Scripture contains several funny-not-funny accounts. There’s the young disciple fleeing naked from the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:51–52). There’s Elisha cursing the kids who called him “Baldy”—which led to their grisly end (2 Kings 2:23–25). And, of course, there’s Paul’s deadly sermon. Acts 20 describes Eutychus, a young man “seated at a window … who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on” (v. 9). Paul’s lengthy preaching (and also the “many lamps” lit in the room) had such a soporific effect that Eutychus fell out of the window to his death three stories below.
Many parishioners feel a bit like Eutychus now—viewing a sermon through a screen is arguably as draining as listening to one in a hot and crowded first-century room. And for preachers (who can’t perform a miracle like Paul did!), the task of delivering a lively and powerful sermon through a screen can at times feel futile if not impossible. Zoom and YouTube church services are just not the same as preaching to one’s congregation, face to face.
CT is constantly trying to help pastors preach Scripture faithfully, whatever the circumstance. Our colleagues at Preaching Today have a wide array of tools to help build your sermon skills. And in our special issue on the state of preaching, we look closely at our current cultural moment. Our cover story examines how preaching during the pandemic has generated new insights and lasting change for pastors. And pastor Brandon Washington discusses preaching during this time of protests for racial justice.
Beyond these two immediate and pressing issues for pastors, this special issue also looks at important trends, questions, and topics in biblical exposition that speak to the here and now and also look beyond 2020. For example, how can preachers effectively reach an increasingly post-Christian culture? What does it look like to preach Scripture’s moral imperatives when people are already outraged about some issues and overlook biblical truth on others? How does ethnic and cultural identity shape preaching, particularly in a multiethnic ministry context? And what are the pros and cons of preaching with a very local, congregational focus versus a focus on a broad, online audience?
At some point in the future, the pandemic will be over. We’ll be able to look back and laugh at the funny-not-funny aspects of Zoom exposition and YouTube church. Facebook Live services will be replaced by live faces, young and old, gathered together and listening attentively. And, thanks be to God, the lessons learned during this season will last.
