Preaching Articles

1. There’s nothing wrong with familiar passages. It is tempting to think that we have to be always innovating, always creative, always somewhere surprising. Don’t. Just as children will repeatedly ask for the same bedtime story, and adults will revisit the same movie of choice, so churchgoers are fine with a Christmas message at Christmas. Sometimes in trying to be clever, we simply fail to connect. Don’t hesitate to preach a Matthew or Luke birth narrative!

2. Preach the writer’s emphasis, not a Christmas card. Anywhere in the Gospels, it is possible to be drawn from the emphasis of the text to the event itself. If you are preaching Matthew for several weeks, great, preach Matthew. If Luke, preach Luke. Whether it is a series or an individual message, be sure to look closely and see what the writer is emphasizing in each narrative.

3. Familiar passages deserve to be offered fresh. Don’t take my first comment as an excuse to be a stale preacher. There’s no need to simply dust off an old message and give it again without first revisiting it. Whenever we preach God’s Word, we should stand and preach as those who have a fresh passion for what God is communicating there. There’s no excuse for a cold heart or stale content.

4. Fresh doesn’t have to mean innovative or weird. Now all this talk of fresh could lead us down a winding path into strange ideas. There is plenty in each text that is very much there, so we don’t need to superimpose our own clever and innovative “five facts about struggling against capitalism from the angel’s visit to Zechariah.” Equally, we don’t have to preach dressed as a sheep in order to offer something fresh.

5. Be careful when fresh includes disagreeing with tradition. You may find that looking closely at the text and studying the culture of that time actually causes you to question some stable assumptions (see what I did there?). Was there a stable? Where was Jesus born? When did the Magi arrive? How did the star thing work? Think carefully about throwing a hand grenade into peoples’ traditions. There is a place, and a tone, for correcting errant thinking, but tread carefully.

6. There are other ways to preach the narratives themselves. You don’t have to simply talk your way through the text. Consider the possibility of preaching the emphasis of the text from the perspective of a contemporary character—Anna, Simeon, a shepherd, etc. Consider a bit of “in hindsight” first person preaching—Joseph looking back or Luke having done his research. Remember though, if you have a “manger scene” play with children involved, your going into character may feel like too much of a good thing, even though you will surpass their preparations.

7. Why not preach all four Gospel introductions? We tend to dwell in Matthew or Luke or a blend of the two. Why not introduce people to Matthew’s introduction, then Mark’s (why no birth narrative, where was this all headed anyway, why is Mark 1:1-13 such a stunning intro to his gospel?) Then give them the visitation, prophecy, Mary-focused, and children-prepared emphasis of Luke’s opening chapters. And who wouldn’t want to preach from John 1:1-18 right before Christmas (or any other time for that matter!) All four are stunning pieces of inspired text!

8. There are other New Testament passages that explain the Incarnation and Christ’s mission to the world. Perhaps it would be helpful to offer some explanation from other parts of the New Testament. What did the preachers of Acts say about why Christ was sent into the world? What about Paul’s explanation of the timing of it all in Galatians 4? There’s plenty on Christmas beyond Matthew and Luke.

9. Why not tap into the mine that is Old Testament prophecy? Where to start? Most people dip into the Old Testament at Christmas to read Isaiah 9:6-7 or Micah 5:2. Why not help people understand the richness of those texts and others like them in their context? What were the Jews waiting for when the first Christmas dawned?

10. Perhaps it is worth encountering a Christmas carol and its theology? Not my typical approach, but people know the carols. Perhaps it would be worth helping people to understand the richness of the second verse of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" biblically?

11. Ancient story is always relevant. It is easy to settle into an ancient storytelling mode and fail to make crystal clear connections to the messy world of today. Christmas is massively relevant because the Incarnation changes everything (that and the Resurrection ... two massive moments in history!). Let’s think and pray long and hard about how the messages are going to engage the listeners with a sense of compelling relevance to today. Our world. Our culture. Our lives. Our struggles. Not that the focus is us but because the Incarnation is massively relevant always.

12. Ancient story was not a painting. One of the most effective ways to communicate contemporary relevance for listeners today is to take them beyond a Christmas card view of the first Christmas. What were the realities facing Mary and Joseph? What kind of a culture did they live in? How would that pregnancy shape their lives? Helping people to get beyond stained glass window views of the first Christmas can resonate deeply with the situations and struggles we face today.

13. Offer a contemporary relevance, not just the ancient one. The reason Jesus came into the world was to go to the cross, back then. It was a once and for all mission. But the Incarnation has burning relevance to our world today. Think and pray through how to convey the fact that Christmas matters now, and not just as a moment to look back on an ancient mission, albeit an important one.

14. Tap into the various emotions of Christmas. I suppose it is easy to slide into nostalgia at Christmas. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, sleigh bells ringing, snow glistening, logs on the fire, gifts by the tree, etc., etc. But what about other related emotions? Missing family members through bereavement or separation. Seasonally affected discouragement disorders that make for a depressing time of year. Difficult childhood memories only exacerbated by the overt nostalgia nudges all around. Christmas is a good time to offer a sensitivity in your preaching that shows you aren’t part of the hyped up marketing machine.

15. Don’t miss the opportunity Christmas preaching offers. The reason Jesus came into the world was to go to the cross, once for all. It wouldn’t be good to make some sort of contemporary emphasis that loses sight of why Christmas really occurred. Remember that some people will only come to church at Christmas—don’t miss the opportunity to make sense of the season for them.

Peter Mead is involved in the leadership team of a church plant in the UK. He serves as director of Cor Deo—an innovative mentored ministry training program—and has a wider ministry preaching and training preachers. He also blogs often at BiblicalPreaching.net and recently authored Pleased to Dwell: A Biblical Introduction to the Incarnation (Christian Focus, 2014). Follow him on Twitter

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Rev. Phyllis Pottorff-Albrecht, United Brethren Communi

commented on Dec 10, 2013

Sometimes, focusing on the scripture lesson just before - or just after - the more familiar can end up being appropriate. For unexplained reasons - last year - one of our prayer groups did an independent Bible study of the slaughter of the Innocents and the important way that even this tragic event was a part of the greater mosaic of the salvation message. We invited members of the prayer group to share various aspects of their Bible study with the congregation during the Advent season. The prayer group completed their presentation, focusing on the Lord's promises of comfort - just as the nation was stunned by the shocking loss of life in Connecticut. Many churches avoid dealing with the events which transpired in Bethlehem AFTER both Joseph and the wise men were warned by angels NOT to remain in Bethlehem - and NOT to believe Herod's claim that he only wanted to learn where the new king was so that he, also, could worship him. Perhaps it is time for more churches to spend some time during Christmas to deal with aspects of the Christmas story which are often avoided - because those aspects of the Christmas story seem to be too painful to be remembered during the Christmas season! XXXXXXXXXXXX Another important series of Scripture passages which are often avoided by modern churches are the passages just before and just after the story of Jesus blessing the children. Many average Christians do NOT realize that, just prior to Jesus blessing the children, Matthew and Luke record Jesus' opinion about marriage - and includes the familiar admonition - What therefore God has joined together - let not man put asuder. It is, perhaps, too uncomfortable for modern Christians to contemplate the possibility that God's plan for blessing the children includes parents who are sincerely committed to each other in their marriage relationship! In Luke's record of the blessing of the children, the chapter begins with a parable about a widow and an unjust judge. XXXXXXXXXXXX Sometimes, focusing on the "rest of the story" can add new and important insights to familiar passages.

Charles Waters

commented on Dec 10, 2013

I appreciated the article. Good points. Thanks.

Perry Crenshaw

commented on Dec 10, 2013

I think that it's kind of interesting/funny that these are supposed to be short tips but it's 15 of them.

Cynthia R. Bradley

commented on Dec 10, 2013

Makes me want to go back and read some of these passages. Thank you.

Gordon Mcculloch

commented on Dec 10, 2013

Thanks Peter, I like this this article; these are great points. I think the bottom line is simple, connect with your congregation anyway you can. Don't be afraid to try something new. For me, I know I have hit the mark when I somehow magically find myself preaching, without planning, a the good old NT Gospel. Gordon.

Dennis Cocks

commented on Dec 10, 2013

Great points! I preach on the events surrounding the birth of Christ from Thanksgiving through Christmas (which is 3 messages a week). I have put all 15 points into practice!

Richard Paladin

commented on Dec 11, 2013

Excellent!!!! WOW!

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