I am a fan of Shakespeare and have been guilty of working him into some sermon niches where one of his quotes barely fits. One Sunday, when I had included an unusually long quote from the Bard, one of my friends snidely said at the back door after the sermon: “Pastor, that literary quote was something else. I almost went forward and accepted Shakespeare as my Savior.” I remember his comment to this day, and I always try to make sure I don’t become too lopsided with my own attachments.
The worst sort of sermon abuse I run into is the preacher who confesses too much too often so he or she employs the congregation as his or her own therapist. As with all other abuses, it at least begins in a subtle way before it gets heavy. The custom annoys me and generally becomes oppressive to the people who must listen to it. I actually think most of the time it goes too far. I had a preacher whose pop-psych sermons often included illustrations from his own family, particularly his wife. One Sunday, he went too far and couldn’t get it back. He actually lost the church, I think primarily from tripping too close to the edges of psychological propriety.
Police your hang-ups and interests. Take stock of your own emotional needs. Make the Scripture so much the heart of you preachment that there isn’t room for any abuse. It’s easy to preach Jezebel’s prophets as liberals or the Sadducees as Democrats. When you do this, you make Jesus and His disciples resemble Republicans without really using the term. Don’t try to stand up for New Englanders by saying, “Jesus loves everybody in Massachusetts.” In this kind of abuse, you are really saying, “I don’t know how He does it.”
Let your speech be seasoned with grace. Clean up your verbal act. Preach the good news without betraying your prejudices. God wants a good firm proclamation that brings the world nearer to Jesus. Hang up your hang-ups; and should you ever say anything unkind about any person or group, remember apology ends with the same five letters as Christology. “Forgive me” covers the world’s idiocy with new humanity, and humanity is a good thing to stir into your divinity constantly.
