What About The Pew Sitter (2)

Kieth V. Warren. Trowel & Sword. June 1981

Preamble: This is part two of last weeks article.

What About The Pew Sitter (2)

I read a story the other day of a theological student who had been asked to take a service somewhere. When he stepped into the pulpit a neatly lettered sign caught his eye. It was not just put there for him, the small wooden plaque was carefully screwed down. It must have been there for years.

On it were the words: “What are you trying to do to these people?”

That’s certainly a powerful question to face when a man is about to get up and preach. It really brings home the truth that preaching is an awesome task. For one thing: it asks of the preacher to give his very best. But what about the congregation? What is the input from their side?

Last month I suggested that people may have talked and written too often about poor preaching at the expense of focussing on poor listening.

One of the dearest wishes of a preacher must be: to bring God’s Word to a congregation which knows how to listen. And knows how to listen well. Listening obediently and responsively. Even aiming to become better listeners. Better partners in that beautiful and mysterious communication: the preaching of God’s Word.

How To Be A Good Listener

In our first article we looked at one suggestion that goes for good and effective listening.

It was: Have a truly Biblical outlook on preaching. It’s actually much more than a suggestion, for suggestions do still have a take-it-or-leave-it emphasis, and this one doesn’t! To have a proper Biblical understanding of what preaching is, would be an absolute must for every Christian, young and old. How vitally important for parents to teach their children that preaching is not some kind of spiritual entertainment, the congregation being the audience, and the minister the paid performer.

No, preaching is God’s gift to the church; by way of the gospel proclamation He does great things. And we regularly need to remind ourselves of this: Our minister is God’s ambassador. God has brought him to this congregation to tell us of Christ, to help us grow in grace. I may not expect to be pleasantly entertained; rather, I must praise God often for His wonderful gift to the church, His gift of preaching and a preacher. I must keenly expect the Holy Spirit to do great things through the sermons of this preacher. In my own life. In the lives of others.

The Holy Spirit

If you cannot produce that sort of mental attitude about preaching and preachers, it’s guaranteed you’re not a good listener. It’s impossible. For good listening begins with the mind, not with the ears. Sure, there’s much more, and we’ll look at some other aspects too. But first of all our thinking; that must be spot on! If it isn’t, if our thoughts about the place of preaching and about the function of the preacher are the wrong thoughts, there’s no doubt we will be poor listeners. Spiritually we will then impoverish ourselves, and our children. For our young people will very quickly take over much of our inability to handle properly this matter of preaching.

There’s something else too. The work of the Holy Spirit! What I mean is this: If we have a very ‘horizontal’ view of preaching, we do not give a rightful place to the Spirit of God. Not at all.

A ‘horizontal’ view of preaching means just that: horizontal. On the human level exclusively! Entertainment good or not so good. Being very concerned about calling a man who is a good preacher, while never realising that the work of the Holy Spirit is essential to make his preaching really good! Our confessional standards clearly emphasise that point. Says the Heidelberg Catechism: “Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all His benefits by faith only, from where does this faith come? From the Holy Spirit who works it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel . . . ” (Q & A 65).

The Canons of Dort speak the same language: “What, therefore, neither the light of nature nor the law could do, that God performs by the operation of the Holy Spirit through the Word or ministry of reconciliation…” (III/IV, art. 6)  “….by His Word and Spirit He certainly and effectually renews them to repentance …” (V, art 7). 

Let me repeat it once more (it is so important). We must teach ourselves and our children that faithful preaching is used by God’s Spirit to lead to faith, to lead to spiritual growth.

But now we must hurry on to more suggestions. Do you feel the need to be a good listener, a better one? Read on. Suggestion number two:

Have A Foot In The Door

Don’t let go of any sermon, till you’ve got a foot in the door. The sermonic door, I mean.  In other words: whatever sermon you listen to, refuse to give it up. Refuse to allow that sermon to be a total waste. Even if it’s one of those days when things just don’t click between pew and pulpit, between you and the preacher. Mentally refuse to give up completely, and find at least one “foothold’ in that sermon. Then, to your amazement you will often find more!

What minister has not talked about his preaching with a few people in the congregation, eyeball to eyeball. And what minister has not heard from the kind lips of a parishioner: “Well, it was probably me.” Whenever there was a short-circuit in communication. Whenever much of it fell somehow flat. ‘Oh, it was probably me.’ The fault was with me, the listener.

May I suggest that the pew-sitter ought only to say that when it’s true. Do not say it out of kindness to your minister, for then your well-intended remark may do more harm than good. If it’s not you, but rather him, don’t twist the facts: there’s far too much at stake! But let’s assume that it was you. Suggestion number two says as much as: don’t let it be you, but find at least one relevant thing in this sermon. Listen keenly for the main point. Get a foot in the door. Mentally stay with that man in the pulpit till you can say: That is for me! That is for me! Right! I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. In every sermon there must be a blessing for me.

I know the analogy is faulty, but I can’t help but think of Jacob wrestling with the heavenly warrior: ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’

If preaching is indeed God’s gracious way with people, then we may be sure that at least something of what is said is truly valuable. For me! For I set myself and say: ‘I am going to find that solid idea in this sermon.’ And the miracle is: if that’s our frame of mind, we will often find more than one solid idea. Maybe even three. Then we haven’t only got a foot in the door, but there’s much more involvement!

Maybe it’s comfort for you. For your family. Maybe a description of the glory of God that is lifting you up. Or an application that really fits your business life, or your marriage, or being single.

I am thinking now of a cute story I read ( or heard) long ago about a little old lady in Amsterdam, visited by her minister. It was still in the days of horse and cart and horse droppings in the streets were a common thing. The minister asked whether his sermons were helpful to her. A horse had just clippity-clopped by, and had felt the call of nature right in front of her house.’ Look’, she said, walking over to the window. See the sparrows going for it, to find at least one or two grains of wheat in it! Yes, your sermons are helpful!’

ANY DUST ON THE BIBLE?

Here’s suggestion number three: The better I know my Bible, the better sermon listener I will be. There’s little doubt about that. I suppose it can be checked out easily enough. Look around in any congregation, and it’s a fact that the people who shy away from Bible study groups, who spend far too many hours in front of the telly, who read no more Bible than the short bit after the evening meal, ah… they simply are not and cannot be good sermon listeners!

Care to think of a football match for a moment? Who are the people who can give expert comment on whether it was a good game, whether there was plenty of class, who were the outstanding players. Only those people who are well acquainted with the sport of football, who know the rules well, who know the variety of tactics and techniques, who once played themselves. Who makes for a good listener to the proclamation of the gospel?  Those who are well acquainted with the gospel. Who read the Bible and buy a good Christian book, and join a Bible study group.

And Then There’s The Body

Good listening can not be done without the use of energy. I read of an author describing as one of the characteristics of good listeners “increased heart action, faster circulation of the blood, and even slightly increased bodily temperature”. This author went on to say that the very word’ attention’ suggests a collection of tensions within the listener which are resolved only when the speaker’s message is communicated.

So the body is very much in the picture as regards good listening. If the preacher doesn’t have your attention, maybe the fault is with your own energy level. Possibly a late Saturday night? As a minister I have often been able to pick those who had been to the wedding breakfast the night before. Of course l had seen them there, and also from the pulpit it was quite plain they had been there!

Or family tension on Sunday morning before church. Like getting up too late. A fight who’s first in the bathroom. Burned toast, Junior wanting to wear thongs to church. Whatever it is, it means unnecessary expenditure of energy. The result is: poor listening, as a rule.

I don’t want to go all sentimental, and say: Ah, the old times were so much better. But it seems to be a fact that previous generations understood better than we do, what it means to prepare yourself for the Sunday, for the worship service, for listening to the sermon. Spiritual, mental, physical preparation. Already on the Saturday.

Now I’m sure that there are other suggestions. Possibly better ones to improve sermon listening. Feedback from the readers would be great!

I have given four suggestions:

1.  A Biblical understanding of the place of preaching in the church; 

2.  An all-out attempt to discover one or more relevant points;

3.  An increasing familiarity with Scriptural and spiritual matters; 

4.  A body-and-soul preparation: good Sunday listening starts on Saturday!

God’s people do have a theological responsibility for good listening. And in good listening God’s people have an opportunity for spiritual growth which comes to them in no other way!

KEITH V. WARREN

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