Sometimes those in ministry may fall into the trap of believing their function – their role as pastor and preacher – is quite special and separate from others. They read the Scripture, study about God from the Bible as well as other books, and they tell other people what they do not know. They are to preach the Word and the congregation is to listen. So who are the experts in spiritual and theological matters? Perhaps you begin to see the dilemma?
The truth of the matter is something all together different. The Holy Spirit does not only speak through the lips of the preachers and their lives– but others as well. The Holy Spirit may chose to speak through any who are open to receiving the Spirit whether they be those on the top of their preaching game or those who are experiencing great difficulty and may be considered the dregs of life by others. There are those through whom deep life-experiences brings about a profound conviction not felt by anyone without similar experiences.
Wise pastors will listen sensitively to the lives spoken by others around him, that he might catch the glimpse of the Holy Spirit at work and see God’s reality made manifest which can give a new warmth and wider perspective to what he is preaching about. Such messages come not from the pulpit to the pew, but from the pew to the pulpit. Or more truly from the one who has not set foot in the church to sit in the pew. That is the one whom we must listen to. For there in lies the message we must hear.
When we hear this message and begin to plumb its depths to better understand the vast chasm between ourselves then we will begin to understand how God calls us to be amongst the un-churched and how to reach them.
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