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| DS Dialog: Who is Your Pastor? |
| District News - DS Dialog |
 A number of years ago, as I was preparing to teach a preaching class in Mozambique, Africa, I came across Fred Craddock’s book Overhearing the Gospel. I was drawn into the thinking and preaching of this man. I liked his approach to the word of God and to his hearers.As I was going on sabbatical and gathering a stack of books to read, I discovered that a collection of Craddock’s sermons had recently been published. I ordered the book. Each morning I read one of his insightful, humorous, pointed and challenging sermons. He is a master preacher. Another of my books was Eugene Peterson’s memoirs The Pastor. I learned that when this prolific author was pastoring he “installed Alexander Whyte as my pastor.” This early 20th century preacher met Peterson every Sunday morning at six through the printed page. Peterson had his Sunday sermon ready but this weekly time of reading one of Whyte’s sermons was to “let him preach to me.” He understood he needed a helpful voice speaking into his life. Peterson reflected, “He showed me that scripture was not a sequence of texts but a seamless story and I was a participant in the story.” I wonder who speaks the word of God regularly and faithfully into your life. In this day of technology you can read and hear sermons from all over the world. Yet the joy and the discipline of having a few significant voices can be a big help in shaping your heart and mind. We must use care in what we do with the sermons of others. If you are looking for material it is far different than looking for a mentor. You must preach in your own armor, always using care in how you incorporate what you read and hear from others. But I'd suggest that reading or listening to others regularly is helpful in our spiritual growth. Preachers need to let someone “preach to me.” When I came to Craddock’s 52nd and final sermon I felt I was saying good bye to a friend. I'd begun to look forward to my morning coffee and his insightful challenge from God’s word. Then I realized this could be an ongoing practice for my spiritual journey. So, with joy I discovered that another significant writer in my life, Walter Brueggemann, has just released a book of sermons. It may not be a daily practice but a few times each week I’ll let a valued preacher take me to the word and speak to my heart. Who is your pastor? I'd love to hear from you. Randy Craker rjcraker@nwdistrict.org |