FROM THE EDITORS
Marshall Shelley
April 1, 1990
Ernest Hemingway hardly could be described as pastoral, but as a writer he managed to make a mark. He once commented about his craft: "A writer's problem does not change. He himself changes and the world he lives in changes, but his problem remains the same. It is always how to write truly and, having found out what is true, to project it in such a way that it becomes a part of the experience of the person who reads it." I was struck by how his comment could apply also to the preacher, whose call is to discover God's truth and present it in such a way that listeners will experience that truth. While that is the constant, I find that today's pastors wrestle with widely diverse elements of that task. During seminary, young preachers are rightly concerned with learning biblical interpretation and sermon preparation and delivery. But once in the pastorate, the focus changes. Over the past two years, as we've planned the book Mastering Contemporary Preaching for the new LEADERSHIP book series, I've been asking pastors, "What's the toughest part of preaching for you? In what area would you like help?" The responses varied, depending on the preachers' amount of experience. Here are some of the more frequent responses from working pastors. 1. The interest factor. Many pastors are interested in being interesting. "I want to explain Scripture in a way people will remember," said one. Conversations with these preachers almost invariably turn to techniques of good communication: How do I grab interest? Where do I find good illustrations and fresh insights? What's memorable? 2. Learning to be myself. Other preachers want to discover their own style so they can allow God to speak through them. "I want to be effective, and that means building ...
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