Check In: Putting Aside Your Prepared Topic

Hi lovelies,

Just a check-in.

How are you holding up?

If you are preaching to the moment, you are wading into the very difficult and deep waters of systemic racism in America, violence as a way of life, empire. You are drawing connections between the first century into which Jesus was born and our own, still so desperately in need of redemption.

I know that colleagues have had people walk out on their sermons. At least one minister has been accused of false advertising because she did not preach on the announced topic and instead addressed the headlines, Black Lives Matter, Ferguson, the current uprising of pain and rage in black communities.

I liked the Tweet that said, basically, “if you didn’t put aside your prepared sermon and preach on Ferguson, why are you a preacher?”

Indeed.

Never be afraid to address what must be addressed. We are not a movie or a show. We are communities of faith formation and ethical engagement. We are under sacred obligation to speak truth in love, and even to speak hard truths. We are in the work of spiritual development, and for any of us to feel pressured into avoiding certain subjects is sad and wrong. In my tradition we have a respect for freedom of the pulpit, which is conferred upon each minister at their Installation to a congregational settlement. I don’t know what you all have who are not in congregational polity, and I would like to know. Let’s talk about it.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could preach on quiet and lovely things? I myself felt very fortunate that I had planned to preach on the Magnificat, and how the inbreaking of the holy in the gospel tradition is not sweet and easy but a radical disruption.

“They were sore afraid.”

I promise to post fun fashion things soon. But we have to talk about the practice of ministry here, too, because that’s part of the Beauty, innit?