Guest Brent Strawn discusses the importance of honesty in preaching about sin, suffering, and violence. They explore biblical narratives on confession, transparency, and embracing honesty. The conversation includes humorous scenarios, debates on religious concepts, and delves into David's character and Israel's candid narration of suffering.
Honesty in preaching involves confessing deep, dark secrets shared by Israel in scriptures.
Analyzing the structure and content of Lamentations aids in navigating and containing suffering narrative.
Imprecatory Psalms provide a platform for honest engagement with human feelings of anger and retribution.
Deep dives
Preaching with Honesty and Intention
Honesty in preaching involves a deep engagement with the text, recognizing the confessional nature of biblical narratives. Preachers and teachers should approach texts with a disposition towards confession, acknowledging the deep, dark secrets shared by Israel in scriptures. These confessions offer profound insights and serve as emulatable examples for present-day believers.
Lamentations and Suffering
In exploring suffering, Lamentations provides a candid and poetic expression of grief, pain, and suffering experienced by Israel. The structure of Lamentations, with its alphabetic acrostics and thematic content, encapsulates the totality and containment of suffering narrative. By engaging with the form and content of Lamentations, preachers can lead congregations through a raw and honest reflection on individual and communal suffering.
Imprecatory Psalms and Violence
Imprecatory Psalms, with their raw expressions of violence, offer a space for honest confrontation with human feelings of anger and desire for retribution. These Psalms transparently present human struggles regarding violence and injustice. Preachers and teachers can guide congregations in engaging with these Psalms as prayers of honesty and trust, seeking divine intervention in situations of anger and vengeance.
Navigating Difficult Texts
Encouraging preachers and teachers to tackle challenging texts, such as Imprecatory Psalms and narratives of violence, fosters a culture of open dialogue and honesty. By wrestling with the hardest texts, teachers can set a foundation for honest conversations and reflections on complex biblical themes. This practice enables congregations to journey through difficult passages and deepen their understanding of the multifaceted nature of scripture.
Applying Honesty in Preaching and Teaching
The practice of honesty in preaching and teaching involves treating biblical texts as gifts of disclosure and opportunities for healing. By engaging with scripture through a lens of honesty, preachers can lead congregations in reenacting and internalizing the confessions and revelations present in the texts. Such a practice not only fosters deeper connections with biblical narratives but also enables individuals to experience reconciliation, healing, and recovery through open, authentic engagement with scripture.
Episode: Strawn argues that keeping secrets makes us sick, and the Old Testament offers a way to speak honestly about the BIG things like sin, suffering, and violence. Guest: Brent Strawn […]
