The pulpit must teach in a way that builds a larger and deeper understanding of God beginning with Genesis and explaining the true nature of the Christian life as lived by the Holy Spirit. However, sadly there is little emphasis on the Holy Spirit except for a passing mention and almost nothing about Christians being the Body of Christ. Yet, the New Testament majors precisely on these doctrines.

After returning from church one Sunday my wife and I were talking about the focus of the message of that day’s sermon. It wasn’t that that Sunday was different from other Sundays, but the Sunday messages have been becoming increasingly weightless due their lack of anything substantively aimed at Christian spirituality the Christian life. By Christian spirituality I mean that which makes the Christian life livable before God possible. There are no denials of the core doctrines of Christianity in the preaching and that is a plus. In fact, the one in the pulpit is a nice evangelical Christian man. The Bible is opened, and a certain portion of the Bible is read which is one redeeming aspect of the morning message. It is what follows, or should I say, what does not follow that sets one’s Christian teeth on edge. First, little of the meaning of the text finds its way into the message by way of explaining the text. Instead, it is all about some strained application from the text which is strained because it lacks support from the text. Mostly what would be known as moralizing. A particular word here or there is the core around which the message is spun something like cotton candy spun around a cardboard core. It is sugary and meets the need of the feeling good about oneself or that God will find you a parking space next time you are at the mall. I do not mean to suggest we should necessarily feel bad about ourselves or that we should not trust God in this life, but may we have more discernment in what we think is worthy of God’s trust. The sermons are not intentionally without substance, as the one speaking thinks he is giving something quite profound.

Read More