C. M. Sheffield
Puritan Board Graduate
I once heard a faithful minister say, "preach one topical sermon every ten years, and then repent." While this is meant facetiously, its emblematic of the attitude of most Reformed folks toward preaching. A high premium is placed on expositional preaching (EP), and rightfully so.
However, one side effect of this zeal for and insistence on EP is a contempt for catechetical or doctrinal preaching. Catechetical preaching has a long and rich history within the Church and especially the Reformed Church. But I have encountered those who recoil from the prospect of a preacher giving a systematic treatment of a certain biblical doctrine or confessional document. "If its not EP," they maintain, "then its no preaching at all."
I have experienced this (on more than one occasion) with Reformed types who had zeal for EP and therefore took interest in our church but were somewhat dismayed and off put when they saw that on Sunday evenings I was preaching through a confessional document or on a doctrinal matter. This seemed to offend their purest EP sensibilities.
To be clear, our Sunday mornings are given exclusively to the systematic exposition of God's Word. But on Sunday nights, I will often preach catechetically.
Have any of you experienced this? And what are your thoughts on the matter? Do some Reformed types take the imperative of EP too far? - to the exclusion of other legitimate forms of preaching?
However, one side effect of this zeal for and insistence on EP is a contempt for catechetical or doctrinal preaching. Catechetical preaching has a long and rich history within the Church and especially the Reformed Church. But I have encountered those who recoil from the prospect of a preacher giving a systematic treatment of a certain biblical doctrine or confessional document. "If its not EP," they maintain, "then its no preaching at all."
I have experienced this (on more than one occasion) with Reformed types who had zeal for EP and therefore took interest in our church but were somewhat dismayed and off put when they saw that on Sunday evenings I was preaching through a confessional document or on a doctrinal matter. This seemed to offend their purest EP sensibilities.
To be clear, our Sunday mornings are given exclusively to the systematic exposition of God's Word. But on Sunday nights, I will often preach catechetically.
Have any of you experienced this? And what are your thoughts on the matter? Do some Reformed types take the imperative of EP too far? - to the exclusion of other legitimate forms of preaching?