Domain Knowledge 8.29.2024

    None of us knows everything. Some of us know more than others. Broad reading across various disciplines helps us to acquire special knowledge and to hone our reasoning. Experts are necessary in virtually every area of human knowledge. We don’t need millions of neurosurgeons. We need a few highly trained, disciplined neurosurgeons who, doing the hard work for all the rest of us, serve us all. Similarly, we need competent, trained, curious, growing people in ministry. We need men and women who recognize the importance of properly prepared, timely, and effective preaching. This work may not be as detailed as neurosurgery, but those who engage in it need to take it seriously and do the work with passion and excellence. 

    Having identified vocational ministry as your domain does not mean that you are free to ignore every other area of inquiry. What good would your preaching be if you could not relate it to the concerns and issues of contemporary culture? Domain knowledge is not exclusionary; it is inclusive. Domain knowledge provides an organizing center for how a person approaches all other areas of inquiry. Before we leave behind our neurosurgeon, consider this.  It seems reasonable to expect someone who has devoted their professional life to such an exacting discipline would filter much of their ongoing reading and information grazing through that discipline. 

    I certainly hope that this is true of most disciplines and speaking to our mutual calling I would argue that it is essential to ministry. As we conduct these regular conversations (albeit I seem to be doing most of the talking) one of my central concerns is integrating all our knowledge acquisition into this one central concern, this one essential focus—preaching. That is our domain, but certainly not our only interest. It helps to organize our thinking, to channel it—not to limit it.  Here are a few issues to keep in mind as you engage in conversation, read, surf the web, and interact with the world in general. 

Be aware of “untethered” theological language

    That is, be aware, not “beware.” By untethered theological language I mean terms that express thoughts, wishes, desires, cravings, and longings in the hearts and minds of people you meet. We might not consider these expressions as theological or particularly spiritual, and the person uttering might not see them that way either, but in my experience these kinds of words speak to a person’s inner life—call it the God-shaped hole at the center of their being. 

    Not only will you encounter these kinds of sentiments in many conversations, when you are actively looking you will find that they practically litter all kinds of writing. We are all spiritual creatures even when we are not feeding that part of our being. We read the following words of clarification in “the Preacher’s” musings in the book of Ecclesiastes.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV)

Many, if not most people who use this unstructured language of longing will not be able to articulate the source of that need. They will be clueless about its resolution. As a student of Scripture and keen observer of human nature—you know and can measure your words to answer those unasked questions you hear every day. 

Be available to “unaware seekers”

    In the same way there are many whose language is unknowingly theological; others are seekers who do not know they are seeking. Their search may take many forms. They may pursue meaning in work, in their children, in music, social-media, or the old option of addictive behaviors or substances. They may even try alternative spiritualities hoping to quell their inner questioning. 

    You may need to help some of these people articulate the nature of their need for the very first time. You may have to help them name it. You don’t want to spy on people, but you must be aware. You must pay attention. Your domain is Scripture and understanding how God was in Christ saving the world. Any reading of the Gospels tells us that Jesus was constantly aware of the unarticulated spiritual needs around Him. You don’t have to be Jesus to pay attention. 

Be skillful but with humility

    The best heart surgeon I ever saw operated on many people from my Church. He never seemed to get tired of explaining to people how a good a surgeon he was. He was not loud and boastful. He was actually sort of soft-spoken. Yet he understood that he was a very good surgeon and was unafraid of announcing how good he was.

    There is nothing wrong with being self-aware and humble. These two things go together. When we understand our abilities, we are able to grow into them and even expand them. We will be well enough aware of our limitations, willing to test them and expand beyond them. 

    When we understand who we are and the extent of our abilities it is then that we can be truly humble. Too many preachers denigrate their own abilities. Preachers who are constantly apologizing for not being better, not knowing more, not being skillful--are not being humble, they are being pathetic and blaming God for allowing them to serve out of their depth. If you find yourself in the deep end of the pool, don’t blame the lifeguard—learn to swim. 

Be truthful

    I don’t know means I don’t know—but I can find the answer. If you can’t help someone, level with them and tell them that you can’t help them. If you think a commonly held doctrine is incorrect, learn how to politely correct people. Don’t allow people to hang on to treasured misinterpretations of Scripture.  There is no way to recover from lying to people or intentionally misleading them. 

    Be truthful and you will be trusted even when people disagree with you. Be duplicitous and even those who see eye to eye with you will have difficulty looking you in the eye. 

Under promise, overdeliver 

    This kind of goes with what I said earlier about humility. Don’t bite off more than you can chew and don’t write exegetical checks that you can’t hermeneutically cash. You don’t have to solve every theological problem and address the full spectrum of spiritual issues in every sermon. You have next week. You have other teaching opportunities. 

    Do well the single thing that is before you in this message. I don’t want a neurosurgeon to be doing a bunch of different things when she’s working on me. I want her to address the single issue for which she opened my skull. If she can promise what she delivers, fine. If she is able to do more than she promised BRAVO!  It is better to surprise people than disappoint them. 

Final Thoughts

    People need to know that you are skilled, that you are listening, that you are capable, and that you are humble. And none of that matters if you cannot be trusted to tell the truth. If you don’t know. Say you don’t know. If you have drawn conclusions which may not be popular, mainstream, or even acceptable to the “evangelical” mainstream don’t apologize, but be forthright about how you came to think the way you do. And perhaps more than anything else don’t make intellectual promises that your reading and study can’t deliver. Don’t substitute the work of others for what you have not yet done. Find the answers, then answer questions. 

    One of the abiding facts of the preaching ministry is that we tend to speak in a forum and format in which there is no direct feedback. We may pay attention to eyes and body language, but this isn’t football, no one’s going to throw a flag or blow a whistle. Unlike a surgeon our team is not in a position to assist, intervene or steer us if we get off course. We tend to work by ourselves, without a net, in real time. 

    Draw your confidence from the God whose gifting is the call to ministry. Use those gifts. By His grace, in accordance with the measure of the faith within you; work hard to understand His word, to understand His world and to connect the two in your preaching.