BY THE WAY - WHEN PREACHERS DO USE "MADE UP" STORIES...
...They have a very good precedent! Jesus did that a lot. His parables were openly made-up stories, to make his point in the most unforgettable way.
In the post below, "Who's Your Daddy," I had wondered whether that great story was a preacher's "made-up" story. Well, that was just the reflex of old economist, cropping up where it did not belong. It was not meant in any way to suggest that such stories were bad. Many preachers find them extremely helpful.
That's not all: preachers should always be allowed to use, not only made-up stories, but - even plagarism!
Sure, ideally it is best to give credit for whatever use is made of another's material or ideas. But the task of a preacher is different from that of a journalist or scholar. In a message that is spoken, not written, footnote-kinds of attribution or documentation are a distraction. They can dilute an otherwise excellent sermon or make it too long.
Sermons try to bring what the preacher fervently prays and hopes is the word of God for a particular group on that particular day. It will also be a congregation fighting sleepiness and distraction while hoping for a helpful word.
Give preachers a break! Often it is well-chosen plagerism or made-up stories that help us best remember just exactly those things we needed most to hear.
In the post below, "Who's Your Daddy," I had wondered whether that great story was a preacher's "made-up" story. Well, that was just the reflex of old economist, cropping up where it did not belong. It was not meant in any way to suggest that such stories were bad. Many preachers find them extremely helpful.
That's not all: preachers should always be allowed to use, not only made-up stories, but - even plagarism!
Sure, ideally it is best to give credit for whatever use is made of another's material or ideas. But the task of a preacher is different from that of a journalist or scholar. In a message that is spoken, not written, footnote-kinds of attribution or documentation are a distraction. They can dilute an otherwise excellent sermon or make it too long.
Sermons try to bring what the preacher fervently prays and hopes is the word of God for a particular group on that particular day. It will also be a congregation fighting sleepiness and distraction while hoping for a helpful word.
Give preachers a break! Often it is well-chosen plagerism or made-up stories that help us best remember just exactly those things we needed most to hear.
posted by Old Neocon at 12:16 PM
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