May Reading Report

I have been trying to complete reading  The Thirty Years War: 1618-1648. By Georges Pages.  I finished it on May 22. I will now report on it. This book has been on my shelf for a long time. It is a Harper Torch book. I purchased bushels of those books over the years commonly at used book stores or sales. I can see dozens of them just by turning to my right. These are the kinds of volumes I would purchase thinking “I’m going to want to explore this topic one of these days.” Curiosity and breadth not only keeps a preacher from being boring it helps us to view the world from a much higher altitude than is typical. I chose to read this book now because I found that the intersection of Politics and Religion was timely. It is also essential  to get historical perspective on these two topics while examining the tensions between them. When we are properly Kingdom focused we are better able to resist the allure of power and wealth offered by Empire. The Thirty-Years war is far enough removed to give us historical perspective whilst still exposing commonalities with our current era. 

The Thirty-Years war is primarily thought of as a religious war. The last war in Europe between Catholicism and Protestantism. While the seeds of the conflict were sown in the struggle between the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation Pages does a good job of drilling down to the real issue. Power. Oddly enough the “hero” of the book is Cardinal Richelieu who rightly understood that the real issue was who was going to control the Germanys and through that control the rest of Europe. 

So, though it seemed that the issue was between Catholic and Protestant, the evolution and outcome of the war came down to purely political alignments. In the end France fought Spain and the Holy Roman Empire (all three being Catholic) because Richelieu and his successors rightly understood that France could not afford to be surrounded by other great powers even if they shared the same faith allegiance.

In our era which consistently mistakes the role of Empire and Church this is the most important take-away. The Twenty-First century once again requires us to be clear in this distinction. Hiding nationalist, political, or economic self-interest in the language of faith does not sanctify it nor does it legitimize it. The Holy-Roman Empire’s central concern in Germany was property, power, and prestige. Even the Pope’s blessing could not make it otherwise. Spain may have sharpened its faith during the Reconquista but subduing the Bohemians in Bohemia was not the same thing as reclaiming their own territory. Faith may have given them cover but “there was gold in them there hills.” 

Reading this book was tiresome. Physically it was published (as many Harper Torch Books were) on poor paper. Now yellowing, it was hard to read, particularly in poor light. This meant it took longer than it should have which was frustrating. 

Next, being an older work in History it lacks much of the apparatus of historical analysis that we have come to expect. No maps. No tables. No charts. This is particularly problematic with respect to the political-geography of the Germanys which is the setting for much of the “action.” I can’t even get Scrivener (my word processor) to correctly deal with the proper way of writing what the Germanys then were. There was no Germany as we know it. The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nations (Peoples) encompassed more and less than our present geo-political reality. Every person who spoke German in central Europe; and many who did not. It was always more of an idea than anything else—wishful thinking really. So without both historical maps to follow the discussion and modern maps to bring things into contemporary context, it was often difficult to visualize what was happening where. There was information which would have been better summarized in tables and helpfully illustrated with graphs but those instruments were not exploited as they should have been. 

A final aggravation, specifically because this was a book about a war, was the lack of detailed tactical information. Time and again a battle was mentioned as being central, emblematic, or critical—and that was it, just a mention. I was constantly firing up my phone and looking up the details of battles so I understood why something he called critical, was critical. 

Towards the end of the book the author refused to grab the low-hanging fruit and discuss the total devastation of the Germanys during the course of the war. Some areas lost 70% of their pre-war population. Armies of all combatant nations marched across the German countryside debauching, destroying, depopulating. Pages mentioned that the peasants were just as poor afterwards, but not in constant fear of unprovoked attack. 

Despite these criticisms the book was helpful. If you can find it I would recommend you grit your teeth and read it. We always think that our time is different. We think our motivations are purer, or clearer, or nobler than those who came before us. Yet, when we examine a clearly demarcated historical period, the scales come off of our eyes and we realize that there really is nothing new under the sun. 

Prophylactic Scripture....

    The Bible is not a prophylactic. The Bible is not a talisman. The Bible is not a lucky charm. The Bible is a word spoken from God. It requires attention. It requires an investment of mental capital and a commitment to both understand and apply it. 

It is through such diligence that those who are in rebellion against God can come to understand their sin and yield their will to the Father’s saving purpose in Jesus. This is the kind of commitment which allows disciples to grow and mature into the image of the Word who became incarnate so that He might save and sanctify us by His blood and by his word. 

The Bible is the word of God and it contains many words from God. A lot of those words are unfamiliar in our fallen, secular culture. That’s actually ok. It is when the Word of God seems familiar, flattering, and fuzzy to the fallen that we must question the fidelity of those of us who proclaim that world to that culture. To those who are perishing the Scripture should explode the pretense of invulnerability. To those who are marginalized by our culture the Bible should communicate hope. To those who are hurting there “is a balm in Gilead.” For those who are lost the Bible describes the way to follow Him who is the Way. So we need to understand that the Bible is not just for protecting us from things. God’s Word unleashes His power in the world. God’s word projects His authoritative will in His church and through the Church to a culture which is drying up and dieing. The Bible promotes righteousness. The Bible proscribes the fate of the fallen.

It's not an inoculation. It's not just about "protection" Scripture forms our mind, focuses our character, fixes our mission.

The Distraction(s) Return

There were advantages and opportunities in 2020. We generally did not think of them that way. No gatherings. No parties. No graduations. No comings and goings. No quick trips here or unplanned trips there. 

Ones working conditions largely depended on what kind of industry you were in and where you lived. Urban centers with mostly white collar workers saw an exodus. All those people staying away from office towers and industrial parks had an impact on other downstream businesses. The service sector (restaurants in particular) suffered damage which will require years of rebuilding. 

I just kept coming down the hill. I studied scripture. Wrote sermons and lessons. Added additional online opportunities for our congregation. This experience seems to be pretty typical for most preachers. We may have had to do much of our preaching online but generally we did more of it and the time and energy spent in preparing is the same regardless of the medium used to present the message. 

Another positive? Covid kept the normal distractions from monopolizing our time for worship and spiritual growth. There was nothing else happening most weekends. The worship may have been online but you were able to join in without the risk of distraction. If you decided to spend more time in reading the Bible the same truth applied. If you were furloughed or layed off  from work you had more time to read the Bible. You could spend time learning a subject in detail. You could catch up on correspondence. 

We live in a distraction-defined age. Most of us look forward to “nothing happening.” The last year provided an opportunity to ask ourselves “What would I choose to do, when there is nothing else I can do?” And now that the end of the pandemic blooms around us we have a different choice to make. Summer is once again  coming. The “normal” is peeking over the horizon. More to do means more distractions to process, more choices to choose, more alternatives to consider. 

Yes, it was an unprecedented and difficult year. It was also a year without many of those distractions which keep Christians from the practices of discipleship and growth. We only have so much time. Choosing how we will use our time means setting priorities and making choices. We have had an entire year to consider what is truly important. Have we? Have you? 

  The distractions are returning. How we respond contributes to the final estimate of the outcome of the pandemic. If we return to a process in which we are only always distracted by the next thing which catches our attention, if we fail to set meaningful priorities enforced with sometimes difficult and unpopular decisions, if we fail to consider the long-term consequences of our choices; we will have taken one year off and several steps back.

Durable Preaching

    Cy Young won more games than any other pitcher. Cy Young lost more games than any other pitcher. Cy Young pitched. He did not miss starts. He took the ball when it was his turn and fulfilled his mission. We have an award (actually 2) named after Denton True “Cyclone” Young. No one pitches like him any more. Walter Johnson. Three Finger Brown. Dizzy Dean. None of these pitchers missed starts. They mostly finished the games they started. It was not unusual for pitchers to throw both ends of a double header well into the 1920s. 

In the 21^st century baseball may need to redefine what a “win” is because a starting pitcher going more than 5 innings is so rare that it is becoming a relic. The last great pitcher characterized by his durability was Greg Maddux. 

This is not the first time this year I have compared preaching to pitching. I think that there is a corollary between the way each is conceived. In preaching and pitching one man represents the entire enterprise for a specific, limited period of time. He is not the only one who does it but he is on the mound right now. Each of these disciplines has undergone many evolutionary changes. What is occurring now sits upon that boundary between devolution and revolution. 

In 2021 no major league pitcher is expected to pitch, much less win, without his best stuff. It is hoped he can go Six innings. Seven innings pitched is thought extraordinary. Complete games are becoming rare. Cy Young recorded 826 decisions. It is likely that he lost games when he had his best stuff; the fast ball hopped and the curve fell off the table. It is just as likely that he won games with no zip and no break using his wits and experience. 

Durable preaching works largely in the same way. Sometimes the sermon prep was perfect. You got 12 hours of sleep Saturday night and everything went smooth getting to the church. Next Saturday night you might sleep poorly. You might be moody or have a sore throat. And the fact of the matter is that a message which seemed brilliant in the study may be dull in the pulpit. You won’t always have your best stuff. You won’t always be at your best. One of the skills a preacher needs is durability. And durability is largely a matter of desire. Determination and creativity fueled by a sense of purpose. Durable preaching means being impeccably prepared and yet knowing when to vary cadence, delivery, approach, attitude and demeanor to make up for not having your best stuff. 

Durability means being dependable and it can be learned. It can be developed. Today let’s examine what is required to become a durable preacher.

It Requires Communication

When I was hired at the Grayville First Christian Church I clearly communicated that I was a 52 week a year guy. They should not expect to have  a lot of guest speakers, pulpit fillers, substitutes, missionaries, or special-emphasis-programs on Sunday morning. My goal is to plan the entire years preaching for the Church. The first priority in ministry is preaching. In my To-do list only preaching matters are ever given a number 1 priority. 

In practice, including “vacations” it works out to preaching 50 or 51 Sunday mornings a year. The two weeks I am on vacation (if we take a vacation that is. As Grandparents “vacation” is often determined by others) are a part of the preaching plan. There is a text, title, and theme provided to the person who will be filling the pulpit that day. Why? I am called to lead this congregation through the preaching of the Word. It is not a random activity. I am not a dilettante.  I’m not dabbling here. This is what I do. I want to do it well. I want to be consistent and dependable. I am responsible for those Sundays I am not in the pulpit.  I want people to know that when they worship here they can expect a Biblical, relevant, clear sermon—not occasionally—every week. If you want to be a week in week out, dependable, durable preacher it begins by clearly communicating this intent and then doing the work every week that reinforces what you have said. 

It Requires Discipline

If your job is a Sr. Minister, Preacher, Pastor, the head guy, whatever you want to call it and you can’t find the time to prepare to preach well every week of the year you need to rethink your priorities. I get many ministry-focused Emails. Some disappoint me, some irritate me. If you have so many things to do that you cannot find time to get ready to preach you are doing the wrong things. It really is that simple. We don’t have durable preachers because we tolerated, coddled, promoted, and indulged undisciplined preachers. We have so lowered the expectations that we have created a talent pool which expects to throw hard, leave early and never have to preach unless that have an impeccably prepared BIG IDEA vetted by experts that has take weeks to prepared.  They  are gifted. They have talent and ability.  Lacking grit, guile, and gumption they walk into the pulpit and “throw” as hard as they can for the minimum. They don’t think of what they said last week or what they will say the next. They get big ideas quickly and run out of ideas  quickly because they  are not thinking long term. They are not thinking about years worth of preaching. They are fixated on the  bigger and better on the more creative and contemporary. They are less interested in preaching than production and more focused on experience than sermon.

 Durable preaching thinks long term. Durable preaching is patient. Durable preaching works the body. (I’m sorry about the mixed metaphor)  Durable preaching knows when to throw heat and when to throw the hook. Durable preaching knows how to work all sides of the plate with a variety of pitches. Durable preaching is disciplined preaching. 

I’m not merely talking about getting up early and staying up late. That is a part of discipline and actually the easiest to master.  In fact this kind of disciplined behavior is  often used to mask other undisciplined behaviors which are actually more germane to preaching well. 

Discipline means a plan. Discipline means repeatable processes. Discipline means focus. Discipline means knowing what you are trying to accomplish and knowing when you are finished. Not knowing when to stop plagues preparation as well as delivery of the sermon. Discipline means that this sermon sets up the next sermon as surely as a high inside fastball sets up a low outside curve. 

Discipline means aiming for cumulative impact. This Sunday’s sermon functions within a broader teaching context. While it stands alone exegeting and explaining this Biblical text it is part of something bigger. It is complete but not exhaustive. Every preacher could die before next week’s sermon. I may die before next Sunday. So, I need to be prepared to both go to my reward and preach next Sunday.  Too many preachers are better prepared for death than next Sunday. You need to be prepared for both. But the chances are next Sunday will come first. 

When I read what others say about not preaching too much it often sounds self-indulgent, lazy, and unprofessional. Discipline creates an atmosphere of diligent humility. Discipline gives structure and direction to our work ethic. Discipline immerses us in the regularity of the workshop.  Discipline helps us to be better, do better, want better. None of these things merely occur. Discipline helps us get them. 

For now I will stop. I may return to this issue at another time in a different format but I wanted to get this out “on the line”  and hopefully begin what strikes me as an important conversation. 

Industry is filled with people who want jobs, but who do not want to work. Baseball is filled with pitchers who are expected to pitch  what other generations would consider part-time. Pulpits are being occupied by preachers who think that 50 sermons a year would be an intolerable work-load. A  generation ago most of those preachers would have preached two services every single Sunday. 

Expectations become self fulfilling prophecies. If you are not expected to be durable by others, and won’t expect it from yourself don’t be surprised when your neglected gift becomes fragile and unusable. Limber up. Practice up. Learn the disciplines which will help you to become a durable every week preacher. A preacher that God can use through the regular rhythms, the week-in-week-out, deliberate focused work that prepares you to be accountable even on your “off” days. Durable preachers like durable pitchers are not afraid to put the ball into play.