American Preaching Idol(aters)
Tom Ascol of Founders Ministries has dug up a story we might wish had stayed buried. Original Productions, creators of such “cultural documentaries” as Monster Garage and Deadliest Catch (one of my favorites), has a new venture. Pulpit Masters combines the talent (gong) show format of Star Search and American Idol with the uneasiness of a Junior High School public speaking contest, only the stakes are much higher. Rather than adolescent musings, the public proclamation of the Word of God is at stake.
I wonder if our surprise should be directed at the fact that it has come to this or that it did not come sooner? At nearly every level, the Church in America has been saturated with the stains of worldliness. Though I’d like to believe this was not their intention, the church growth/seeker-sensitive movements have looked to the world for so long that the world has now become the judge of preaching. Yes, preaching must contain passion and it must be clear, but preaching cannot be equated with public speaking. I can’t help but wonder who their judge of exegesis is going to be.
Remembering that Moses (Exodus 4:10) would not have made it far in such a format, I’ll close with three of J.W. Alexander’s Thoughts on Preaching:
- No good preacher was ever made such by exercise in oratory.
- Some of the greatest effects have been produced by men who had no external graces of style and elocution.
- The attraction of the modern pulpit is something altogether different from any spiritual quality. It indicates a sickly mind in the Christian public. Under such preaching a morbid state is produced.
Read the original post from the Founders Ministries Blog.
Read Thoughts on Preaching by J.W. Alexander.
Visit the Pulpit Masters website.
Visit the Original Productions website.
Visit the American Idol website.
Brent,
How about you and I auditioning for this show, huh?
Wade
Wade;
I was actually wondering about auditioning and just laying the Gospel on them, calling them all to repent. I wonder how that would go over…
Brent,
I say go for it! Heck, they’ll love the ratings!
Wade