Wind-Sucking Preacher

As a hospice chaplain I do a lot of driving.  Down time between visits often allows me to listen to Christian radio.  I’m not a connoisseur of good preaching, but I enjoy a sound biblical message anytime, regardless of the stream from which it is delivered.

However, one day I heard a broadcast that embarrassed me.  The preacher was not only arrogant, but condescending.  I was appalled by both his irritating voice tone and his biblically inaccurate presentation.  The fact that he “sucked wind” when he spoke left me wondering about his claim to be “anointed of the Holy Ghost.”  He evidently equated “loud and intense” with the anointing.  He referred to his hollering and hesitating as “Holy Ghost hiccups.”  How ridiculous!

 

Don’t get me wrong!  I do believe there’s a place for every genre of preaching and a place for different delivery styles, but there’s never room for self-serving and self-righteous preachers, who use their medium to bring disrepute to the Gospel.  I wondered, “Why do Christians support these broadcasts?

I’ve never believed that God places a premium on ignorance.  Such sermon delivery smacks of poor preparation and an overall lack of social grace.  Why would anyone pay to hear such a travesty in the name of Christian communication?  And to whom is such preaching directed?  Certainly not to unbelievers.

I wonder.  Do we forget our target audience?

On this particular occasion, the man’s topic was even more disconcerting.  He preached about the Holy Spirit.  “The Holy Ghost is wonderful,” he said.  “And if you don’t got Him, and if you don’t speak in those tongues of fire, you are not pleasing to the Lord.”  Then, the man spent another five minutes (still with monotone yelling and wind-sucking) blasting churches today that “leave out the precious Holy Ghost.”  He said,  “The Holy Ghost isn’t within ten miles of most churches.”

I wonder.  What makes us think that:

1.   Unbelievers would choose to listen to such ravings?

2.   Effective communication talks down to people?

3.   Such poor command of the English language is acceptable?

4.   J.Q. Public has any idea of what the man is talking about?

5.   Condescending and harsh tones please the Lord?

6.   Such antics deserve sacrificial dollars?

7.   Negative sermon delivery produces positive results?

Again, who is our target audience?

And consider these questions:

1.  Are we trying to impress a select, small group of saints or win those to Christ who are far from God?

2.  Do our communication styles reach unbelievers?

3.  Are we afraid that we’re compromising in the name of relevance?

4.  Do we understand that most people have at least a fair education?

5.  Do we understand that sometimes we make the Gospel appear foolish? 

6.  Do people listen to and approve of such tomfoolery?

I don’t think so!

I appreciate when Gospel teachers/preachers stand prepared before open microphones and use effective communication styles to present earth’s greatest message.  I’d even tolerate a “wind-sucking” preacher who had something legitimate to say!