Recreational Vs. Procreational Preaching: A Dangerous Shift In Our Sacred Tradition

One of the best episodes of the television sitcom The Cosby’s presents to Cliff and Clair an extraordinary challenge when Vanessa comes home after only one semester of school, and announces in a rather innocuous fashion she is now engaged. Her fiancé, Mr. Dabnis Brickey, is eleven years her senior and the head of maintenance at the university where Vanessa is a student. The dynamics of this familiar family dilemma provide much drama and humor for viewers as the tension mounted at each segment. Later on at dinner, Cliff attempted to convey to Dabnis the simple problem with this entire development, and to further reassure him that their dislike for him was nothing personal. His illustration to convey his point is nothing short of genius. Cliff asks Dabnis to name his favorite food dish. He mentions a hearty steak. Cliff, then, portrayed the preparation of a premium porterhouse in exquisite detail. Seasoned and grilled to Dabnis’ delight, Cliff asked him to imagine a waiter taking this expertly prepared steak garnished with onions and potatoes, and placing it squarely on an upside-down lid of a garbage can. The scene is classic as Dabnis’ countenance changed and the other family members’ faces frowned (even my own). He finally articulated his point to this confused suitor. Cliff tells him there is nothing wrong with the steak; it’s all in the presentation.

An interesting trend is emerging in the discipline of preaching today. The face of this sacred craft is drastically changing. In some circles there seems to be a major shift from the historical (more traditional) approach to this hallowed assignment. It is such a drastic and dangerous shift I’m not so sure we are fully aware of the problem being created nor the sad consequences which might result. Clearly the emphasis (and to a large degree the interest) is changing from the original intent that a huge appetite is being created for this new age style of delivering the gospel message. Hundreds and thousands of seekers are regularly gravitating to commonly dubbed spiritual forums (like major sporting events) where often the practices of some who preach lean more toward theatrics and entertainment than traditional preaching. This raises an interesting question that needs to be settled quickly—Is preaching a recreational activity or is it supposed to be procreational? At some point there needs to be a clear distinction made, and a clear line drawn across which truly sincere proclaimers should never go.

Let me define or explain what I mean when using the descriptions recreational vs. procreational preaching. Recreational preaching is typically an exaggerated or animated sermonic presentation that routinely is absent of an expressed (articulated) behavioral goal. Generally the message is enthusiastically expressed, and is most times an emotionally-charged oration that is plainly preacher-centered—leaving hearers with a good impression of the minister and his or her given endowments. Its objectives seem to lean more to entertain and emotionalize rather than to equip or mobilize the pew. Procreational preaching (as I label it) aims to be a distinctly sacred presentation of the gospel and is expressly God-centered. It ultimately aims to mobilize the pew to a more responsible and productive practice of living beyond the sermonic moment and the worship experience. While these may be characterized by responsible energy and some tasteful expression of emotion, it intends to leave hearers with a heightened sense of God rather than who happened to be the presenter.

Customarily, preaching has always been regarded as a distinctly sacred engagement. Poise and dignity accompanied the discourse and proposed to allow listeners a reasonable opportunity to experience God, to appropriately see themselves and to pensively consider what God may be saying to them in order to effect change. To the contrary, much of contemporary preaching may or may not include an encounter with God, and will often leave listeners thinking more about the messenger more so than the message. Consequently, the conversation in quite a few circles after participating in these super-charged preaching events is more about “the way” a sermon was delivered rather than what was actually delivered (what God said). Public speaking is a keen discipline and the art of preaching is no less a discipline. While it will no doubt motivate its audience, it is to be engaged quite differently from a motivational speech. Even though at times there may be hints of rhythm and perhaps some rhyme, it is significantly different from rap or some stand-up comedy. These familiar oral presentations are very much recognized as performances. Preaching, on the other hand, is supposed to be a distinctly redemptive or transformational oration (an offering) intended to cause a recognizable behavioral change in the lives of hearers. If the messenger is less than serious or is in any way perceived to be pretentious or insincere, then likely the message and the messenger will be hardly received and largely not believed.

Aesop relates a fable of the shepherd-boy who watched a flock of sheep near a village, and brought out the villagers three or four times by repeatedly crying out, “Wolf!” When the townsmen would come to his aid, he laughed at them for their trouble. To him it was all a big joke. As fate would have it, the wolf did truly come at last. As he had done previously the shepherd-boy shouted the crucial alarm in fear of the impending danger: “Pray, do come and help me; the wolf is killing the sheep!” No one paid him any mind nor rendered any assistance. The wolf made sport of the flock and the boy was devastated over his loss. The moral is clear: “There is no believing a liar even when he speaks the truth.”

Dr. Reginald D. Terry is pastor of the Antioch Baptist Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He is a published author of the book, Associates In Ministry, a text which encourages the relationship between the pastor and the associate ministers of the church. His doctoral thesis explores and offers an excellent curriculum for nurturing persons who aspire to enter into vocational Christian ministry.