The Little Friar

Every time I teach preaching and worship, I require students to read Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death:  Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business .  Preachers who have never engaged with Postman are woefully underprepared to preach and lead the church at worship.  At one point, Postman makes a profound claim:  "I believe I am not mistaken in saying that Christianity is a demanding and serious religion.  When it is delivered as easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether."  Whether or not you preach online or on the television -- or even in the congregation's worship space -- every preacher, at one point or another, will regularly  fight against the temptation to amuse and entertain.  We'll exercise extremely poor pastoral insight and use a gimmick to gain attention.  Performing for the approval of attendees may attract crowds.  You may fill more seats on your high attendance Sunday.  But at what cost? Her...

It is impossible that any one, with a human heart in him, can fully believe this doctrine [of hell and eternal punishment], with all the horrors it involves, with all the accusations it brings against the divine wisdom and goodness, and not feel that it is a terrible weight on his soul, and one from which he would gladly be relieved.  There are many shallow minds, many flippant talkers, who find no difficulty whatever in believing, who are prompt to denounce the slightest doubt on the subject as impiety or infidelity.  There are many small ministers, who are ready at a moment's notice to clear up all the difficulties of the moral and scriptural arguments; who are never embarrassed, never troubled at all in regard to the matter.  But I know that the best and strongest among its believers never treat the subject in this way.  Those who have looked into it most deeply and patiently, who are distinguished equally for their learning and piety, confess that, seen from any ...