COVID Leadership Lesson (Part 3): Reframing Preaching NEEDS during COVID
Jesus was always reframing the normal; the familiar, the ordinary, the contempt to something new, supernatural, and purposeful.
Jesus was a master story-teller,
Jesus was a master at using images,
Jesus was always moving people to transformation.
WHY?
Because Jesus came in the midst of the pandemic of sin to restore hope, shalom, and purpose.
AND IN THE SAME WAY, I believe ministerial leaders need to have the same approach. During COVID - when mental health issues, loneliness, addictions, and violence continues to rise - preachers need to reframe messages of the normal, the familiar, the ordinary to the supernatural.
HOW?
Here are 5 WAYS:
Speak to Understand Culture - allow culture to speak to you. When you do, you will realize the gaps in culture. In fact, ONLY the Gospel can answer those gaps. ONLY the Gospel can give a better yes than what culture tries to answer. ONLY the Gospel brings life…
Speak Life where there is Death - great preaching brings NEW life to your listeners. Digital content, the news reels, Google doesn’t bring life. Opinions are rapid in our culture. Any type of information at our fingertips. ONLY God’s WORD brings life. I encourage you to speak LIFE to your listeners.
Speak through the Spirit - Scripture, Jesus, and the Spirit reveals God to us. It is important to contextualize Scripture and Jesus through the Spirit to the needs around our congregations. When we allow the Spirit to speak and move, He becomes the change-agent in people lives. Not moral management/obligation or programs or services. It is when we give SPACE for the Spirit to move. Have you given space for God to move through your preaching? How are you doing this ONLINE with COVID?
Point people to the Word - Speaking without the Word is not preaching. It is not moving people to transformation. We NEED to help move people to Scripture because our world desperately needs to see disciples - who love God, others, and themselves - IN the world. It is Scripture that helps transform people into the likeness of Jesus. We need to be leaders who lead people to the Word.
Help people Respond to the Spirit - Last, when we create SPACES for the Spirit to work, people will respond. This is a practice (and discipline) that we need to create for our congregations for everyday life. For me, this is the MOST important reality. I continually ask myself, “How am I moving people to be Spirit-led in everyday life, including myself, in this message?”
When I speak with these 5 principles, people have engaged in deeper levels. Deeper than my speaking abilities. Deeper than the craft of preaching. It is an engagement that “sticks”; which, I think is the Spirit.
How is your preaching during COVID? What are you learning these days to engage people towards transformation?