As I ponder weak and weary,
the sermon that is bleak and dreary
Here's some comfort for you preachers this morning: Dr. James Forbes, newly retired pastor of NYC Riverside Church, gets criticized for his preaching. See today's NYtimes.com for the article.
Is there hope for the rest of us if this wonderful homiletician has church members who don't like his preaching?
Whoa. He's one of my favorite preachers on the planet. I heard him first, in the 70's, at Columbia Seminary and to this day, I can recall what he said. He's a native North Carolinian (why is it that so many great preachers are from NC?)whose sermons are a wealth of intelligence, love of the Gospel and prophetic witness.
What do those crabby Riversiders want? A lock-jaw speaking, thin-lipped dry preacher?
Puleeze! Let's just say that we all may take comfort when even Jim Forbes has detractors.
I'm off to Little Church in a few hours. God willing, my sermon will come together before I cross the town limits,
St. Casserole
5 comments:
I guess they don't understand that people are hungry for their hearts to be invited to worship, not just their heads.
Step dancers in the aisle are, of course, not the only way to get to that place. But that's the difference between old Riverside and new Riverside, if I'm reading the article rightly.
I guess every church has those members that long for the old days before the current minister arrived. It just doesn't usually make the NY Times!
Hey.
I guess some folks are not ready for the challenge of prophetic preaching. When you hear sermosn like that, it means you gotta channge and people don't like to change.
I hope LD had fun at Camp Sacred Presbyterian Conference Center, had at least one ice cream at the Huck, and met some incredible people.
"My Kids" were there too, but I was away at a church meeting in another state. There youth happened to be there as well.
I heard the preaching was incredible and teh other activities were good also. ;)~
I missed my baby, the airline lost my luggage, and I have an airplane cold.
If i sound whiny, I am, but the meeting went very well. ;)
We need a Fish update.
If you don't hate being tagged, check this out: views from the road: tagged
When I preached at Mondo Youth Conference, the refrain among the leadership was, "Moses could keynote and Jesus could preach, and people would find something to complain about."
Forbes ain't either, but it's a perfect case in point.
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