History

From the Editor: Sleepy Preaching

An old joke says that preaching is the art of talking in other people’s sleep. Charles Haddon Spurgeon turned that joke around; he once preached a sermon while he slept.

One Saturday night Spurgeon began talking in his sleep. His wife, Susannah, heard the noise and awoke. She realized her husband was preaching, so she listened attentively and in the morning gave her husband a detailed summary. A few hours later, he preached that sermon to his congregation.

To paraphrase the ads, “Seminarians, don’t try this at home.”

Marked by vivid word choice, ringing assertions, and sharp, sometimes barbed, wit, Spurgeon’s sermons clearly connected with his listeners. He told the story, for instance, of meeting a man who identified himself as an agnostic.

“ ‘Oh,’ I said to him, ‘that is a Greek word, is it not? The Latin word, I believe, is ignoramus.’

“He did not like that at all. Yet I only translated his language from Greek to Latin. These are queer waters to get into, when your philosophy brings you only the confession that you know nothing, and enables you to glory in your ignorance.”

Even in his own day, Spurgeon was considered the “prince of preachers.” A young artist named Vincent Van Gogh preached Spurgeon’s sermons in the ghettos of London, with numerous conversions. Missionary David Livingstone carried one of Spurgeon’s sermon tracts in his journeys across Africa.

Today, Spurgeon’s influence is still felt. Tom Carter, author of Spurgeon at His Best (Baker, 1988), wrote recently and said, “Each time I read one of Spurgeon’s sermons, I fall in love with preaching all over again. My faith is rescued from the temptation to consider the proclamation of God’s truth irrelevant.…

“I’m also challenged to preach biblically. As I read between the lines of these sermons, I hear Spurgeon saying to me, ‘As a preacher, your job is not to create your own material. Just discover what God has already said in his Word, and then relay that to your people.’ ”

This issue of Christian History explores the life and significance of this preaching giant, who continues to awaken preachers and preaching in our day. Even if he could preach with his eyes closed.

Copyright © 1991 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian History magazine. Click here for reprint information on Christian History.

Our Latest

News

Ghana May Elect Its First Muslim President. Its Christian Majority Is Torn.

Church leaders weigh competency and faith background as the West African nation heads to the polls.

Shamanism in Indonesia

Can Christians practice ‘white knowledge’ to heal the sick and exorcize demons?

Shamanism in Japan

Christians in the country view pastors’ benedictions as powerful spiritual mantras.

Shamanism in Taiwan

In a land teeming with ghosts, is there room for the Holy Spirit to work?

Shamanism in Vietnam

Folk religion has shaped believers’ perceptions of God as a genie in a lamp.

Shamanism in the Philippines

Filipinos’ desire to connect with the supernatural shouldn’t be eradicated, but transformed and redirected toward Christ.

Shamanism in South Korea

Why Christians in the country hold onto trees while praying outdoors.

Shamanism in Thailand

When guardian spirits disrupt river baptisms, how can believers respond?

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube