “I don’t know if that helped you, but it sure helped me!” I know, because I’ve said it many times! The veteran preacher Paul told young pastor Timothy to “Preach the Word!” (2 Tim. 4:2). To this day, a general superintendent commissions every new ordinand in the Church of the Nazarene with the words, “I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, preach the Word!” There is something different, very different, between giving a speech and preaching an anointed message. Preacher, no matter what the cost, get under the Holy Spirit’s anointing! While I was pastoring Denver First Church, one week we were hit with a huge and impossible financial problem. It was enough to bankrupt the church. On Friday of that week, I went to our cabin in the Colorado Rockies to beg God for a miracle. Something happened to me while I was walking in the forest, pleading with God. God gave me a new promise! God gave me a plan! God gave me a new anointing! On Sunday, as I poured my heart out to the people, I told them what had happened on

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the mountain that Friday afternoon. God set me on fire that Sunday morning! The Spirit’s anointing came, praise God! It was a service I’ll never forget. The following Thursday, George, our board secretary, said he had received several emails about my message from the previous Sunday. He asked if I wanted to hear what people were saying. “No, George, I’ve had about all the bad news I can handle,” I said. “Pastor, I’m telling you anyway,” George insisted. “The emails basically all said the same thing: We could tell the pastor had met God on the mountain on Friday. Whatever it takes, send the pastor to the mountain every Friday!” The people and the pastor alike recognized the Spirit’s anointing. That was transformational preaching. And, by the way, God got the congregation through that crisis and the Kingdom of God continued to grow. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will anoint you, preacher, every time you stand in front of your people with God’s fresh message. The Spirit’s anointing is what speaks through the preacher to the congregants’ hearts! That’s transformational preaching! JAMES H. DIEHL served as a general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene for 16 years. He previously held pastorates in Iowa, Georgia, and Colorado, in addition to serving as a university administrator and district superintendent. He now is serving as an evangelist in the Church of the Nazarene. Jim and his wife, Dorothy, live in Lakewood, Colorado.

connect with our heritage, vision, and mission

Contact holinesstoday@nazarene.org to order free copies. For additional digital materials visit: www.nazarene.org/essentials or www.nazarene.org/onelord

INTERVIEW

Theological Foundations of Preaching: An Interview with Jim Fitzgerald What theological foundations should we keep in mind when we seek transformative preaching? Grace & Peace talked with Jim Fitzgerald, currently chair of the School of Theology and Ministry at Southern Nazarene University. Fitzgerald also has pastored in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Missouri. I N T E R V I E W E R : R E B E CC A R O D E H E AV E R , A S S I S TA N T E D I TO R

IN THIS AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND INSTANT COMMUNICATION, WHAT IS THE PLACE OF PREACHING? Around 20 years ago, people began to wonder if video would be a better method of communicating than preaching. Would we do better showing clips or other videos rather than having a live person speaking? Our culture today is more image-based than word-based. Is visual imagery more important than words? Since then, oral communication has made a comeback. We’ve rediscovered that we can develop imagery through language, not just by flashing something on the screen. Many people regularly listen to podcasts and TED talks, so now, even in an age of images and video, speech is still important. As much as I love listening to preaching podcasts and sermons online, I still think they are distinctive from the worship context. Preaching is unique theologically because it’s an incarnational moment, an embodied presence and voice. It’s more than disconnected bites of information or imaging, more than what a person can receive through a podcast, PowerPoint, or social media. Embodied speech is present and alive.

speech may have some overlap in content, but we don’t usually invoke the Spirit’s presence in a speech. The Spirit’s role is vital in proclaiming and receiving God’s Word. Another distinction is the worship context. In a worship service, people come to the sermon with a different set of expectations than they do for hearing a speech. Sermons are not just for inspiration, motivation, or entertainment. Neither is preaching a stand-alone event; the worship context does not solely depend upon the sermon. Certainly, the preaching moment is powerful, but all the elements of corporate worship impact us. Our expectations of what happens in the sermon are heavily shaped by our expectations of worship. Preaching has a rhythm. If you listen to a motivational speech or a TED talk, you likely won’t return every week with the same people and the same expectations as you do in the context of worship. Preaching is different because it’s habitual, it’s a pattern, it’s a rhythm in our life.

WHAT ELSE DISTINGUISHES PREACHING FROM GIVING “TALKS” OR OTHER PRESENTATIONS?

Furthermore, as the worshiping community gathers to receive God’s Word, listeners are shaped by participating in this act of worship together. As we participate in a worshiping community, we are transformed by the relationships that extend beyond the preaching moment.

Preaching is distinct in several ways: The first is the spiritual element and, in particular, the role of the Holy Spirit. A sermon and a

HOW CAN A PREACHER CROSS THE HERMENEUTICAL BRIDGE—THE GAP BETWEEN THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE

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AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN THE CONGREGATION? Part of the question is: How big is that gap? Obviously there are gaps of time, context, and culture, and of course, we must research historical data to learn about these people and their culture. But the Bible is more than a collection of books that is thousands of years old. Because of the Spirit’s involvement, the Bible is the living Word of God. Isaiah 55 says God’s Word will not return to Him void but will accomplish its purposes. So, to bridge the hermeneutical gap, we examine not only what the text is trying to say, but we look at what the text is intending to do. Ask, “What’s happening here? What’s the author trying to accomplish?” These words have a purpose. We must try to capture what the author was trying to do in the original audience and ask how we might recreate that. Our Wesleyan doctrine of Scripture helps us. We talk about Scripture inerrantly revealing the will of God for all things necessary to our salvation. Embedded in our Nazarene Manual statement on Scripture is the idea that scriptural voice is intentional, an active voice revealing God to us. Part of the way we discover that intent is by paying attention to the form in which it comes to us. If we read Scripture and—regardless of whether it’s a psalm or a prophetic text, a gospel or an epistle—it all sounds like the same three-point sermon, we’ve not done justice to the text. Why is some of it poetry? Why is some of it lament? Why are there genealogies? Why is some of it in the gospel form? We have to pay attention to the rhetorical function and why it was written this way. That’s not only true of Scripture; even culturally recognizable forms of communication set our expectations. If we start by saying “Knock, knock,” people know to expect a corny joke. If we say, “Once upon a time,” that sets their interpretive lens. The various forms can set expectations, so we need to draw on that as we go to Scripture texts. Once that’s done, lots of hard work is still ahead, but it’s not the same overwhelming challenge as if you’re just peering into a series of historic words to see what it says.

DESCRIBE THE ELEMENTS OF PREPARATION BOTH FOR THE PREACHER AND THE SERMON. Two dimensions are at work in preparing the preacher. One is identifying our calling and the second is tending to our spiritual health. I have to agree with Eugene Peterson, who said we tend to forget what our calling really is. We get distracted, tempted, or seduced by other work. Peterson calls us back to what he identifies as our essential work as ministers: prayer, study of Scripture, and spiritual direction. There will always be distractions—some we will have to pay attention to and others we will have to resist by saying, “No, that’s not my calling.” But if we’re too busy chasing other work, we will find it challenging to develop a rich life of preaching. Our preaching becomes just functional if we don’t have the right grounding in our calling. We must attend to spiritual growth in our own lives. Is our time in Scripture and prayer a personal priority, or do we only practice these disciplines in our role as a preacher? We need to pursue both the disciplined study of a particular text and also our own devotional development, so we don’t only approach the Scripture thinking, “I’ve got to get something for Sunday.” Are we being fed through prayer, Scripture, and spiritual direction? I don’t think we can effectively prepare for preaching a sermon without having this parallel track in our life.

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At its root, sermon preparation is a disciplined commitment to wrestle with Scripture. It’s also a determination to deeply and patiently exegete your congregation, so you can understand and speak to your community. We don’t just talk about what Scripture meant 2,000 or 4,000 years ago, but we engage Scripture with the context of our people. We must keep our audience in mind through the process of sermon preparation, which requires being attentive and aware of the diverse human experiences, news, trends, and cultural shifts. Are we willing to put in the time, week after week, to wrestle with the text and to listen to what’s going on in people’s lives, to what’s happening culturally and globally? We have a responsibility to engage our people in this level of conversation. HOW CAN A SERMON BE TRANSFORMATIONAL WITHOUT SIMPLY PLAYING ON EMOTIONS? Transformation only comes by the work of the Holy Spirit. We certainly craft a sermon the best we can for that moment, but ultimately, it’s not about us. Now that doesn’t excuse us, we can’t just say, “Well, the Holy Spirit will fill in the gaps where I didn’t prepare.” We must do the hard work of preparation, but ultimately, transformation comes through the work of the Spirit. I think a lot of transformation is influenced by people’s expectations. Do people come expecting to encounter God, or do they come anticipating they’ll learn five ways to help them be a better husband or be able to manage their money better? What hopes do they have about the transformation that might take place in their lives as they come to worship and respond to the sermon? I think perhaps a lot of the success Billy Graham experienced was because people came expecting something life-changing, more than they did from a “regular” service. Are our people prepared to have an encounter with God? I put a lot of stock in the cumulative effect of a preaching ministry. Certainly, one sermon can be transformational and can radically change someone’s life. But I think there’s value

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in a long-term, cumulative preaching ministry where, week after week, people are being formed by the Spirit through the proclamation of the Word. Sometimes transformation happens in crisis experiences, but don’t forget that it often happens incrementally. Transformational power is present in the long haul. We need to note and affirm that sometimes the Holy Spirit works slowly. THERE IS MUCH TALK ABOUT “PROPHETIC” PREACHING. HOW CAN PREACHERS BE PROPHETIC IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE OF THAT WORD? Prophetic preaching is willingness to speak truth to power. It includes a willingness to be a dissenting voice, and it endeavors to frame things as Kingdom issues. Some people think prophetic preaching is anytime you raise your voice or denounce something. There may be times to speak that way, but speaking truth takes courage and humble, broken hearts. Are we willing to critique the things people cherish, or are we co-opted by the desire to be part of power, rather than speak to power? Prophetic preaching has compassion. It has concern for justice and concern for the marginalized, for those who get overlooked or are harmed by cultural and corporate practices. I also think prophetic preaching is done within the context of a community. Prophets have a deep love for God and for the people entrusted to their care. They are willing to speak in a more public arena, and they are obedient to address big-picture issues, not just personal, interior issues. Prophetic preaching allows us to step back from the surface issues. Anyone can rant about something, but is there biblical justification for it? We must humbly ask, “Is what I’m preaching, especially if I’m labeling it ‘prophetic,’ in line with the tradition of Scripture and the tradition and testimony of the church?” It is an immense challenge for pastors to preach prophetically because of our real desire for self-preservation—not wanting to preach ourselves out of a job or not wanting to alienate ourselves from people we love. But I don’t like

seeing prophetic speech as a separate function, with the pastor doing pastoral preaching and then calling in a prophetic preacher or evangelist to speak what the pastor is not quite confident enough to speak. Pastors need to be able to preach prophetic messages in grace and love, with a broken heart. WHAT ARE SOME TIPS FOR EXEGETING BOTH THE AUDIENCE AND TEXT OF SCRIPTURE? HOW DO BOTH OF THESE ELEMENTS ASSIST THE PREACHER? When it comes to exegeting Scripture, I encourage preaching students to not let the commentary be their first step. Read the text, listen to it, pray through it, and try to paraphrase it. Ask your own questions first, because if you jump to the commentaries, they’ll ask questions for you, which will frame the issues differently, and you’ll miss some stuff that you may have found in your own exploration. Now, having said that, certainly use commentaries! They may uncover questions you didn’t think about. Develop or find a good theological library so you can draw on those resources. You can find resources online as well, though sometimes it’s difficult to ascertain the context, background, or training of the person who created the materials. However, with all the resources available, there’s really no reason for not studying a text thoroughly. A lot of scriptural exegesis is just putting in the hard work. As you facilitate dialogue between the text and the congregation, you need to know them both well in order to get them in conversation with each other. So, you can’t spend all your time studying, interacting only with Scripture and commentaries. You need to spend time with your people, connecting with their lives outside of the sanctuary, whether that comes through shared coffee breaks, hospital visits, pastoral phone calls, or dinner fellowship. The more we know our people and our community, the richer our preaching is. Part of exegeting our audience is examining not only the people who attend our church but also the people who are not there. Who in the community doesn’t show up on Sunday morning,

and what do we do about that? We don’t learn our people just to preach to their comfort. We might need to know them well enough to say, “We’re not reflecting our community.” We must be able to step outside of our own demographic. As a preacher serving diverse groups of people, I have to try to look at the world through the eyes of a single mom, or an immigrant, or someone who works for minimum wage, or someone who is in a different state of life than I am. If all my sermon illustrations are drawn from my personal experiences, I’m not doing a good job of exegeting my audience. I need to give voice to those who are not like me. WHAT OTHER INSIGHTS ON THE THEOLOGY OF TRANSFORMATIONAL PREACHING WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE? As Wesleyans, our theology is ideal for believing in a theology of transformational preaching. Our doctrine of prevenient grace tells us that the Spirit has been at work in each person’s life long before he or she steps foot in our sanctuary. We hold a deep conviction that God is at work in every person’s life, that the Spirit is actively seeking to draw that person to God. Our theological foundation reminds us that transformation doesn’t initiate with us; it initiates with God, and we are participants in that. Therefore, transformation doesn’t rest on whether I have the most eloquent speech or sermon. God is the active agent in the preaching moment. Our doctrines of justification and sanctification highlight that there can be distinct yet unique transformational moments in people’s lives, but we also remember our theology of growth in grace. God is forming us in the image of Christ. God’s work is what makes the sermon a means of grace for listeners, not just a speech. When we understand preaching as a means of grace, that opens the door for an expectation of transformation. Preaching is not just stirring emotion, not just eloquence, not just wisdom, but God’s doing something in that moment. God is intent on saying something.

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E X PLO R I N G

THE

DEPTHS

PE R S O N A L

T R A N S F O R M AT I O N Simone Mulieri Twibell

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remember once sitting in a seminary class in which we were invited to consider and discuss the primary mission of the Church. Was it to reach the lost? To disciple believers? To serve the “least of these”? To be united with Christ? To be a sacrament to the world? A similar question was posited regarding ministers leading the church. Is their primary calling to preach the gospel? To grow the church? To teach and baptize new believers? To offer attractive programs? To create outreach opportunities? To lead board meetings? To inspire and equip? To spend time with God? To make sure the kids are behaving As I considered all these possibilities with the soon-to-be, newly called, and longtime ministers in that room, a new awareness filled me: If we weren’t careful, we would become consumed by the many responsibilities demanding our attention. As ministers of the gospel, if we do not first deal with ourselves, establish healthy patterns, and practice the presence of God daily, chances are that even our best efforts could fail amid the complexities of a hectic life. The Calling and the Called

Truthfully, the primary calling of any Christian is to be conformed to the image of God’s Son by the power of the Holy Spirit, who alone can transform our hearts. This process is known as spiritual formation. The late Henri Nouwen, in his book Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit1, defined spiritual formation as “movements from the mind to the heart through prayer in its many forms that reunite us with God, each other, and our truest selves.” Nouwen noted that living out the spiritual life requires a movement from acquiring information (mind) to attaining transformation (heart). Such a movement can happen only as we practice the presence of God, which includes loving God with our whole being and loving others (such as the stranger, the angry relative, the panic-stricken girl, the defiant teen) as ourselves. Simple as it may seem, this exercise primarily requires the minister of the gospel to become aware of the need to experience the reality of God’s presence firsthand. Sadly, many pastors try to lead

their congregations into realities they are not experiencing themselves, and consequently, they burn out easily or give up their calling. A spirituality that hides in a cocoon seeking to protect itself from all possible perils will likely wither and die in the valley of self-preservation. On the other hand, a spirituality marked by the excessive care of people, perfectionistic tendencies, or exaggerated activism will, sooner or later, crumble and collapse on the mountain of self-reliance. Only by cultivating dependence on the Father and embracing an attitude of interdependence will we swim freely in the currents of God’s love. Deep Calls unto Deep

Theologian W.H. Vanstone likened the Church to a swimming pool in which all the noise comes from the shallow end, but most of the treasures are found in the deep end2. If we are to love like Jesus and live like Jesus, then we need the love of Jesus to sustain us, and the deeper we submerge ourselves in the waters of His Spirit, the richer we find His love to be. Jesus loved His disciples so deeply that even though He knew they would soon desert Him, betray Him, deny Him, and abandon Him, He still chose to serve them. What was His secret? Perhaps Jesus was able to love these rugged, simple-hearted, unsophisticated disciples despite their shortcomings because He had banked His faith on the Father’s love. His security and identity were anchored in the reality of the Father’s love for Him, and as a result, He could extend it freely to others. When the hour had come for Jesus to journey back to His Father, He displayed His deepest sense of love for His disciples in humble, ordinary ways. As Jesus got up from the Passover meal, He took off His outer robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and washed the dustcovered, filthy feet of His disciples. Jesus’ example shows us three steps we all must take in order to be transformed spiritually. First, we must nurture a deliberate disposition in our hearts to love well, breaking away from the mundane tasks that demand most of our time and distract us from our primary calling as partners in the mission of God. Jesus showed the importance

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of this first step when He “got up from the meal” to serve His disciples (John 13:4). He left His place of leadership at the table to participate in an act of service, pouring water into a basin after He had eaten a meal with His disciples. Similarly, we must make time to care for our souls in ways that are life-giving, both individually and communally while fostering an attitude of readiness for service. Second, we must embrace a radical posture of dispossession. When Jesus “took off his outer clothing” (John 13:4), I believe He was demonstrating the necessity of choosing to be stripped of His position, to be real, and to shy away from a performanceoriented, pride-enabling, and power-ridden type of ministry. This intentional and profound uncovering invites us to develop a resilient heart that is able to withstand the blows of familiar temptations. In the midst of twists and turns, opportunities for selfadvancement, or life’s many unexpected hurts, by taking the less-traveled road of vulnerability, openness, honesty, and confession, ministers will be able to lead their congregations into the power of authenticity. Finally, we must faithfully engage in a lifestyle of dispensation. Just as Jesus “began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:5), so we must participate in tangible demonstrations of God’s love for the broken and the lost. The graces and gifts we have received are to be carefully unwrapped, so we may dry the tears of those who mourn and celebrate with those who rejoice. As we gracefully put to use the spiritual and material gifts we have received, others may come “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” for us (Eph. 3:18). Our own journey into the depths of God’s love will provide the catalyst needed for spiritual transformation. This experience of deep spiritual healing and transformation lived and demonstrated by Christian leaders is what our churches and the world need the most today. Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2010), xvi.

I F W E A R E TO LOV E L I K E J E S U S AND LIVE LIKE JESUS, THEN WE NEED THE LOV E O F J E S U S TO S U S TA I N U S , A N D T H E D E E PE R WE SUBMERGE O U R S E LV E S I N T H E WAT E R S O F H I S S PI R I T, T H E RICHER WE FIND H I S LOV E TO B E .

Trevor Beeson, ed., Priests and Prelates: The Daily Telegraph Clerical Obituaries (London: Continuum, 2002), pp. 214–16. 2

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SIMONE MULIERI TWIBELL serves as assistant professor of intercultural studies at Olivet Nazarene University and as prayer pastor at Kankakee, Illinois, First Church of the Nazarene.

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K at h r y n M ow r y

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oo often, we think good preaching is mostly about the words we use in our sermons. We assume that if we have prayed enough, read a few commentaries, examined word meanings in the text, tried to make sense of the passage, understood its context, fit the puzzle pieces together with some word magic and a couple of great illustrations, and practiced at least once in an empty sanctuary or in front of a mirror, the only remaining major task is to utter words that will lead to transformation. W h at W e L e a r n e d

Preaching Class

Perhaps it is natural that we think so about preaching because this is how we received points for our first assignment in preaching class at seminary in spite of nervously lisping our way through the “ughs” and “oops.” Our preaching was rewarded with comments about what we said and how we said it. And as it usually happens, what was not taught has shaped our ministry as much as what was taught. Listening is one of these practices that’s not always taught or doesn’t seem as vital in our preparation and practice as other skills. However, in pastoral ministry, listening to people is as important as studying the biblical text and listening to the Holy Spirit. Why should we listen to people to inform our preaching? Surely, their opinions and thoughts will not lead us to compromise the proclamation of the Word to give people what they want, so why do we need to know what they are thinking?

The Real Reason

Listen

Maybe one reason to listen is not so we know what people are thinking but to give them a chance to articulate their own thoughts. In many social science classes, the picture of an iceberg is used to illustrate the truth that there is more to most people than what meets the eye. Like the tip of the iceberg, they publicly display certain beliefs, perspectives, and values. However, a great many beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences lie beneath the surface. People’s thoughts can be formed by these subconscious inflexibilities, commitments, and assumptions that they aren’t fully aware of—and these can lead to conflicts if those territories are crossed by an unsuspecting pastor. In such situations, the pastor is likely to hear, “Something you said in your sermon rubbed me the wrong way. I can’t put my finger on why, but I just know you are wrong on this” or “That new preacher just isn’t right for us. We liked her during the interview, but now she just feels so foreign.” The chances are that pastors who have found congregations smiling at them while simultaneously seeming to pull against them in an unannounced game of tug-of-war have bumped into that powerful part of the iceberg below the surface. Those listening may not even be able to articulate why they feel such a resistance to the pastor or the biblical text. However, that resistance will continue to exercise a powerful influence, keeping members of the congregation from being able to hear and respond. When we ask people to tell us what they think about our message, and when we listen long enough to find out how they came

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to those thoughts, something astounding happens. When we listen to each other without being judgmental, changes begin to happen on both ends of the table. This is more than a matter of acting like we care; this is helping the person to express thoughts he or she may have never examined before. We ask questions to help the other person with selfdiscovery, and if we listen well, we will also find walls coming down. D r a w i n g O u t t h e S t o r i e s T h at H av e S h a p e d P e o p l e

As preachers, we sometimes choose topics being fully aware of how certain parishioners will respond. We know just who will send the emails on Monday morning or even on Sunday afternoon before we get home. However, before beginning that sermon series on a new creation eschatology, what if we were to listen first to what our parishioners already believe on the subject? No one comes to the study of eschatology or any other topic with a blank slate, but most people haven’t really thought about where their ideas came from. As pastors, our task of listening is important in helping people examine their beliefs. It takes long, safe conversations to get the whole story about how a person’s beliefs are formed. If someone had asked me about my eschatology beliefs in my younger days while I was fresh out of my Nazarene home church, I might have answered like this: I don’t recall really studying what the Bible says about eschatology, though I am sure my pastor presented sermons on it. I think I learned more about what happens when we die from what people said to me at a funeral when I was a girl. They said Grandma didn’t need her body anymore because she was an angel now or that she was already walking around in a new body. Those ideas brought me comfort. I learned about end times when my church hosted a drama one Sunday night a year in which people came down the aisle to the judgment and were sent either to the left, or to the right. I was particularly shaped by the fact that the

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church chose my mother every year as an actress and had her carry a baby to the judgment. The baby was taken from her to heaven, while my mother went screaming into hell. I learned about the rapture at youth camp when a scary end-times film was shown on the last night, and people ran to the altar to be saved. I was always confused by the combination of the fearful and the hopeful in what people believed about end times. Our parishioners have these stories, too, and the stories have a powerful impact until they are named, brought above the surface of the water, and examined. T h e I m pa ct

Listening

When someone listens to us well, the hidden parts of the iceberg become more visible. This is essentially what happens in counseling. When I bring up the stories I have never told, significantly more iceberg rises above the surface of the water that I can name and critically examine. I am now more open to transformation. It is always important to name what is actually controlling us—this is why confession is good for the soul. A good pastor-listener will be able to tell people what he or she has heard them say. “So, are you saying that your eschatology was formed by comments told to you from people you trusted, a church play, and a movie shown at a church event? These things seemed to bring positive results like comfort and people being saved. And you have always assumed those things together were a full picture of what the Bible teaches on the subject? That makes perfect sense.” Listening well to people to help them name their assumptions and identify the experiences that have been vital to their spiritual formation can limit resistance. This act of naming can open a window for fresh air to blow from the Word and the Spirit. Listening is the pastoral tool most like a roto-rooter helping everyone know what the blockages are. Listening clears the pipeline for the flow of the Word and the Spirit through good preaching.

The Kind

L i s t e n i n g I s I m p o r ta n t

As pastors, we need to practice a certain kind of listening to be able to do this. We don’t use the kind of listening that says, “You talk so I can see how to best argue with you.” Nor do we use the kind of listening that says, “You speak while I prepare my answer.” And we certainly don’t use the kind of listening that says, “Let me act like I care until you trust me, and then I can preach to you.” In the kind of listening necessary for good pastoral work, we listen for the other person’s good, and we withhold two things— our own ideas or commentary and judgment. Can we sit for an entire session and listen well without feeling a need to immediately correct the speaker’s views? Are we so bent on being heard that we miss out on the slow journey of learning and growth that happens when we deeply listen to our people? When we do this kind of listening, it raises questions that continue to work on a person. We must practice patience to allow the naming of what is below the surface to do its work. As we pursue this behavior of patiently listening and helping people process their thoughts beneath the surface, the Holy Spirit will continue to transform lives. KATHRYN MOWRY is professor of intercultural studies and Christian education at Trevecca Nazarene University, where one of her favorite things to teach is ethnography as a pastoral practice. Her ministry experiences include pastoral roles in urban churches and directing theological education across countries of the former Soviet Union.

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INTERVIEW

Finding Your Voice: An Interview with Dale Shaeffer How do you find out your own particular style as a preacher? Grace & Peace spoke to Dale Shaeffer, who has been a lead pastor and church planter for 15 years and recently was elected as the district superintendent of the Florida district. I N T E R V I E W E R : R E B E CC A R O D E H E AV E R , A S S I S TA N T E D I TO R

HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR VOICE AS A PREACHER? Nothing will help you get better at what you do than practice, but not just usual practice— evaluated practice. One thing that helped me in my first year of preaching was getting feedback from people who cared about me enough to tell me the truth about how I communicated. I started with a simple, “Tell me three good things I did in the sermon that helped you, and tell me three things that were distracting or unhelpful.” I’d apply the feedback the next time, and that was my process for three years. Later, about a year into my church-planting journey, I started asking people to evaluate our service with four questions: “What worked today? What didn’t work today? What was unclear about what I communicated? What should I do differently?” Those four questions helped me tremendously. Being willing to hear feedback is essential to finding your voice. Listening to preachers helped me, too. I didn’t want to copy them, but I wanted to learn from them. So, I listened to preachers, other communicators, TED talks, and comedians to figure out how to deliver humor, time communication, and manage inflection. I read books on preaching and on writing. Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird helped me understand the construction of a sermon. Stephen King’s On Writing helped me understand how to tell a story.

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I realized I was in a didactic pattern of communicating topical messages. The culture is largely biblically illiterate, and so much of the Scripture happens in the context of a story or a narrative. When I realized the relationship between the writer and the people, and the preacher and the people, my preaching became more narrative in style and form. So, I learned how to understand a story structure and how to embrace and resolve the tension in the story. A good story has many small tensions within the bigger tension. I began to see that most texts address a tension in a community of faith. I noted that the tension in the text is similar to what we face in life, so a narrative form of preaching became my voice. Through practice, reading, recognizing the cultural needs around me, and personal growth as a communicator, I was able to build my preaching voice. HOW DO YOU SELECT YOUR SERMON MATERIAL? I was taught what I call the Moses Model: Moses went up the mountain, met with God, came back with the word from God, and delivered it to the people. Over the course of my ministry, I realized that God speaks to a lot of people in our

churches, and they are aware of the context of the congregation more broadly than I am as the lead pastor, especially in a larger church. The smaller the church was, the more I knew what was going on. But in a larger church, I simply couldn’t know everybody and had to rely on a team-based approach to sermon preparation. I keep a running list of sermon series ideas—I seldom do one-offs; I like to take people on a journey. I write down the sermon series idea, a short description, and what the text would be rooted in. I have 20 to 30 series ideas going all the time. Then three times a year, I meet with our team and ask: “What formational needs do you see in the lives of people in the church? What theological truths do we need to teach or emphasize? What virtues do we need to call people toward? Is anything happening in our culture that we need to speak to?” Paul’s letters were all written responsively to some cultural context. I’m not opposed to lectionary preaching, but I don’t see it as the way early church leaders addressed their contexts—they almost always wrote personal letters that addressed some kind of contextual situation. When I was a young preacher, lectionary

preaching helped me have some direction, but the further I got along, I needed to speak into what was happening in the context of that church. After I asked the team those questions, I would tell them a number of the series ideas and ask, “Do any of these line up with the needs of the church right now?” And we’d discuss that. Then I would go away three times a year for a two- to three-day prayer and writing retreat. I would take the material I’d been working on, the team feedback, and our calendar to see

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where I could place different series from four to twelve weeks. At the end of the session, I’d have a year-long calendar with eight series in it. I would write six months at a time, so every four months when I would go away, I’d already have material written for two months. I would sit down with what I needed to write for the next four months. I would write a one-page overview, including the text and where I sensed that text was going. Then I’d share it with our team, and they’d use that to plan worship services. For most of our series, the initial concept was a year old. I’d delve into study, often trying to memorize scriptures and do contextual research on the background. That, I think, gave good soil from which to write the sermon. HOW DO YOU FIND THE BALANCE OF SHARING CONVICTION AND PROCLAIMING GRACE? I think every text has a tension—not necessarily between grace and truth. I feel like all truth is grace, and grace isn’t really grace unless it’s truthful. We live in a broken world, and that’s where the tension comes from. I think it’s the task of the minister to acknowledge the tension between the brokenness of the world and the goodness of God and His beneficial plans for humanity and for creation. You can acknowledge that tension early in the sermon, acknowledge the way you’re uncomfortable with the tension, and then guide people into the scriptures to acknowledge that this isn’t a new tension. For instance, there’s tension around what people do—one that’s big in our culture right now is human sexuality. But the tension around human sexuality is not new; scriptures have addressed it. And in Scripture we see the brokenness of our sexuality but also what it looks like when lived out in the wholeness of God’s good intentions for it. As you acknowledge that tension, you take listeners to the text and walk through how God’s spirit spoke into that tension in the Scriptures, and then you build a bridge back

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to that, so they can understand the context. I heard Dan Boone say one time that a preacher should never try to explain what he or she can otherwise evoke—what he or she can help people experience with their senses. I think people accept truth when they can feel and experience it. So if you can help people feel the intent of the text, that’s part of the preacher’s task. IS EVOKING TRUTH, RATHER THAN EXPLAINING IT, PART OF WHAT MAKES PREACHING TRANSFORMATIONAL? That’s exactly what makes preaching transformational. I think it’s rooted in Scripture, it’s authentic and honest, and it doesn’t try to give easy answers. It acknowledges the tension between the brokenness of the world and God’s good intentions, and it helps people identify the brokenness inside of them and how God’s grace meets that brokenness. When we’re authentic about our brokenness, the Spirit has room to sweep in and restore, heal, and transform us. That involves preparing the soil of a person’s heart. You can’t totally control the outcome of preaching, and you can’t control the soil of someone’s heart, but you can do things to prepare the soil of someone’s heart to be receptive to the Word. Honestly acknowledging the tension and taking them on a journey, helping them discover how God’s grace met someone else and might meet them as well, is an effective way to prepare the soil of people’s hearts to receive transformational truth. HOW DO YOU PREPARE TO SPEAK TO A CONGREGATION WITH MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OR CULTURES? Just like a preacher has to exegete a text, he or she has to exegete a congregation. You can’t exegete a text without knowing the text and spending time with it. The same thing is true with the congregation. You can’t just sit back and try to exegete your congregation, especially a diverse one. You have to spend time with the people you serve.

I’ v e

fallen in

love with the

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A PREACHING RUT? HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE SOMEONE WHO FEELS STUCK IN A RUT?

Scriptures, and I’ v e f a l l e n i n

In one church plant, I preached with a topical, didactic approach. I carried that into a legacy church that was focusing on revitalization, and something just didn’t feel right. People were responsive, but I felt like I was in a rut.

love with the

Some of the things I did are things I mentioned earlier. I found new preachers to listen to who taught in a way I’d never taught before. I listened to narrative-style preachers, expositional-style preachers, and I reread a couple of books on preaching, such as Dan Boone’s Preaching the Story that Shapes Us and Eugene Lowry’s book on preaching.

people

And I

pastor.

want them

to love and care for each other.

When a church is smaller, it’s easier to spend time with groups within your congregation. The larger the church gets, the harder it becomes to separate more time with the groups. You have to put yourself in environments where your people are. I’ve spent about a third of my time in sermon preparation, planning, and writing. I spend about a third of my time meeting with people, whether staff members or congregants, usually in larger groups, but occasionally individually. And then a lot of it is gathering for fellowship, both before and after the services—not hiding out, but being present where people can talk with you. Visiting fellowships when invited also helps me to understand the congregation. The other piece is working with a team in writing the sermon. My sermon-writing team included our Latino ministries pastor, a single female pastor, and a young, married pastor with children. Having diversity on that team helped me to see through different lens. I’d ask the team their perspective on a text, and we’d work through it together. Then I’d preach it to them and ask whether or not it would resonate with the various groups in our church.

My second year in that church, I practiced preaching in different sermon forms to find what might be most effective in my context. I was nervous about how the congregation might respond, but growth happens when we do new things, so I was willing to push through that tension. Some folks didn’t love the new form. My sermon length went from about 35 minutes to about 45 minutes because that narrative style needed to be longer for me to take them into the text. People did ok with it, but it led to a change in service structure. We had to cut a song in the worship service to have more time to preach the sermon. It did create some changes in the church, but it broke me out of the rut and made our ministry more effectively reach a post-Christian culture that didn’t have biblical awareness. A couple of other things that really helped me were the prayer and writing retreats. Inviting other people into the sermon process helped me to break out of that rut too. IS A PREACHING RUT TIED TO A PASTOR’S SPIRITUAL HEALTH? At times that is true, but other factors may be involved. During one season, my preaching rut was tied to a spiritual growth challenge. I had fallen into a period of overwork and

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under-rest and began dealing with anxiety and even panic attacks when I thought about having to write a sermon. I wasn’t taking regular time off, and I wasn’t practicing Sabbath. I had to address my own unhealthy situation to break out of that rut. I’ve probably had three different preaching ruts throughout my ministry. The first one was when I didn’t think I had anything to offer. I had to learn to get myself out of the center point of the sermon. That was spiritual formation. The second was due to poor rhythms and personal health. But that also related to taking on a Messiah complex and some unhealthy perspectives on the role of a minister. And then the last one was contextual. The context had changed, and what I had always done would not work effectively in that community, and I had to be aware of that. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR SABBATH? I usually take Fridays off, and on Saturday mornings, I try to be present with my family. When I didn’t have Saturday night services, I took off both Friday and Saturday. I also take off four seasons of annual retreat. I take a week between Christmas and New Year for personal formation and retreat—sometimes with my family, but I also try to have three days of personal prayer and retreat. Then I have writing retreats, which are prayer and restorative retreats for me. I also try to take a week of time in the summer or fall, with personal backpacking and Sabbath and rest— sometimes with a friend or two.

I don’t necessarily like that weight. I don’t like the way it makes me struggle to be fully present with my family on Saturdays, which is one of the few days we’re all together. I haven’t found a good way around that yet. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT PREACHING?

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DISLIKE ABOUT PREACHING?

I’m a storyteller. I love taking people into the world of the Scriptures and helping them see things they’ve never seen before. Especially in our last context, a number of people in the church had been Christians for 40 or 50 years. When I take them into the world of the text—especially if they’ve grown up on didactic and propositional truth preaching— it opens them to a whole new world of the Scriptures, and it is pretty transformational!

I still feel immensely burdened every week about the message I have to preach. I burden myself with the thought that my sermon is important and people need to hear that. I don’t want to do anything that will stand in the way of it being heard. That puts this lowlevel heaviness on my spirit. I would say by 9 or 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, I just can’t focus on anything other than preaching.

I’ve fallen in love with the Scriptures, and I’ve fallen in love with the people I pastor. And I want them to love and care for each other. Have you ever had two friends that don’t know each other, and you’re like, “These friends need to meet each other because they’d be great friends.” I absolutely love helping people see and fall in love with the Scriptures for themselves.

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Preaching God’s Word Transforms Our Community Marlene James

only knew that going to church was the right thing to do. For generations my family attended church. But despite our regular church attendance when I was growing up, I can’t recall a time I felt the church was a community. I didn’t know Christ and didn’t understand that I needed Him to have eternal life. When I got married and had children, my husband, Napoleon, and I were still in that same mindset. Some Sunday mornings, we took our children to church, but our hearts were not in the church. Eventually, the Lord redirected our path, and we started attending a Church of the Nazarene. We didn’t have any clue as to why we were there. We only knew that through our 10-year-old daughter’s eagerness to attend Bruton Terrace Church after vacation Bible school, we ended up in that church. The pastor was Rev. Harol Wright. The year was 1989. The first Sunday we attended, I understood the preached Word for the first time, and my heart was affected. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I knew something was different. Shortly after we visited Bruton Terrace, Pastor Wright came to our house and led us to the Lord, right there in our living room. A minister had never visited our home before, so this alone was special to us. We continued to attend Bruton Terrace, and later that year, our family joined the Church of the Nazarene. As we grew in the Lord, our love for the church also grew. We became connected with other believers. We felt like we had been adopted into a new family. It wouldn’t be truthful for me to say that everyone there treated us like family. When we were around some people, we felt like we did not belong. We did not look like them; we

were a different race. Perhaps they thought that though God’s Word was for us, we just didn’t belong as part of their church family. However, it’s beautiful the way the Lord worked His plan through those who did treat us like family, loved us, and accepted us as we were. We grew to serve in many areas of the church as we partnered in prayer with the congregation. This church was a great representation of a community of believers, and 30 years later, we are still grateful to be a part of this community. T r a n s f o r m at i o n

Our Community

Today, I serve as senior pastor of Bruton Terrace Church of the Nazarene. I do my best to follow the plan that Jesus established for His Church. I often remember those church members who chose to follow Jesus in His demonstration of relational and racial reconciliation, accepting us into their spiritual family. Unfortunately, they lost friends for making this decision, but I believe the Kingdom grew because of their choice. Many members left the church because they were not ready for a diverse congregation, but others came into the church, including my mother, siblings, and friends. This opened the door for us to become an even more diverse community of believers. Through the work of Christ in this church, many accepted Jesus as their personal Savior for the first time. Several of these new believers joined Bruton Terrace Church, and some are still serving there today. Lives were transformed through this community of believers who obeyed the voice of the Lord. A transformed life is a life that will help build community in the church and give hope for the future.

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Today, the Bruton Terrace neighborhood has changed, and that change has affected the church. The church continues to have a diverse congregation, unified as one in Christ. Lives and relationships are being transformed as God’s Word is preached, and the Lord is still moving both within the church walls and outside. P r e a c h i n g R e c o n c i l i at i o n

Preaching God’s Word is essential in the relationships of His people and in their life transformation. Rev. Harol Wright demonstrated the power of preaching as a tool for building community, even across racial barriers. Jesus’ mission does not stop at restoring a right relationship between the Father and those He created. His mission includes building right relationships among His followers. When the Church fosters right relationships, we are fulfilling the purpose of Christ. God’s preached Word, when lived out, will help the Church accomplish her mission because the Word is alive and active in God’s people. Regardless of differences, when believers partner with one another and submit to God, they become Jesus to a lost and dying world. Through Jesus, a great community of believers was formed because He demonstrated true love and kindness. Jesus cared for those around Him. He cared when they were sick, so He healed them. He cared when they were hungry, so He fed them. He cared when they were hurt or discouraged, so He spent time with them. He cared about the lost, so He taught them. The Lord calls the Church to represent Him in these ways. Just as Rev. Wright preached before me, I now preach that the Church must reconcile any relational issues in order to reconcile the world to Christ. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17–18, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” We must practice this within the church if we want to make a difference for those outside of the church. In verse 20 of the same chapter, Paul pointed out that we are ambassadors for Christ, and he implored the believers to be reconciled to God. The gospel message is

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T hrough J esus ,

a great

communit y of believers was formed because

demonstrated true love and kindness .

carried outside of the church when the way we communicate with one another inside the church mirrors Christ. Believers are the Church walking around in the everyday world. Jesus instructed His disciples to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). The Church is called to teach and live God’s Word, loving and living for one another, even when it involves racial reconciliation. We must represent the Lord well. Some people will not welcome the Lord’s life-giving voice. Some will prefer the voice of the world around them. Jesus warns us of this in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. But those who listen and submit to the Lord’s plan, as written in His Word, will reap a harvest of faith. They are the ones who will work together to make the community of believers victorious in our Savior’s eyes. Preaching God’s Word is a powerful tool for transforming lives and forming disciples who will make a difference in the local church and community. But we must pair preaching God’s Word with a willingness to live obediently to the Word. It takes people who have been relationally transformed to care about the lives of all people, as Christ did, and to represent Jesus in the church and in our communities. Our purpose is to follow Christ and point others to Him, no matter their background and no matter if they are just like us. Then we will live out the admonition in John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” MARLENE JAMES serves on the Northeast Texas District as pastor of Bruton Terrace Church, Women’s Ministry Director, and Board of Ministry member. She also serves on the Pleasant Grove Ministerial Alliance Committee.

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Scoring a Touchdown with Your Preaching Tim Fisher

everal years ago, an incomprehensible phenomenon began occurring in football games. Several players who made fantastic plays that allowed them wide open spaces to run in for the score began dropping the football in celebration just before they crossed into the end zone. As a result, what should have been easy touchdowns were overturned, and these players were mercilessly ridiculed for not following through in their big moments. When it comes to preaching, we have to avoid making the same mistake—we have to get the ball into the end zone! In football, the whole point of the offense is to score. The purpose of every practice, every play, and every minute of preparation is to help the offense score as many touchdowns as possible. Similarly, we pastors cannot let ourselves drift away from the purpose of preaching. We preach for a response. We preach so that people will surrender their lives to Jesus. We preach so that people will have an opportunity to take a next step in their faith. We preach so that God will meet people where they are and help them become more like Him. We preach to create moments that will change peoples’ lives forever! Nonetheless, pastors have to bear in mind that these moments of transformation can happen only in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the spirit of a classic sermon outline, let’s look at three important aspects of preaching for a moment of response. A Personal Response

First, the response moment is deeply personal. Do not underestimate how God will speak to the people in your congregation through your words. One of the most humbling things you can experience is to realize that

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God is speaking to people through you. God is moving in their hearts. God is calling them to surrender. God is drawing them to take steps of obedience that will forever change their lives—and you get to be a part of this! This moment is sacred. This moment is terrifying. This moment is deeply personal. This moment is one pastors get to share with people as they make some of the most meaningful decisions in their lives. This moment can overwhelm us if we handle it in our own strength. Consequently, every Sunday, I do a couple of things as I walk to the stage for worship service. Honestly, I count the steps as I climb to the stage so I won’t miss one, fall down, and look like an idiot. More importantly, I pray that the words I am about to speak will be God’s words. I pray they will bring glory to God and not to me. Why is this prayer so important? Because I believe when pride walks on the stage, God walks off the stage. If I am counting on God to speak through me, then I need Him to be with me every step of the way. Better yet, I need to be with Him every step of the way. I cannot do this on my own, but when I have surrendered that time to God, I am exactly where He wants me to be and doing exactly what He wants me to do. This way, when that moment of response arrives, I have the courage and the clarity to lean into that sacred space and challenge people to respond and be the person God is calling them to be. P r e pa r at i o n

for the

Moment

Second, the response moment takes preparation. When it comes to planning a good sermon, you need to begin with the end in mind. Why am I preaching this sermon?

If I on

a m c o u n t in g

God

to sp e a k

t h ro u g h m e , t h e n need

Him

to b e w it h

m e e v e ry s t e p o f t h e way .

B e t te r

yet,

n e e d to b e w it h

I Him

e v e ry s t e p o f t h e way . What response am I calling people to? How will I bring them to this moment? I believe how I prepare my sermon makes all the difference. At our church, we walk through upcoming sermon series outlines as a team and talk through the outcomes of each service, so we can brainstorm the best ways to create moments that will have the most impact. This extra level of preparation has increased the quality of our worship services and created some incredible space where many people have responded to God. Whether you are on your own or have a team of people to help you, make sure you are taking time to prepare for these sacred moments. A prayerful and thoughtful preparation can lead to meaningful, life-changing moments! T h e I m p o r ta n c e

P r e s e n tat i o n

Third, it is really important how the response moment is presented. (Pastors, I know you deeply appreciate the alliteration here!) Every person needs to have the opportunity to tangibly respond to how God is speaking to his or her life. As pastors, we cannot drop the ball here; after all, we are almost to the end zone! Over the years, I have learned some very practical strategies that have helped me maximize these response times. For example, the best practical advice I ever received took all of the fear and uncertainty out of calling people to come forward at the end of the service. Just remember these three steps: 1. When you reach the response moment (heads bowed and eyes closed), have everyone who

God is speaking to raise his or her hand. 2. Ask everyone with a raised hand to look at you. 3. Invite those with raised hands to come forward for prayer. At our church, we then invite people who have decided to follow Jesus to meet us after the service so we can give them a Bible and celebrate what God has done in their lives. Win, win! We have also experienced incredible response moments by inviting people to come forward to be anointed as a symbol of surrender or as a symbol of seeking healing from their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Our prayerful and thoughtful sermon preparation and presentation will allow people to respond to who God is calling them to be in those powerful moments. Nevertheless, when it comes to salvation moments, some of my pastor friends offer the whole congregation an opportunity to invite Jesus into their lives at the end of every service. They have every person pray the sinner’s prayer together, which takes away the awkwardness for the person deciding to follow Christ. So, remember, preaching for a response is deeply personal. Preach with confidence trusting that God will use your words to speak life into His people! Preaching for a response takes preparation. Preach with purpose and give everything you have to make the most impact where you are! And finally, preaching for a response involves thoughtful presentation. Take that football and jump into the end zone! Preach for a moment of response that calls people to surrender their hearts to Jesus as they decide to become more like Him! Prayerfully following the above steps will lead to touchdown moments for God’s glory. TIM FISHER has been the lead pastor of Crossroads Community Church since 2013. Tim received a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Clearwater Christian College and has earned a master’s degree in ministry from Olivet Nazarene University.

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COMMUNION: A Meaningful Ending S t e v e R o d e h e av e r

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or as long as I can remember, I have concluded nearly every Sunday morning sermon with Communion. It wasn’t always this way. While I was growing up, I attended Nazarene churches that typically served Communion on a quarterly basis or perhaps at the close of a retreat. That made Communion a rare and special event, and the whole service (music and message) was focused on Communion. There were sermons, and then there were Communion sermons. At the beginning of my ministry, I followed that pattern. To be honest, I dreaded Communion Sundays because I felt like I had to come up with something better than ordinary to make it a “Communion-worthy message.” When I was in college, I did a summer internship at a house church that celebrated communion every week. I was surprised to discover that this did not lessen the significance of Communion. It actually had the opposite effect: Communion was anticipated and appreciated each week. However, I wasn’t sure if this could work in most Nazarene churches. Early in my pastorate, I came into contact with a number of pastors from other Nazarene congregations who celebrated Communion on the first Sunday of every month. They mentored me as I gained a deeper understanding of the covenant of Communion. I also read how John Wesley celebrated Communion as often as he could. Given the openness of my congregation to celebrating Communion, and given our Wesleyan heritage as Nazarenes, I began to consider that we should begin celebrating Communion the first Sunday of every month. Typically, I preach my way through a book of the Bible, passage by passage, and I attempt to stay balanced between the Old

and New Testament books. Rather than “interrupting” a series on the first Sunday of every month with a special Communion message, I began to see Communion as a fitting response to the Christian proclamation of all Scripture. I stopped making a distinction between “regular sermons” and “Communion sermons.” Every sermon became a Communion sermon. In the weeks that followed, the practice of Communion began to feel more normal but no less special, so we made the decision to serve Communion every week. On occasion, it seemed more appropriate to close with an altar call rather than to serve Communion. On these days, however, even if we have an altar call as the immediate sermon response, we follow with Communion. Our church members consider the service incomplete without Communion. We need this means of grace as we prepare to “re-enter” the world in Jesus’ name. Communion

and the

Sermon

Communion is more than a method of response to the message. It actually bears influence on the message, too. In so many ways, Communion establishes a link between specific events and prophesies in the Old Testament and the significance and fulfillment of those prophesies through the Person of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. For example, preaching the Old Testament story of Passover establishes a link between the redemption of God’s people from the bondage of slavery to freedom and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to redeem the world from the bondage of sin to salvation. The Passover story serves as a shadow of the reconciliation that was to come. In fact, celebrating Passover as

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Communion does not diminish the “shoulds” of the Christian ethic, but fills them with the power to live through the grace of Jesus. Communion keeps me preaching the gospel!

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a ceaseless reminder, Sunday after Sunday, keeps us focused on the price Christ paid on the cross to save us from eternal punishment. Accordingly, knowing that I’m concluding the message with Communion forces me to examine and affirm how Jesus is the fulfilment of the Old Testament text. It makes me go the extra step of proclaiming the gospel, God’s defining work in Jesus. The Communion conclusion reminds me that I have to understand God’s Old Testament work through the lens of God’s revelatory and saving work in Jesus. Serving Communion requires my Old Testament preaching to be Christ-centered. Serving Communion also demands that my New Testament messages be centered on the gospel. I am prone to focus on the “shoulds” of the Christian life without providing hope or without proclaiming the possibility of living the Christian life through God’s power. In this form of preaching, the Sermon on the Mount can become a weapon for “guilting” people and insisting that they “do better” while offering them no hope of actually fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Sermon. This moralistic kind of preaching offers no hope of fulfilling Jesus’ commands in this life. However, if I conclude with Communion, I am sharing the Good News rather than mere “shoulds.” The good news of Communion is not only that Jesus died so I might be forgiven but also that through receiving Jesus, I have power to live like Jesus. Communion does not diminish the “shoulds” of the Christian ethic but fills them with the power to live in the grace of Jesus. The significance of Communion keeps me preaching the gospel! Communion also safeguards against a reduction of the sermon to simply sharing wisdom, or what I like to call “advice preaching.” These are “how to” sermons that give advice on topics such as Christian marriage, raising kids in a Christian home, exercising good stewardship, and witnessing, etc. These are important subjects, and of course, we all need wisdom, but we need more than wisdom alone. Advice preaching is easier on the conscience than moralistic preaching, but like moralistic preaching, the former neglects the power of Christ for right living. Wisdom or advice preaching says that if I do x, y, and z, then I’ll get this happy result. The focus is on what I do. Closing a

wisdom sermon with Communion forces me to shift from myself to Christ. The calling of the gospel and the power of the gospel both require us to live faithful to Christ. Communion reminds me to preach Christcentered messages rather than me-centered messages. Communion keeps me preaching a Jesus-centered narrative rather than offering a “success” seminar. My congregation needs Jesus far more than they need my advice. Keeping

the

Gospel

as the

Focus

Concluding every Sunday message with communion has brought me to the conviction that if I cannot easily move from my message to Communion, then I have not preached a gospel message. Communion calls me to keep my preaching Christ-centered: it demands that I proclaim Christ. In taking Communion, the congregation is receiving the One whom I have proclaimed. For those who have not yet entered into a personal relationship with Christ, Communion is an altar call—a tangible way to confess, repent, and come to Jesus. It is a symbolic way of entering into right relationship with Jesus and His Church. As believers, Communion is a way for us to repent and to acknowledge our constant need for fresh grace so that we can become more like Jesus. It keeps us humble and thankful, reminding us that Jesus died for our sins. Receiving the bread and the cup is a means of receiving Jesus and yielding lordship to Him over every facet of our being. Communion as weekly response opens us up to receive grace upon grace to be continually transformed into

the likeness of Jesus until eternity. On any given Sunday, people come to the table praying about a wide range of things: confession and repentance, surrendering to Christ’s lordship, seeking power for a particular challenge, or grace for a difficult relationship. At the table, we are reminded that Christ is the center of our community. We are a people created by Christ for Christ. In receiving the bread and the cup, we are knit together ever more tightly as Christ’s Body. Beyond Empty Ritual

All the means of grace are simply means. Apart from the gracious ministry of the Spirit, both sermon and Communion can turn out to be empty rituals. The communication of grace is entirely the work of the Spirit. Nonetheless, the celebration of Communion in response to the preaching of Christ puts us in a place to receive what we need the most: Christ’s indwelling presence. We attend to these means of grace so that we might know Christ and be made like Christ, individually and collectively. This combination of the Word and Communion invites meaningful transformation. Everyone knows that we become what we eat. May the Spirit help us to chew on the Word well and to partake of Communion with hungry hearts. STEVE RODEHEAVER is senior pastor of San Diego Southeast Church of the Nazarene in San Diego, California.

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Walking Together on the Journey of Transformation Brian Thomas

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didn’t grow up in church. I didn’t even grow up around the church. But a God I didn’t know still knew me and called me to be a pastor. I had no idea what a pastor did or what a church did. I just knew that I was supposed to be a pastor. As a student at Northwest Nazarene University (NNU), I met with Dr. Irving Laird from the religion department and shared my dilemma with him. “I think I am supposed to be a pastor,” I said. “What should I do?” “You should probably find a church to go to and start going,” he advised. That had never occurred to me. During the next several weeks, I set out to find a church. My first memories of church were of trying to figure out why people were singing karaoke-style to songs I had never heard before and why they were quoting from a book I had never seen. I ended up choosing my first church for no other reason than that the lead guitarist played a vintage Les Paul and looked like a member of a popular band. Eventually I wandered into my first Christian bookstore in search of my first Bible, and I encountered a strange land filled with Christian-themed breath mints and talking vegetables. I had no idea what NASB, KJV, NIV, or any other acronyms meant. When the sales clerk asked “What kind of Bible do you want?” I had no idea what to tell her, so I replied, “A holy one?” She sold me one, and I read it. I was confused. I became more confused when other church people read stuff aloud from their Bibles that I didn’t have in mine. I was pretty sure my Bible was broken. I finally asked another NNU religion professor about it, and after looking at my Bible he said, “This is just a New Testament. It doesn’t have the other half of the Bible, the Old Testament, in it.” I was incensed! Who sells half a book? The next time I went to buy a Bible, I didn’t ask for a “holy one.” I wanted a whole one. Eventually, I was hired to be the custodian and youth pastor of that church with the guitar player who looked like a rock star. And a few months later, I surrendered my life to Christ. Today, I am privileged to pastor the church that planted the university that introduced me to Jesus. I also get to serve on the board of trustees for Nazarene

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Theological Seminary (NTS), the seminary that discipled me and showed me what it means to be a pastor. As I often tell people, I fell in love with Jesus at NNU, and I fell in love with His Church at NTS. That is my discipleship journey. It’s a winding journey of transformation that started with prevenient grace and grew to include a Christian university, two different denominations, three senior pastors, a college chaplain, two seminaries, dozens of professors, many friends, and hundreds of other people in my life who have all helped me learn to follow Jesus. I share my story with you so you will know I mean it when I say discipleship is complicated. There is no magic formula, silver bullet, or perfect program to create a Christlike disciple. When we think there is, our rhetoric is usually better than our reality. In the congregations where I have pastored, those sitting in the pews have included loggers and lawyers, police officers, politicians, and plumbers. They have been immigrants, migrants, refugees, and soccer moms. We have walked alongside soldiers with PTSD, students with ADHD, and professors with PhDs. In my current congregation, people who cannot read or write worship with people who read and write Greek and Hebrew. There are people like me, who had never seen a Bible, worshipping next to three dozen retired pastors, missionaries, and district superintendents who have nearly memorized the Bible.

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No one program of the church could have discipled me to be the person God called and created me to be. It took the whole Church. Likewise, there is no one perfect pastor or program that can disciple all of the individuals in our churches. This is okay because discipleship should never be treated as a program in the church but always as the mission of the church. Making—not just becoming—Christlike disciples is the mission of each individual in our churches, so one of the greatest gifts a church can give its people is an Individual Discipleship Plan or IDP. This is not a unique idea. When I was a teacher, we developed IEPs (Individualized Education Programs), pulling together resources at our disposal to ensure our students’ success. Doctors meet with people to develop wellness plans. Financial counselors meet with people to make financial plans. Every day, people spend millions to hire trainers to help them wade through information to create a fitness plan. If we spend that much time preparing for this temporal life, why not dedicate that much energy preparing for the eternal? This generation of believers has more resources available than any previous generation, yet they are more confused than ever. They don’t know who to trust, what to question, and where to turn. They need people to help them figure out their next step; people to help answer their questions; people to connect them with the resources available to them and to help them discern how to put these resources together. They need people

who will help them discover their own gifts and graces for ministry and guide them in exercising these gifts in the Body. What would happen if the spiritual leaders of our churches sat down with every individual or family every year and talked about spiritual issues? What if this happened not only reactively—such as at funerals, weddings, or in crisis—but if we proactively partnered with the Holy Spirit who is speaking to people constantly? Our church is not a simple one, but we are doing our best to simplify discipleship for our people by changing our focus from Discipleship 101, 201, and 301 classes to one-on-one conversations centered on questions such as: “How can we help you take your next step with Jesus?” “Where are you stuck, confused, scared, or overwhelmed?” “What are your goals in life?” “Where is Jesus inviting you to follow Him? How can we help?” “How can you help others?” Then we work with them to come up with a plan to move forward, and we schedule a time to meet with them again in three, six, or twelve months to have the same conversation again. For us, this isn’t a program of the church as much as it is a practice for the church. We believe this is a practice Jesus showed us when He invited us to follow Him. It’s a practice modeled by His disciples and modeled for me through those who helped me follow Jesus in my daily life. While I was not born into the Church of the Nazarene, I was reborn because of the Church of the Nazarene. The Church’s mission of making Christlike disciples is our mission because it’s His mission. God the Holy Spirit is drawing people to Jesus. Are we willing to walk this slow journey of discipleship and transformation together? BRIAN THOMAS has been a pastor for 22 years and currently serves at Nampa, Idaho, First Church of the Nazarene. He holds a doctor of ministry focused in worship and spiritual formation.

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COME TO THE ALTAR N at h a n W a r d

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n our fast-moving culture, sometimes it feels like altars are downplayed, de-emphasized, and disappearing. But perhaps the impact of responding to God’s voice at an altar is not lost on our generation! One of the largest churches in America released a song called “O Come to the Altar,” which invites people to the altar as a place where God’s arms are open for the hurting and broken. Regardless of whatever the popular trends may be, I’m convicted and convinced that the more we invite people to come to the altar, the more they will! W h at

the

A lta r M e a n s

When I was growing up as a preacher’s kid in the Church of the Nazarene, altars were used all the time in our worship gatherings. Some of my best church memories come from those special times when the Lord’s presence was so real and powerful that you could feel it. At the altar, I responded to the Word with life-changing decisions. The altar is where I learned how to worship and pray for myself and others. My view of the altar was deeply shaped by the inf luence of Dr. J. K. Warrick, my senior pastor for many years. In every church he led, altars were used regularly as wonderful places for people to immediately respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. And he never hesitated to use the altar himself. A lta r s

Wooster Nazarene

Shortly after I came to pastor Wooster, Ohio, Church of the Nazarene in 1995, one question I asked the church board and leaders was, “How often have the altars been used?” Their response was, “Not often! We can’t remember the last time anyone was ‘saved’ there!” “That is about to change!” I replied. It did change! Since that pivotal moment, hundreds of people have bowed at our altars

and stairs. We’re thankful that many lifechanging spiritual decisions have been made there. In the last church year, more people have responded to altar calls than in any previous years. Our love for, and use of, altars has never been stronger. When we moved into our new facility in 2006, we had our new altars designed and built by local artisans. They are low, wide, and sturdy, so they are comfortable for those desiring to kneel. They also provide easy access for those offering prayer assistance. Those unable to kneel are actually encouraged to sit on the altar to pray. Our altars were built to be used. Recently some of our children in leadership suggested that we also make altars available in Kidz Church every Sunday. We found some altars in storage and reworked them for the children. Now they are being used regularly! What a sight to see children and adults praying together around those altars! At Wooster Church of the Nazarene, our goal is to create a culture that shows and says, “We are altar-people.” This is who we choose to be. Our aim is to teach people to use the altars regularly, whenever they sense God’s Spirit tugging at their hearts. We don’t want anyone to miss what could be a moment of transformation in his or her spiritual life. The altar is certainly not the only place to pray, but it is still a great place to meet with Jesus. When we use our altars regularly, guests will soon feel comfortable with them, too. We do our best to explain the “altar experience” to the new people we bring to worship. I n c o r p o r at i n g

the

A lta r

into

Our Services

We are always looking for creative ways to invite people to come forward and gather near the altars. For example, we invite people to come forward for communion, baby dedications, mission trip blessings, memorials, baptisms, military recognition, and always, we open a red candy bucket for children at the altar at the end of each service. We believe that if our people get close to the altars often, even for lighter moments, they will be drawn to them for the most important things as well.

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We have also worked to incorporate our altars into the weekly service by designating different spaces for particular prayer needs our people may experience. If people want to pray alone, they can sit or kneel on stairs that stretch the width of our platform. Those who desire prayer assistance from our Altar Prayer Team are invited to use one of the four middle altars. The two outside altars are reserved for those who would like specific prayer for healing. We believe it is important to give people the opportunity to follow up on a spiritual decision by taking a physical action step. For those coming to the altar, the experience can be a very meaningful first step in their spiritual life. This is another way to declare what they have decided in their heart. So, our altar calls are becoming bolder! C e l e b r at i n g N e w D e c i s i o n s

for

Christ

At Wooster Church of the Nazarene, we give an altar call nearly every Sunday, but we try to provide people with an opportunity to respond to God in different ways. Sometimes the invitation is tied directly to the message and then broadened to include other prayer needs. At other times, it starts with a general invitation that becomes more specific. At some point in every invitation, we try to offer an opportunity for people to come into a personal relationship with Jesus or to renew a commitment to Him. We commonly ask the entire congregation to repeat a directed prayer out loud. Then, those who prayed personally and sincerely from their hearts are encouraged to indicate their decision by raising their hands or standing. On other occasions, people may be asked to stand if they are choosing to receive Jesus or responding to a specific prayer need. Then they are led in directed prayer, with the congregation praying out loud with them. We also encourage those who have made a spiritual decision to come forward during the closing song to kneel or stand at the altar. They can receive further prayer or tell someone about their decision as a public testimony. We have new believer packets behind the altars. These are filled with items to help new believers grow. And we ask respondents

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WE BELIEVE IF OUR PEOPLE GET CLOSE TO THE ALTARS OFTEN, EVEN FOR LIGHTER MOMENTS, THEY WILL BE DRAWN TO THEM FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS AS WELL. to fill out a simple decision card with contact information, so we can follow up with them within that week, directing them to our My Start Class. We also offer these packets at our Connect Area in the foyer. We want to encourage these folks by walking alongside them as they listen and respond to God’s voice. From my early years of ministry, I passionately believed and often stated that every person is just one friend away from knowing and loving Jesus. It’s still true! We encourage our people to invite their friends and family to pray with them at the altar because it is a wonderful place to connect with God and the church family. As a tangible symbol, the altar has always been a sacred place for offering sacrifices to the only living God, and it still is. We are the living sacrifices He’s looking for. We come to the altar confident that since God has called us, He will meet us there. NATHAN WARD has been senior pastor at Wooster Nazarene since 1995 and in full-time ministry since 1979. He is married to Dixie and has three married children and eleven grandchildren.

P REA C H IN G A C H UR C H BA CK TO LIFE Donna Wilson

n 2000, I answered the call God had placed on my heart to go to seminary. My family packed up and went to Saskatchewan as I studied at Briercrest Seminary. Those were not easy years, and at times, answering God’s call had a high cost. This included uprooting our family, changing jobs, and moving far from extended family members. But during those lean times, our family witnessed God’s kindness and

provision when gas and food money were short for our family of four. These short years also shaped us in other ways—through the study of the Word and through enriching relationships with fellow students and inspiring professors. When our time at Briercrest ended, we were eager to move home to Ontario and reconnect with our family and church family. We loaded our few belongings into an eight-

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foot U-Haul trailer and travelled 2,000 km home. However, our homecoming was different than I expected. We arrived home with our precious children, including a sixweek-old, to learn my father had suddenly passed away four hours earlier. Our return home from seminary now brought a weight of loss and grief. The following months held times of sorrow, testing, and silence, which was followed by a time of healing as God carried us though this time of relocation and family adjustment. Meanwhile, I continued my studies and a pastoral internship to receive a master of divinity degree, and two years later, we were asked to consider a small pastorate. Our district superintendent met with me, my husband, and a pastor who led two congregations near us. One of these congregations was a restart church with declining membership. The minister told us he wanted to continue to serve his congregation full-time and had been praying for another pastor to succeed him at his second charge, the restart church. Even though the congregation was small and had been on the decline for several years, I listened to the proposal with anticipation, excited about the possibility of leading my first charge as a pastor.

We moved into the small church’s attached parsonage. I was grateful for the opportunity but was filled with a sense of inadequacy knowing the district desired this little church to experience revitalization. It longed for the faithful members in Collingwood, Ontario, to hear and respond to the preached Word of God, experience a personal transformation through Jesus, and be consumed by the infilling power of the Holy Spirit. The church had flourished in the past, so the reality of a declining attendance and dwindling offerings had discouraged the remnant. Through this time, the core stood firm, immovable, and bonded by deep roots, tight relationships, and a determination to keep the doors open. In such a time, my family and I arrived to work alongside them. The sanctuary, built in the late 1970s, was decorated with hanging chandeliers and orange commercial carpet. On Sunday afternoons, the room would fill with life as a small group of believers gathered for worship. Then, after the last person went out the door, an ominous silence filled it throughout the week. Only God could provide the hope needed to restore this ministry. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you

We said “yes” to the appointment, and as we arose from our meeting with the district superintendent, we felt confident the Lord was leading us, our footing felt sure, and our desire to be faithful was strong. I now anticipated the new reality of preaching. I had longed for this opportunity, knowing its significance in shaping the people of God. Yet at the same time, inwardly, I questioned God, especially since we were being appointed to a church close to home. If, as believers, we are sent people, why was God sending us “home”? If God had chosen me as His vessel to lead this little church, what would He ask me to do? If God was asking me to speak His Word, what would He ask me to share?

with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” These precious words brought me comfort, and they spurred me to lean into the Lord and listen for a fresh Word from Him. I understood in profound clarity that I could not conjure up hope; I could only trust that the Lord would provide. Although trained vocationally for the ministry, I had arrived at this church broken and still recovering from the loss of my father. On weekdays, as I faced the empty sanctuary, I did not feel as if I had anything left to give. I did not have the energy to try to stir up vigor in others or to create synergy among tired

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workers or to develop new programs. After a few months, although I loved the people and I knew God had led us to this place, I was quickly becoming emotionally depleted. As I began to doubt this ministry where the Lord had placed me, the Lord gave me a vision of many people streaming through the hallway and into the sanctuary. Instead of our attendance of 18 people scattered throughout the sanctuary, I pictured the sanctuary being full. This was certainly not our reality, but I believed the Lord had spoken and was perhaps asking me to lead this congregation as if the sanctuary were full. This changed my perspective on how I prepared for services. It changed how I crafted sermons and how I approached the pulpit on Sundays. It strengthened my prayer life. I looked to God as I served our small congregation, and I believed that He would provide direction for the worship services as I sought His presence. I grew confident that God would speak to the people and stir up something new because He was truly present. I began to feel a sense of relief, knowing the renewal did not have to come from me. The people themselves could learn to anticipate and know the power of the Holy Spirit and experience their own spiritual revival.

I thought about the development of the early church of the first century. Could telling the stories of God working on behalf of the biblical apostles and the first believers help our congregation reimagine hope? I began preaching through the book of Acts over a year and a half. During this time, we also watched a visual presentation of the applicable scriptural passage each week. We could see and trust that God’s Spirit was active in the midst of His people, and we had a renewed sense that only He could breathe new life into us. I witnessed our small core of leaders renew their faith and trust in Jesus. I now had full assurance Jesus would fill them, just as when Jesus filled his disciples after

His death and resurrection, “and with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). The individuals in our congregation were increasingly ready to experience renewal, both in their personal lives and in the church’s ministry. When I started at the church, the weekly service had been on Sunday afternoons. We rescheduled that to the mornings and continued to encounter a living God, who cared for broken hearts and tired souls, and our worship services offered a newness in spirit that could only have come from Him. We experienced new hope through the inspired Word of God, which increased our ability to see the needs around us. Through our new lens, we began to envision a fresh ministry growing out of the older one that had been established a century earlier. With our hope restored, we began making new connections in our neighborhood, believing God was doing something new in us and that He could do something new in the people around us, too. God could transform our community. We leaned on the promise of Ephesians 3:20–21, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Thankfully, God used the challenging experiences of those past years as building blocks to help us grow in faith and depend on Him to preach a church back to life. DONNA WILSON is pastor of Erie Street Community Church of the Nazarene in Collingwood, Ontario. She is the Ambrose/ Canada representative for Nazarene Women Clergy Council USA/Canada and serves the Canada Central District on the Board of Ministry and MDC program, the district camping board, and the district Nazarene Missions International. Locally, she serves on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity and other community organizations.

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THE PASTOR’S

SI P NO T EURS V EIEW

When You Don’t Feel Called Diane Estep

knew it immediately. My family had gathered at church, and it was time for the evening service to begin. The teens were filing into the section where we typically sat in the sanctuary. Probably 30 of us were crowded onto three long, hard pews. As we were settling, I glanced over to see who had slid in next to me. Although I was only a sophomore in high school, I had this feeling that I was sitting beside my future husband. At the time, Eddie was preparing for pastoral ministry at Mount Vernon Nazarene College. So I realized that if we eventually dated and married, that meant I would become a preacher’s wife. I thought I knew what that meant. We had wonderful pastors’ spouses in my home church. They gave of themselves in ministry and impacted my life. I saw the way they loved people and poured themselves out serving others. Especially Kathleen—she was kind and she wasn’t timid about her testimony. Her walk and talk reflected what the Lord had done in her heart. So, at the age of 15, I began imagining what life would be like married to a pastor. I decided I would begin preparing for this life in ministry by doing everything that I thought would be necessary and was expected of me. I mentally made a checklist of what I would need to do and be in order to be the perfect pastor’s spouse. You may be familiar with the list: must know how to play the piano; must know how to entertain the masses; must know the answer to all of the questions in Sunday school (and you get bonus points if you can give the scripture reference); must be friends with everybody—all the time, no matter what; must raise children who are perfect. Other things were on that list, but you get the idea.

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I figuratively hung that list around my neck and used it to measure what I thought was expected of me. Over the past 35 years, I’ve learned a lot about ministry and expectations—both self-imposed expectations and assumed expectations from people in the church. One important lesson I learned for myself—and for those with whom I minister—is that I be who God has called me to be. You and I are at our best when we are living life close to the Father so that we are able hear and respond to His voice. We must be shaped by who God is calling us to be, instead of functioning from lists of expectations we’ve creatively hung around our necks. God knew exactly what ministry assignments we would encounter, and He has gifted each of us for each season, even when we feel confused about if or why we were called. God has given all of us abilities, passions, and dreams that we are individually called to fulfill. Some of us are outgoing, some shy. Some of us love working with children, while others of us enjoy ministering to young married couples. Some of us are gifted in singing. Some are great listeners. Every person is gifted and called to carry out Kingdom work. If you don’t live out your personal calling, who will? God asks us to be faithful to Him and to serve Him in such a way that we point people to Jesus. It really is that simple and the only thing required from us who are living beside those called into ministry. I’m not sure we realize how important our role is in ministry. At times, in ministry, however, we may be asked to do a task or take up a lead role in an area we may not necessarily feel called or gifted. The task simply needs to

be done, and no one else is available. How do we respond when we are called on to do something we generally don’t feel called to and may even despise? I’ve learned that all of us can pick up the baton and carry it for a season. In our first pastorate, we occasionally needed a piano player. The congregation was in luck—I knew how to play. But the church members had to sing one of the five hymns that I knew how to play! Every time I was called on to play, I gave the music leader the same list of songs to sing. I made it through with sweaty hands and plenty of missed notes. Bless that congregation’s hearts for what they endured. Eventually, that season ended, and I haven’t been called on to play since. So, what do you do if you’re in a season where you are carrying the responsibility of something you don’t feel called to? Here are some steps I’ve found helpful when I don’t feel called. 1. Ask God to equip you for the challenge. Isaiah 41:13 says: “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.”’ I remember being in a large crowd in Rockefeller Center in December. I looked at Eddie and said, “If we get separated in the crowd, we’ll meet across the street. I turned around, grabbed his hand, and headed for the corner. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the corner and found it wasn’t Eddie’s hand I was holding. The grandfatherly man whose hand I was holding was amused. Me, not so much! Make sure your hand is in God’s hand. This scripture reminds us that if we pray for God’s help, God will give it! 2. Raise someone to take your place. One of the beautiful opportunities we have in ministry is to help raise leaders. Begin looking around for someone you can invest in to lead the ministry you want to hand off. The generation after us is looking for a place of service, a place to lead. If we give them an opportunity and invest in them, we will see leaders begin to emerge in our churches. They may not do everything the same way as we would have done in the past. That has to be okay. More than likely, we are doing things differently than the generation before us!

3. Tell someone. Being able to share with a trustworthy friend that you are living in a season of frustration is important to moving through and beyond that season. If you don’t feel you have someone like that in your life right now, ask the Lord to either send someone your way or to give you the courage to seek someone out. That person may be someone in your congregation, or it could be someone who attends the church across town. Both Eddie and I have prayed for the Lord to send us friends over the years, and He always does. 4. Continue to serve in that capacity, for this season, with gladness. Psalm 100:2 (ESV) says, “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing.” You may need to ask the Lord to help you with the gladness part. If you do, He will! I went through a long season with my gladness meter running low. If you tapped the meter, it didn’t budge. But when I asked the Lord for His help, it was as if He were saying, “Finally!” and the gladness came! If you’re carrying the responsibility of something you don’t feel called to, I understand exactly where you are. Thank you for your willingness to serve in an area where you don’t feel you’re best gifted. You are making a difference even though you may not think so! As we learn to live in response to God’s voice, may our creative lists of expectations fall away. I pray we simply say “Yes” to what God calls us to do. It may be that God has placed you where you are for such a time as this! DIANE ESTEP is married to a district superintendent. She is the special projects coordinator for the Kansas City District and serves as the event coordinator for district superintendents’ spouses at the USA/ Canada District Superintendent Leadership Program. Her passions include family and the younger generation.

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NAZARENE BIBLE COLLEGE

CORNER

Preaching for Change J a m e s R. R u s s o m

o be called of God to preach is both a privilege and an awesome responsibility. To answer that call sets a person’s life on a path to becoming a true student of the Bible. To follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the Master Preacher, is to preach life-changing messages. I remember one of my professors saying, “Preach for results!” If your library is like mine, you have books by great preachers, both classic and contemporary, who have informed you of different ways to sharpen your exegetical and delivery skills. My understanding of preaching has come from outstanding professors, faithful pastors, master preachers, and many years of practicing the craft. Thirtyfive years of pastoral ministry and thirteen years as a college professor have taught me some things about this task of preaching. However, I am still learning, growing, and working at the art and craft of preaching. The true purpose of preaching is to transform lives while also inspiring, encouraging, and equipping people to share biblical truths with others around them. We ought to preach sermons driven by biblical texts that enable listeners to understand and experience the passage, resulting in changed lives. The first person transformed should be the preacher so that he or she comes to the pulpit having first been challenged and changed by the text. A preacher’s own experience with the text may be an impetus to the teaching event while he or she is also expecting God to do awesome things for others. Prayer, good exegesis, and sermon composition are parts of the task. These tasks become meaningful when the Holy Spirit leads people to transformational experiences and opportunities to apply the biblical text to their lives.

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An effective biblical sermon will answer three important questions: • What does God say in this passage? • Why does God want us to know this? • Now that we know this, what are we supposed to do? As we adequately answer these questions, we’re enabled to prepare sermons that lead people to transformational decisions and actions as the Holy Spirit speaks through the Word. While many agree that preaching should be transformational, it might be best to explain exactly what we mean by transformation. Let’s consider the following: CONDUCT: When the Gospel is preached and people respond by faith to the gracious offer of new life in Christ, they are made new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). The change of heart will gradually lead to obvious changes in their daily lives. CHARACTER: While conduct and character are intertwined, all people need to grow in grace and spiritual maturity. The Bible plainly reveals that we are “predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). The development of Christlike character is a lifelong process that comes from hearing and obeying the Word of God. BELIEF: Based on faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit, people will continue to experience transformation in their conduct and character. Transformational preaching takes people deeper into the text, so their minds can be renewed (Rom. 12:2). It leads them to a greater doctrinal understanding. It challenges them to experience reproof,

follow in

the footsteps

Jesus, the Master Preacher, of

is t o p r e a c h

life-changing m e ss a g e s .

correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). The more people understand and believe the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, the greater the transformation. A NEW HEART: The heart is the seat of our affections, revealing all that we love and value. It is where we develop our worldview and set

priorities. The prophets of old predicted that God would give His people a new heart. God will take our rebellious hearts, which are inclined to sin, and give us new hearts inclined to love, obey, and serve (Ezek. 36:25–28). Transformational preaching anticipates these dimensions of change and calls people to respond to God’s Word in total surrender and loving obedience. Our confidence is not in our own ability but in the saving, sanctifying, and keeping grace of God and the transforming power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

JAMES R. RUSSOM pastored for 35 years before he began his current position of serving Nazarene Bible College as preaching professor and director of pastoral ministries. He preaches at revivals, retreats, and faith promise events, provides pulpit supply, and teaches preaching seminars.

Your Most Important Quality “It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.” (Proverbs 25:27 , New Heart English Bible)

BOB BROADBOOKS

USA/Canada Regional Director

Samuel Chadwick was a great preacher who believed that he must prepare his heart to enter the pulpit. Just before he entered the sanctuary, he would read Revelation 5. Just try it next Sunday, pastor: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! . . . To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:12–13). As you read that chapter, imagine yourself at the throne. You can’t help but be lifted into heavenly places. Your spirit will be ready to preach. The quality of your spirit is important not only as you enter the pulpit but also when you exit the pulpit. People will say positive things about your preaching; however, never let it affect you too much, instead give the praise to God. People will also say negative things and find fault with your preaching. Don’t let that affect you too much either. Give that also to God! Don’t take it personally. If you have preached what God gave you, you don’t need to be defensive or arrogant. I had a conversation some time ago with a retired district superintendent. He told me about a difficult time in his life: While pastoring, he faced some tough situations. Another minister was acting erratically and saying things about him that were not true. My friend made an appointment to meet with General Superintendent Hardy C. Powers. For a couple of hours, my friend poured out his heart to Dr. Powers. He went on and on about his problem colleague. Finally, he was done talking and ready to receive the sage advice of the general superintendent.

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Dr. Powers simply said, “Friend, the quality of our spirit is our stock and trade in the ministry.” My friend waited for something more to be said, but that was all Dr. Powers said. At first, my friend was disappointed with the answer, but after pondering it that afternoon, he realized the importance of it. Pastor, it’s all we have. If you lose the good spirit God has blessed you with, you are done. As you think back on the great ministers you have known, they all had different gifts and different preaching styles, but they all had the same beautiful Christ-like spirit. That spirit burned brightly in the good times and the bad. As you think, you may be able to remember some bitter preachers. They were probably people who were hurt so many times that they could not shake off the bitterness. Sadly, that kind of spirit will not win people to Jesus; it will repulse them. Some preachers have trouble understanding authority. They think their title of “pastor” entitles them to respect and authority. But authority does not automatically come with the title; it comes with a temperament. You cannot expect, ask, or want authority. Real authority can’t be demanded—it must be given. It will be given to the preacher who earns it by loving people, by serving people, by depending on other people, and by trusting people. Jesus exhibited this kind of spirit, and He was a man with great authority. No matter the pain or the glory, pastor, keep a good spirit. “The quality of your spirit is your stock and trade in the ministry.” Taken from From Pastor to Pastor © 2003 by Bob Broadbooks, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, Mo., pp. 75–76. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

IF YOU CAN AFFORD A

COFFEE…

MANY PERSONS THINK NOTHING of grabbing a specialty coffee daily. But if you ask whether they’re investing for retirement, you might hear,“I can’t afford it right now.” In reality, most people regardless of income can afford to invest, and even small amounts can make a difference in your future. For instance, investing just $10 a week over 30 years could result in a fund of $50,852.72*. That’s what you’d have for the cost of a few specialty coffees a week, depending on how fancy you take yours. Nazarene ministers and church employees are eligible to invest through the 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan. There are no minimum contributions for this program, which means you may invest as little as you’d like. And since con-

*Assumes a 7% average annual return, which is lower than the historical average of the S&P 500 stock index. Note: investing involves risk, including the risk of loss.

tributions are made by salary deferral they also reduce your income taxes, making the impact of investing relatively painless. Beyond this, you have the added knowledge that you’re investing through Fidelity Investments—a proven leader in the financial industry, with information to help you along the way. Contributions are pre-tax and the earnings are tax-deferred. Most importantly for ministers, withdrawals in retirement may be received as taxfree housing allowance, within IRS limits. It’s never too late, and no amount is too small to invest. Learn more by contacting us at pensions@nazarene.org or 888-888-4656. We’ll be happy to help you get started on the road to a better retirement.

USA/Canada Regional Office Church of the Nazarene 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa, KS 66220

Grace & Peace Magazine - Winter 2020

Articles inside

Your Most Important Quality

Preaching for Change

When You Don’t Feel Called

PREACHING A CHURCH BACK TO LIFE

It Takes a Church: Walking Together on the Journey of Transformation

COMMUNION: A Meaningful Ending

Scoring a Touchdown with Your Preaching

Preaching God’s Word Transforms Our Community

INTERVIEW Finding Your Voice: An Interview with Dale Shaeffer

Listening Before You Preach

Exploring the Depths of Personal Transformation

Theological Foundations of Preaching: An Interview with Jim Fitzgerald INTERVIEW

Preaching As Worship

From Informational to Transformational