Brothers, we are not performance artists
Incidentally, some of the American guys are getting very worked up about plagiarism on the part of preachers. Apparently some people read other people's sermons and then use the outlines or even the illustrations without saying "I got this structure from Rowan Williams" or "to use David Jenkins' illustration...".
Yes? And?
I remember years ago reading a man's book on Acts - it was so helpful that I used some of his structures, though I could NEVER have used any of his illustrations - we lived in different worlds! I emailed him and "confessed". He said "That's great. Glad to be of help. All preachers are plagiarists."
Certainly anyone who has used any of Dale Ralph Davis' books will know how hard it is to go back to your own structure afterwards, though again I don't think I could EVER use any of his illustrations, and you have to find your own route to Christ.
What is the issue here?
Is it that we should be original? Rubbish to that! Our people don't need originality. They need fidelity.
Is it some kind of copyright thing? Can't see it. Nothing would delight me more than to think that some day somebody heard or saw an outline of one of my messages and found it helpful enough to use.
After all, preachers are not artists. We are domestic cooks serving up food to the family. If there's a nourishing recipe let's share it and use it. Surely?
Laziness? Ah yes - that is an issue. But I don't know many lazy pastors. Actually, I can't think of any! I know a lot of pastors who are preaching a lot and doing a lot of other things, too.
Of course, there is the danger that you can just take someone else's structure without having worked out the issues of the meaning of the passage for yourself.
What do you think, folks?
Yes? And?
I remember years ago reading a man's book on Acts - it was so helpful that I used some of his structures, though I could NEVER have used any of his illustrations - we lived in different worlds! I emailed him and "confessed". He said "That's great. Glad to be of help. All preachers are plagiarists."
Certainly anyone who has used any of Dale Ralph Davis' books will know how hard it is to go back to your own structure afterwards, though again I don't think I could EVER use any of his illustrations, and you have to find your own route to Christ.
What is the issue here?
Is it that we should be original? Rubbish to that! Our people don't need originality. They need fidelity.
Is it some kind of copyright thing? Can't see it. Nothing would delight me more than to think that some day somebody heard or saw an outline of one of my messages and found it helpful enough to use.
After all, preachers are not artists. We are domestic cooks serving up food to the family. If there's a nourishing recipe let's share it and use it. Surely?
Laziness? Ah yes - that is an issue. But I don't know many lazy pastors. Actually, I can't think of any! I know a lot of pastors who are preaching a lot and doing a lot of other things, too.
Of course, there is the danger that you can just take someone else's structure without having worked out the issues of the meaning of the passage for yourself.
What do you think, folks?
Comments
On the other hand, if you have just been to a conference and use a striking illustration from the main speaker or whatever the following week in your own church, then I think a word of acknowledgement would be in order! I suppose that that to use what dead men have said is a bit different to what the living are still saying, but if you are not going into print with it, an occasional thank you publicly might be in order. There! I have managed to support both sides of the argument.
I don't think any decent, God fearing preacher would dare preach without preparing himself before God, and looking into the Scriptures for himself. Perhaps I have led a sheltered life and am naive. I have only delivered talks for young people and perhaps it's a reflection of the material for youth that there is out there, but I actually feel more 'right' about my talk if I try to stick with Scripture as much as I can. I do like various commentators and have found them quite helpful but I keep to Scripture, sometimes for brevity's sake! I do go on don't I?!
Maybe there is more of a problem with this in USA, where everyone can use the same illustrations about ballgames and hamburgers and, like, stuff. There was the suggestion that people are actually regurgitating complete sermons, but it is the American brethren and sistren who are kicking up a fuss about it.
Our denomination (I find that word so hard to type) holds its regional synods on the same dates all over France. I say that grandly, but there's not that many regions, really. Anyway, they ask that the preacher at the Sunday session of the synod send his sermon script round all the churches in advance so that while the pastors are in Synod preachers can preach the synod sermon in all the churches.
Most pastors go home on Saturday night, though, and preach their own sermon.
I don't think I'd keep telling the folks of my indebtedness - or at least I always find that irritating when I listen to preachers.
When I listen, I am not that bothered who helped the preacher to get their understanding of the text and how to preach it. I am more concerned with whether I can see that their approach is fair to the text and relevant to my life and compelling.
I often hear the preacher say, 'I'm preaching to myself here also.' It doesn't matter how 'skilled' or clever or even original you are, just tell us, and thank you for your obedience.
I was interested to read your comments on preaching and the use of other men. For what it's worth, I always prepare my sermon in full before looking at what anyone else has said (unless it's a very difficult passage / verse that I'm getting nowhere with, and then I'll have a look for inspiration). Once I've prepared my message I then look at commentaries / sermons and then go back to my message and look at it again in the light of what others have said. Sometimes it results in major changes and other times there is little change. I find that this enables the message to be the result of my own thinking, but also gives plenty of scope for the message to benefit from the insights of others. To be honest, I'm not convinced that there is one right way of preparing a sermon. Different preachers have to find what suits them and this will be influenced by personality, time constraints...etc. At the moment I'm preaching through Mark's gospel on Sunday mornings. Amongst other things, I always look at Geoff Thomas' sermons on the AP website. They are almost always very helpful and he gives good ideas for illustrations and quotes lots of hymns, which often gives me an idea of what we will sing to close the service. However, I could never take a Geoff sermon and make it my own! Can you imagine it?
Frankly, no. I can't imagine it.
Once I heard Stuart Olyott do one of his list sermons: "This parable teaches us 5 things about the Kingdom of God. Here they are".
I was so taken with it that I decided to try it for myself. But my list had 9 things. No good! Too many!
http://www.reformation21.org/Reformation_21_Blog/Reformation_21_Blog/58/vobId__4749/