I’ve written an article over on my Preaching for Change website encouraging pastors to keep on preaching about uncomfortable issues because preaching isn’t “just talking” about it. Preaching IS action. Here’s an excerpt:
When you, as a pastor, talk about issues that make people uncomfortable – especially inequality and injustice – you will most certainly raise the ire of many who have been quite comfortable in their complacency and quiet complicity up to the moment your words pricked the hard outer shells of their hearts.
And then the Holy Spirit gets involved. As you can see in the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, when gospel messengers speak plainly and boldly and then the Holy Spirit begins to bring a sense of conviction to the crowd, things get ugly.
When an issue breaks your heart and keeps you up at night, you must pray about it. And if, upon praying about it, God burdens you with a message rooted in scripture that may well disturb the status quo, you must deliver it. And you must do so boldly.
Perhaps one of the ways you can speak more boldly about the issues on which your church needs to meditate and respond with repentance is to know ahead of time that preaching about this issue IS doing something about this issue.
