Recently, I've heard congregation members talk about my preaching or introduce me to friends as a "teaching pastor."
And my first reaction was "What? What on earth do you mean? That can't be right!"
It's funny how our life experiences trigger certain understandings of langauge, isn't it? Because when I hear the words "teaching pastor" my thoughts immediately envision an evangelical male, nicely dressed in a suit standing before a congregation of large membership with listeners writing down his every word. These type of sermons given with a "this is right" and "this is wrong" theology with no room to question the in-between. Teaching messages such as "The Ten Ways to be a Good Father" or "How to Love Your Children in a Godly Way" with an expository style. I see projectors on a big screen with fill-in the blank outlines found in the bulletin for listeners to write-in the correct answers. (I attended churches like this in college, in case you were wondering . . . )
While I'm sure there is something to learn from these "teaching pastors," (several WPBC members, in fact, have come from churches like this after learning a lot about the Bible before coming to us) I don't have a high opinion of such.
Now that I've had some time to develop my own theology of preaching, I fear that such images of "teaching pastors" give the art and craft of preaching a bad name. They take away the craft of it all. I fear they boil down the beauty of scripture into only its usable parts. I fear they lead their people to miss out on some of the most interesting parts of the Bible. In an effort "to teach" they often fall prey to proof texting instead of wrestling with one particular witness of God in a lection.
Do my people think I'm like this?
But, when I inquire further from those calling me a "teaching pastor" I hear: "You aren't the type of pastor that tries to give us your political beliefs or personal rants from the pulpit. You get into the text and then try to teach us something about how to understand it, just as it is. I learn something from you and always get to hear your conviction about the point you are trying to make at the end."
So, I'm worried a little less.
Call it whatever style you want, but to me, preaching is about having a conversation between a congregation of faith seekers, God and the pastor who happens to be the spokesperson for the day. It's about the proclaimer's careful study of the ancient text in an effort to make what seems old, new and relevant for modern experience. It's about bearing witness to the good news: there is more to this world than meets the eye, Jesus is Lord of all. It's about drawing listeners into a narrative that has been going on for generations and will continue to go on long after us.
It's harder than it looks, but rewarding beyond all imagination when done well.
So do I want my congregation to feel like they are learning more about scripture? Of course I do which is why I pay careful attention to giving the context of the passage I am speaking about and sneaking in any tidbits of Biblical literacy I find as I go.
But, ultimately, I hope the Sunday morning sermons are not merely an intellectual exercise, but about an experience of God. Such is nothing that I can force or falsely create through beautifully designed PowerPoint and handouts. Such comes no matter if I give the sermon with a manuscript or use only an outline.
Experience of God comes when the Spirit is present in our worship and the word of God becomes a living word in our hearts and minds.
Call me a teaching pastor or whatever you want. Just know my ultimate hope is that through the words and the presence of my sermons, you receive more of God in your life-- the transformation that we all crave.
