Few of us have done this before.
Few of us have preached in political and cultural climates as volatile and unpredictable as the one we face in the U.S.right now.
I've preached my share of social justice sermons, but they were issue oriented. I've never needed to preach when an entire country was in foment, when families were separating over political views, when trust was so low it was difficult to even expect common courtesy.
We wonder how to preach the unifying love of Christ while many are divided; the ways to preach peace in the face of vitriol; how to preach dignity when displays of disrespect are sought as badges of honor.
We sent our newsletter subscribers six tips to help navigate their sermon prep in this challenging climate. We're sharing a preview here, and you can get the rest immediately by subscribing now.
1. Tell Us a Story
This isn't the time for lectures.
When emotions run high, we don't have the capacity to make rational decisions. When on edge, our hearts are not predisposed to be quickened by reasoned arguments, lectures, or being "preached to."
We need to know what the Gospel feels like.
Tell us a story. We need to sense unity during disagreements. We need to see peace offered in exchange for vitriol. We need to know deeply, deeply, that God makes us capable to offer dignity when another is sparing no effort to make us believe we are seen as lesser than."