Comments on: Why theocentric preaching isn’t as boring as it sounds http://www.theocentricpreaching.com/2006/06/27/why-theocentric-preaching-isnt-as-boring-as-it-sounds/ "The most difficult lie I have ever contended with is this: Life is a story about me." Donald Miller Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:24:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: dsd http://www.theocentricpreaching.com/2006/06/27/why-theocentric-preaching-isnt-as-boring-as-it-sounds/#comment-4 dsd Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:20:48 +0000 http://www.theocentricpreaching.com/?p=3#comment-4 Gerard, You have some good thoughts there. I think it may be possible to preach a passage theocentrically and still have something to say to someone who is depressed or grieving. That\'s where preaching to real people you know comes in - you can\'t get away with pronouncements about God that have nothing to do with people here and now. For instance, with the story of Jesus calming the storm, I might say, \"To some of us, it looks like the Kingdom is anything but secure, and it sure doesn\'t look like Jesus is in charge. And besides, what good is it if the Kingdom is secure if I am not okay?\" I would have to relate what the depressed person might be going through to the theocentric message of the text, and I believe it would connect. I\'ll be curious to try this out as I work on case examples. I appreciate your thoughts - lots of good stuff in there. Gerard,

You have some good thoughts there.

I think it may be possible to preach a passage theocentrically and still have something to say to someone who is depressed or grieving. That\’s where preaching to real people you know comes in - you can\’t get away with pronouncements about God that have nothing to do with people here and now.

For instance, with the story of Jesus calming the storm, I might say, \”To some of us, it looks like the Kingdom is anything but secure, and it sure doesn\’t look like Jesus is in charge. And besides, what good is it if the Kingdom is secure if I am not okay?\” I would have to relate what the depressed person might be going through to the theocentric message of the text, and I believe it would connect.

I\’ll be curious to try this out as I work on case examples.

I appreciate your thoughts - lots of good stuff in there.

]]> By: gerard http://www.theocentricpreaching.com/2006/06/27/why-theocentric-preaching-isnt-as-boring-as-it-sounds/#comment-3 gerard Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:16:51 +0000 http://www.theocentricpreaching.com/?p=3#comment-3 As a catholic who also attends other denominational churches, I do notice my church tends to be theocentric whilst the Protestant churches tend to be anthropocentric but I appreciate the anthropocentric much more than the theocentric. I can recall many anthrocentric ones in detail...but few theocentric ones because they sound so cliche....so technical...detached ? There are pros and cons to each approach. Consider a theocentric sermon that tells you the "Kingdom is secure, even when everything looks lost, because Jesus is in charge ". If I am in a depression or a crisis...what does that mean to me ? And yet a anthropocentric sermon that says ...Jesus will calm the storms of your life is encouraging and truthfully...Jesus does calm every storm, its only a matter of WHEN . Sometimes its very rapidly...sometimes slowly and as you claim that promise/truth that Jesus can calm the storm of your life and pray and see it happen in your life, it leads to gratitude, love, and even awe of God. So anthropocentric preaching can lead to theocentric outcomes. Theocentric preaching can on the other hand also lead to dead ends. Take " It’s about doing what God asked, even when what he asks seems impossible " What does that mean to me in a difficult time ?? In a difficult time...in practical terms it means to me...that God will help to slay the giants in my life. But sometimes such theocentric formulations can seem like those lifeless, politically correct...and in this case...theologically correct things to say that does not hit you but go over your head. Not saying that there is no value in theocentric preaching...not at all...but it really needs skill/ God's grace to do it correctly and anthropocentric preaching is also not always that bad. I am also an engineer and I think the difference between theocentric and anthropocentric preaching is likened to the difference between a Phd academic and an engineer. An engineer applies knowledge to practical ends and uses practical means. There was once an academic, a Phd in fracture mechanics who came and presented a paper on the model of a ratcheting fracture mechanism he developed which can be used to explain a problem we faced and also the solution. Then he said..." But then, you have found the solution, you may not have known the reason or the model but you found the correct solution " And anthropocentric preaching may be likened to an engineering approach... simplifying complex theory and science/theology into approximations and using it to solve real problems. There is value in both! As a catholic who also attends other denominational churches, I do notice my church tends to be theocentric whilst the Protestant churches tend to be anthropocentric but I appreciate the anthropocentric much more than the theocentric. I can recall many anthrocentric ones in detail…but few theocentric ones because they sound so cliche….so technical…detached ?
There are pros and cons to each approach.
Consider a theocentric sermon that tells you the “Kingdom is secure, even when everything looks lost, because Jesus is in charge “. If I am in a depression or a crisis…what does that mean to me ? And yet a anthropocentric sermon that says …Jesus will calm the storms of your life is encouraging and truthfully…Jesus does calm every storm, its only a matter of WHEN . Sometimes its very rapidly…sometimes slowly and as you claim that promise/truth that Jesus can calm the storm of your life and pray and see it happen in your life, it leads to gratitude, love, and even awe of God. So anthropocentric preaching can lead to theocentric outcomes. Theocentric preaching can on the other hand also lead to dead ends. Take ” It’s about doing what God asked, even when what he asks seems impossible ” What does that mean to me in a difficult time ??
In a difficult time…in practical terms it means to me…that God will help to slay the giants in my life. But sometimes such theocentric formulations can seem like those lifeless, politically correct…and in this case…theologically correct things to say that does not hit you but go over your head.
Not saying that there is no value in theocentric preaching…not at all…but it really needs skill/ God’s grace to do it correctly and anthropocentric preaching is also not always that bad. I am also an engineer and I think the difference between theocentric and anthropocentric preaching is likened to the difference between a Phd academic and an engineer.
An engineer applies knowledge to practical ends and uses practical means.
There was once an academic, a Phd in fracture mechanics who came and presented a paper on the model of a ratcheting fracture mechanism he developed which can be used to explain a problem we faced and also the solution. Then he said…” But then, you have found the solution, you may not have known the reason or the model but you found the correct solution ” And anthropocentric preaching may be likened to an engineering approach… simplifying complex theory and science/theology into approximations and using it to solve real problems. There is value in both!

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