Articles

"Ethics and the Use of Sermon Resources" - John Indermark
     Of the five articles we read for class today, this was perhaps my favorite. I think that it's really important to think about what we are doing/using when we preach. I've found that many times preachers tend to use others' sermons, without giving credit where it is due. I think that reading others' sermons can be very helpful as we think about sermon illustrations, seek ideas for new approaches or images to use in sermons. But as Inderman points out, too often these resources become more than resources... they become the sermon. As preachers, the congregation expects us to be authentic, genuine, and faithful. If we are simply reading someone else's ideas, especially without giving credit to those authors, then are we being any of those? How can we be genuinely, and authentically us if we are using someone else's experiences for our preaching? For that matter, as Inderman states: "For the sake of clarity, not to mention fairness to the source being used, the people deserve to know when their pastor is preaching and when (and whom) their pastor is reading." (Inderman, in The Clergy Journal, October 2007, p.30)

 "Video as Ethos: Preaching, Pastors and the Nature of Sacred Texts in a Multi-Media Culture" - Alison Witte
     I found this article to be invaluable in its focus on the imporance of preachers establishing authority. The article highlights how this has occurred in the past, how it has changed, particularly in the last few decades, and how we, as preachers must change in order to meet the people where they are at. Thoughout much of the history of the church, Scripture was understood to be inerrant, inspired by the Divine, and as such, had was authoritative. Because preachers spoke about the scriptures, taught and clarified their meanings, they were seen as also having authority. Sermons were intended to educate listeners, connect faith to secular life, and convert others to faith. The authority and faithfulness of the preacher was judged by how he taught and explained the texts (Witte, p.6). The life of the preacher (i.e living in accord with the things he was teaching) also established his ethos (p.7). Much of this has changed over the past decades, however, as understandings of scripture have changed, and culture has changed, preachers are not seen as having authority simply because they teach the scriptures (since the scriptures themselves are no longer viewed to be inerrant, etc.). Rather, authority must be established in a new way. Using technology in sermons helps to establish this authority, because preachers are viewed by their hearers as being connected with them (that they truly understand the people, and what they are concerned about, etc). Doing this makes the preacher credible to their audience. By using aspects of the culture in the sermon, the preacher is able to establish ethos, and in doing so, provide credibility to her/his teachings.