August 14
Developing a safe space within the sermon in which people can explore their emotions can be achieved by asking questions without giving the answers. Storytelling is a good idea: Jesus was a master of the parable- illustrative stories, which he did not necessarily explain.
The Greek word for sermon originally included dialogue. Leaving space at the end of the sermon for questions, disagreement and comment is an option, especially in small congregations. In my home congregation, for example, it is not unusual to have questions or comments throughout the sermon. Preaching for a response, but not managing the response or controlling it is another option. Sometimes breaking into small groups is also a good idea. ( 115 words)
Now you've got me curious, Julie. What's your Greek word for "sermon"? All I can find is that when Jesus "preached" the word they used was κηρύσσω, which means proclamation, as something announced by a herald for example. And what was proclaimed was the κήρυγμα, which (as I'm sure you know) we now use, as kerygma, for the message contained in the Gospel. So, where did dialogue come into it?
ReplyDeleteHiRoss,
ReplyDeleteIt will take me a while to find the exact reference- will get back to you. Cheers Julie