Darrell Johnson, The Glory of Preaching
The seventh chapter discusses how texts can imply and lead to change in the lives of hearers. Here Prof. Johnson is very careful to underline that it is God’s job and not ours to effect change. He also makes it perfectly clear that any concrete steps given and any calls for change must come naturally from the scripture preached. Thus, for him, the question is not “How should we apply this word?” but “Where is this word leading us?” This is thought-provoking and challenging for all preachers and especially those who may naturally have a preference for to-do lists, lists of steps and straightforward ‘if we do x then God will do y” equations.
The penultimate chapter of this part focuses on the importance of the person of the preacher. It is with great relief that we realise that here Prof. Johnson does not intend to lay down a list of legalistic rules and regulations but instead to show us that we must preach out of who we are: our character, natural disposition and personal history. He also gives a few examples of delivery styles that will not only help us to appreciate our own style(s) but also those of the members of the congregation.
Part 2 ends with a chapter on the call to preach, which echoes much of the classical views on preaching expounded by homileticians such as Spurgeon. Here we find encouragement to live in Christ, in the reality of the gospel, in the Word, in books, in culture, in suffering, in prayer and in preparation. Each of these helps to keep preachers honed, close to God and aware of the concerns of the people around them. As regards living in preparation, the author recommends trying to plan sermon topics a year ahead of time with the details of each sermon being fleshed out later. Such forward planning again echoes the sentiment expressed by other teachers of preaching (see, for example, Bruce Mawhinney, Preaching With Freshness [Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1997]: 34-49).
The final chapter of the book warns us against trying too hard to make the Bible fit in with but shows us once again the power of the preached Word to change lives and even whole communities. With the addition of one of the author’s sermons presented in the Epilogue, readers have the rare opportunity to see how all the reflection in the book works in real-life.
Overall, this book will be greatly beneficial for preachers of all theological persuasions and levels of experience. It offers encouragement, inspiration and strategies in almost equal measure and helps to connect homiletical theory with practical realities. In short, it is a valuable addition to the collection of any preacher.
Reviewed by Jonathan Downie
Preview this book online at: books.google.com/books?id=Qa6TeHBzWHEC
Category: Ministry, Summer 2010
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