I think more churches are rethinking the 'expository only' approach to preaching. By this I mean: the attitude some churches have that they are equipping the saints to think biblically if they just grind on through Romans in the morning and Isaiah in the evenings, rather than sometimes starting with the heads-up from the culture around you and then responding from the Scriptures.
Here I am throwing a bit of brick in the fowlhouse, but I hope it may be of some use:
How about if your church has a smaller, more informal evening service, or an adult Sunday school class, making good use of the festivals and special days during the year to teach on some key themes? (One could easily sprinkle a few of these in each year, rather than do them all in one year):
These dates could equally be used in the preparation of intercessory prayer, or be a prompt for cultural engagement in a church newsletter.
Jan 15th- eve of Martin Luther King Day. Huge issues raised here about racial harmony. A study of black people in the Bible also makes for a fascinating topical sermon.
Jan 22 Sanctity of Life Sunday (that's easier done in USA than UK, because we don't have that Sunday set aside)
Feb 5 Lantern Festival (Chinese). Admittedly, I don't know what issues arise from this key Chinese festival.
March-
Wed 8 March- International Women's Day. Opportunity to encourage healthy complementarianism...
Newroz. This Iranian-Kurdish-Afghan festival draws on the redemption story of Kawa slaying the tyrant Zahhak. Signposts Christ. Use Zechariah's song in Luke 1.
March-April Ramadan. In 2023 this will be a test of loyalties for Iranic peoples. Will Nowruz feasting trump Ramadan fasting?
Apr (often) Passover. Jews will be found all over the globe. No points for finding out if this can lead to a Bible Study!
Sat 22 April (2023) Earth Day. We need great discernment here: we should not worship Gaia, but we should steward God's creation.
Jun - Feast of Sacrifice. Muslims commemorating Abraham's sacrifice. Again, straight into the OT.
October Diwali- this is a festival of light. How about preaching an in-depth biblical theology of light?
November- Remembrance Sunday. Teach a biblical theology of war and peace. Psalm 46, and the swords to ploughshares hope of Isaiah/Micah.
Dec- Advent. How about preaching this properly as a reminder of the coming of our Lord in judgment, so as to counter the sentimental 'gentle Jesus'?
Christmas- this goes without saying, although few Christians are aware of what the Scriptures of our Muslim friends say about Jesus' birth and childhood. A careful study of the rival accounts is an opportunity to teach the doctrine of the full humanity of Christ. He did not speak from the cradle, and neither was he born under a palm tree. That is a shrouding of the poverty into which Christ was born...and he did that in order to make us rich eternally through his death and resurrection.
Further Reading:
I am grateful for the heads-up about Diwali from the helpful article Planting Multiethnic & Transcultural Churches by Reid Monaghan
No comments:
Post a Comment