Words – Joshua Graves: Exploring the Collision of Culture & Faith

Words

January 5, 2009

No other modern public speaker does what the preacher tries to do. The trial attorney has glossy photographs and bagged evidence to hand around; the teacher has blackboards and overhead projectors; the politician has brass bands and media consultants. All the preacher has is words, (Barbara Brown Taylor in The Preaching Life, 81).

JGO (Josh Graves Original)updated version of this quote.

No other modern public speaker does what the preacher, writer, teacher of Christianity tries to do. We cannot prove the very thing on which we’ve staked our lives–the ressurection of a teacher from Nazareth. We are preaching, writing, and teaching about something we cannot prove. Ever.

The trial attorney has CSI investigative techniques; the teacher has the internet, blogs, google, and Planet Earth; the politician has email, facebook, and Springsteen/George Jones. All the preacher, teacher, writer of Christian faith has is words. Of course those words are connected to the lives we lead. If we speak a word that betrays our life, we speak a word we do not own, to paraphrase Augustine. But, in the moment of truth, all we have are words.

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A new semester begins today at Rochester College. It’s a good day.

Labels: Preaching, Teaching at RC

6 Comments

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by mberenis (Jan 5 2009, 3:02 pm)

I’d wish you luck – but you don’t need it. Go with God Josh.

~ E

by Archangel Zer0 (Jan 5 2009, 6:18 pm)

have fun without your culture and evangelism students in your classes this semester :) – i’m really going to miss that class.

of all the books my parents could have picked from my amazon wish list, they picked “the preaching life” — i’m looking forward to it.

by courtney strahan (Jan 5 2009, 11:33 pm)

Eli–loved that quote Sunday. Religion is for those who are afraid of hell. Spirituality is for those who’ve already been there. You’re an encouragement to me.

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Courtney, I will miss the class greatly. It’s one of my favorite teaching experiences of the last five years! Can’t wait to hear what you think about BBT.

by Josh Graves (Jan 6 2009, 5:01 am)

mbrerenis,

I’ll check out your blog. Thanks.

by Josh Graves (Jan 6 2009, 10:51 am)

Words are very powerful! Words can manipulate, words can convince, and words can help us see things in fresh ways. BBT is an author who has mastered the usage of words (in my opinion).

You know one of the things I think about as I prepare for speaking on Sundays, is not only, “how are my words consistent with the life I lead”, but how do I make my words consistent with the experiences of my listeners. When I sit down to craft a sermon, my words are chosen through the images of the faces in the congregation I serve at. I ask questions like: How will I touch them, what will be of no interest to them (there are a lot of things in scripture I would love to hear a preacher talk about, but it may not necessarily be what I think this congregation needs to hear)?

And the neat thing about the whole preaching experience and trying to find the best words or illustrations is that I know if God were not involved, I would be a babbling idiot; if the Spirit did not intercede, I would be unemployed.

By the way, Peace be with you as you begin another semester.

by phil (Jan 6 2009, 12:03 pm)