WHY TEXTS?
I once listened to a sermon in the Temple Church in London; a sermon delivered with great dignity by an Eminent Divine, a Canon, as I remember.
Here was this worthy man, in that historic place, in the heart of huge London, in the fierce whirring center of so many present social problems, so many aching, hoping human hearts. He had a chance to speak to them; with the purpose, presumably, of giving light and cheer and strength to live better.
There he stood, a conspicuous and powerful figure; and there sat his audience, waiting. To say the truth, they did not look particularly hopeful; having doubtless “sat under” him before.
He took his text from the Nineteenth Chapter of “Acts”—something about “the town clark” of Ephesus; and how he appeased the people. There was some excitement, it appeared, among the citizens, and they raised a noise comparable to the convention which nominated Bryan; “and all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”
Well. She certainly was—is yet, for that matter, though her influence is not confined to Ephesus.
In the face of this tumult, the “town clark,” who seems to have been a peaceable person, with a strong sense of justice and propriety, quieted the people with fair words, explaining to them that their vociferous statement as to the dimensions or efficacy of their goddess were quite indisputable; and “matters of common knowledge,” and that if they had any complaint against these missionaries they should go to law about it.
Evidently a fair-minded and law-abiding citizen, the “town clark of
Ephesus”; but—what of it?
What shadow of interest, to modern life, has this chatty anecdote about the attitude of the Ancient Ephesian toward visiting preachers?
It is barely possible; intellectually conceivable, that is, that the distinguished clergyman was drawing a parallel between these long dead gentry, and ourselves; in our attitude toward the advocates of new faiths.
For instance, there come among us persons teaching Socialism; and we all cry with one voice for about the space of fifty years, “Great is the Competitive System!”—and are minded to destroy the teachers, no “town clark” intervening.
But this did not seem to be in his mind at all. He was talking about ancient history pure and simple; the only merit in his extract lying in its location—it was in the Bible.
Whence to my title—Why texts?
Why does a modern sermon to modern people have to be based upon and buttressed by a quotation from the writings of the ancient Hebrews, or the more modern group of mixed blood and more mixed language through whom came the New Testament?
This is no question either verbal or general; but a very sincere question of the need of such quotation in the religious teaching of the present time.
Suppose we have a glaring modern instance of good or evil, which every live minister feels called upon to preach about; to the genuine edification of his hearers; why must he get out his concordance and ransack the Scriptures to find an applicable remark?
In the Hebrew Church the Reading is longer and the Exposition closer, I understand; and in the “Christian Science” church there is Reading without even that much licence; but in our liberal Christian “services” the sermon is generally intended to be of immediate use to the hearers, not merely to give them an extract from “that which is written.”
What people want most is to know how to behave, now.
They want teaching that shall explain clearly what they ought to do; why they want to do it, and how they may best learn to do it.
Clear, strong, simple, convincing Explanations of Life—Directions for
Action; Stimulus and Strength; Courage and Hope; Peace and
Comfort—these are the things we want in our sermons.
Are they any better for the laborious far-fetched text?
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