Charlie Wear’s Notes

Bob Hyatt has an excellent post about the Death of Preaching. There is a lot to think about there.
When I was preaching on a regular basis (for about three years, 1995-1998) I had a different take on the problems with preaching. I think I did a fairly competent job, but I didn’t see much fruit from the activity. If I preached on morality, then immorality abounded. If I preached on stewardship and serving, then volunteers quit and giving went down.
If you think about it, the act of preaching is pretty unique in today’s methods of “information-sharing.” Where else do you go, other than a political rally, where it is your intention to sit and listen to one person speak? I know it happens in school assemblies where attendance is required, but where else?
So, I guess I am not so worried about the death of preaching. There is a possibility that with the death of preaching we might see the rise of something that might have greater impact in the lives of congregations and individual believers.

This has been a pretty dry period for me. I suffered with a cold for about three weeks, all the while trying to maintain my work schedule, but I don’t think that is really the reason. I just haven’t had much to say. And I still don’t.

I saw Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon last week. Slumdog really blew me away. Very disturbing images and scenes. It is an astonishing film, very unpredictable in a sort of predictable way.

Frost/Nixon was a study in arrogance and devastation. I came away with a lot more respect for David Frost. I found Frank Langella’s performance as Nixon uncanny and strangely sympathetic.

Over at Next-Wave our Ten-Year Retrospective Cover Story earned some criticism for the lack of diversity in those interviewed. I will say this to women who are active in emerging church leadership, send us your articles. They will get a sympathetic reception.

Next-Wave editor Scott Bane has an excellent post on his blog, Fusing the Two Halves of Jesus. Read it and wait with me for the next part of Scott’s article.