With the focus of reclaiming the sermon as the ancient art form that it is, Rob Bell, Shane Hipps, and Peter Rollins will be spending the first part of this week in Grand Rapids, MI talking with hundreds of pastors.
Last night Rob Bell began by talking about the sermon and its coming “resurgence as the world becomes more twitterized.” He explored what the “sermon” has looked like over the years and what it takes to compellingly communicate God’s message to a world that desperately needs to hear it.
In conclusion, Bell encouraged the pastors in attendance with two key ideas. First, words create new worlds. They create new possibilities for not just solving problems or answering questions but for beginning a dialogue about what the Word says today. The sermon needs to move the Word of God from just words to actual “flesh and blood” action in the hearer’s life.
Second, pastors should preach “not because you have to say something but because you have something to say.” It’s better to preach a message from the heart than to preach out of obligation.
The discussions to follow through out the remainder of the conference will focus on everything from theology to exploring concepts to the practical nature of preaching the word of God effectively today.
If you’re in the Grand Rapids, MI area, I would encourage you to attend the remaining seminars. Stop by the Devos Performance Hall and get a ticket before they sell out! For more information visit www.robbell.com.
