The mentality of many in our North American culture is to take the easy way out. On many different levels, people gravitate to taking shortcuts and are often reluctant to tackle the difficult issues that make life a little less predictable and tidy. We live in a “quick fix” society that wants to see results without any sacrifice or challenge. This mindset can be observed in a number of areas such as politics, economics, education and, dare I say, preaching.
As a minister of God, I have an enormous responsibility each week as I try my best with the guidance of the Holy Spirit to dispense the Word of God to those in my congregation. My prime objective is to present the whole of Scripture and the truths contained in it in such a way that it connects with the listener on their level, gives them a sense of hope and direction, and reveals to them the amazing grace of a loving God.
While it is my goal to preach the whole of the Bible, I have to admit that in many ways I fall short in carrying out this task. The reason for this is that there are some Scripture texts where the grace of God appears to be absent and instead of seeing a loving, gentle God, I see a God who seems to be cold and calloused in his wrath and anger.
When we read the Books of Joshua and Judges, we see Yahweh, the God of Israel, sanctioning violence that leads to devastating carnage, bloodshed and loss of lives. It is so easy to isolate these actions and fail to see God's ultimate sovereign plan for his chosen people. Preachers often quickly gloss over the blood-and-guts stories and fail to adequately define their purpose and place of relevance for us today. They neglect to show how a congregation can learn from such hostile situations in their cultural context. In other words, they do not want to make God look bad.
The fact of the matter is that these two fascinating Books of the Bible contain many relevant topics that speak openly about 21st-century issues, such as discrimination and brutality against women, political leadership and war. While these engaging topics permeate both Joshua and Judges, it is not easy to preach (or read) these texts in neat, little, compartmentalized boxes with bright red bows on top where there is a resolute ending and everyone goes home with that “happy” feeling.
These texts challenge us and allow us to dig deeper concerning issues that plague us on every corner. Herein is the challenge for preachers and Christians alike. Because the stories that unfold in these books are in some ways ambiguous in their meaning and message, it is hard to present them as they are and leave it at that.
A great example of this is found in the story of the abused concubine in Judges 19. This story graphically displays how a woman is maliciously mistreated and victimized to the point of death. To preach from this text would be challenging. But in saying that, if it was done in such a way as to bring awareness of such issues in our society, such as sexual trafficking, it wouldn't be out of place at all.
It's important that as I preach God's Word, I do not short-change my congregation and allow myself to take the easy way out and only preach the “standards” of the Biblical narrative. I've found that when these challenging stories are shared, they pique people's curiosity and awareness, and encourage them to step back and reflect on their faith.
Captain Kristian Simms is the corps officer of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. His pursuit in life is to live every day to the fullest for Christ. He has a strong passion and love for youth ministry and cheers for the greatest hockey team of all time: The Montreal Canadians. He has been married for eight years to Lesley, the best lady in the world. He also has a really cute dog named Mickey.
As a minister of God, I have an enormous responsibility each week as I try my best with the guidance of the Holy Spirit to dispense the Word of God to those in my congregation. My prime objective is to present the whole of Scripture and the truths contained in it in such a way that it connects with the listener on their level, gives them a sense of hope and direction, and reveals to them the amazing grace of a loving God.
While it is my goal to preach the whole of the Bible, I have to admit that in many ways I fall short in carrying out this task. The reason for this is that there are some Scripture texts where the grace of God appears to be absent and instead of seeing a loving, gentle God, I see a God who seems to be cold and calloused in his wrath and anger.
When we read the Books of Joshua and Judges, we see Yahweh, the God of Israel, sanctioning violence that leads to devastating carnage, bloodshed and loss of lives. It is so easy to isolate these actions and fail to see God's ultimate sovereign plan for his chosen people. Preachers often quickly gloss over the blood-and-guts stories and fail to adequately define their purpose and place of relevance for us today. They neglect to show how a congregation can learn from such hostile situations in their cultural context. In other words, they do not want to make God look bad.
The fact of the matter is that these two fascinating Books of the Bible contain many relevant topics that speak openly about 21st-century issues, such as discrimination and brutality against women, political leadership and war. While these engaging topics permeate both Joshua and Judges, it is not easy to preach (or read) these texts in neat, little, compartmentalized boxes with bright red bows on top where there is a resolute ending and everyone goes home with that “happy” feeling.
These texts challenge us and allow us to dig deeper concerning issues that plague us on every corner. Herein is the challenge for preachers and Christians alike. Because the stories that unfold in these books are in some ways ambiguous in their meaning and message, it is hard to present them as they are and leave it at that.
A great example of this is found in the story of the abused concubine in Judges 19. This story graphically displays how a woman is maliciously mistreated and victimized to the point of death. To preach from this text would be challenging. But in saying that, if it was done in such a way as to bring awareness of such issues in our society, such as sexual trafficking, it wouldn't be out of place at all.
It's important that as I preach God's Word, I do not short-change my congregation and allow myself to take the easy way out and only preach the “standards” of the Biblical narrative. I've found that when these challenging stories are shared, they pique people's curiosity and awareness, and encourage them to step back and reflect on their faith.
Captain Kristian Simms is the corps officer of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. His pursuit in life is to live every day to the fullest for Christ. He has a strong passion and love for youth ministry and cheers for the greatest hockey team of all time: The Montreal Canadians. He has been married for eight years to Lesley, the best lady in the world. He also has a really cute dog named Mickey.
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