In the August 9, 2011 edition of the Christian Century the following item appeared, which had previously been printed in the July, 2011 edition of Interpretation:
A young woman preaching her first sermon seemed to do everything right: her exegesis was sound; the text and title of the sermon matched well; the sermon was carefully organized and delivered in a clear and understandable manner. But the sermon was wrongheaded, especially in context — an African-American congregation. The people called her sermon a lecture, because she failed to speak to their life situations and didn’t answer the “so what” question (p.8).
Many Christians hear a sermon each Sunday. Those with no application — no “so what” — are soon forgotten. Those with powerful application move people not only to reflect but also to respond and change lives and communities.
- How many sermons would you estimate you have heard in your life? What percentage of these have been truly memorable? life changing?
- What sermon “so what” has made the greatest difference in your life? What sermon “so whats” have challenged you in recent months?