Fourteen
Public Ministry—Is it a
Performance?
“I love being in front of people. That’s what I miss
most.”
My friend was telling the truth. He had, in fact,
majored in theater while in college. Out of politeness,
however, I decided not to challenge his statement. It
bothered me though; we pastors are hypocritical
enough without making the worship service a
performance.
By public ministry I mean any service or meeting
where there is some kind of presentation to
people—a worship service, an organizational meeting,
a workshop, even a Bible study.
Unwittingly I started out in the pastoral ministry
thinking like a performer—I tried to preach like Billy
Graham. I thought I would be successful if I copied
the greatest preacher of the Twentieth Century. During
my first pastorate I mimicked Graham to the point
people commented on it, and I would be flattered. If
great crowds of people had packed in to hear me, I
probably would still be sounding like I was from North
Carolina.
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For Pastors
Some years later, during the Jesus People
Movement, someone suggested I preach like Oral
Roberts. I tried but I failed; I could do Graham better
than Roberts. After many years I finally let the stylized
preaching go and allowed the natural Philpott to
emerge. But the temptation to emulate the great
preachers is strong.
In conversations with other ministers about this
particular situation, I have come to the conclusion there
is almost an addictive kind of allure to public ministry.
To stand before others and receive their acclamation,
appreciation, admiration, attention, and respect is a
heady phenomenon, so much so that it can become a
primary motive for ministry. An extreme illustration of
the power of being before others is the preacher who
gauged his success on how many standing ovations he
received during the course of a sermon.
For many years I was in public ministry and then
for a space of several years I was not. I confess I missed
standing before a group of people and receiving their
attention. My flesh, to use Pauline terms, seemed to
revel in and hunger for the “spotlight”. Often, too
often, my fleshly craving for the applause of people
spurred me on. Not that God can not use this, if it is
submitted to Christ, but it is a craving, a potentially
addictive thing, that can eventually bring harm.
Certainly, the alternative, a fear of being in front of
people, is also damaging. I remember being anxious,
very anxious sometimes, and occasionally I still am. If
I speak before a group I am not familiar with I may
have considerable anxiety. Even at Miller Avenue I
occasionally will begin to be anxious Saturday night or
on Sunday morning. If I am not confident in my
preparation or discover that I no longer like the sermon,
my anxiety level will go up. When I feel I have a good
73
A Performance?
handle on the sermon and am looking forward to
preaching it, there is little if any anxiety. When I know
that unconverted people will be present I am often
looking forward to preaching.
There is another kind of anxiety, however, that I
often experience, that has nothing to do with standing
before a group of people. Perhaps “anxiety” is not the
right word. What I feel is a kind of inadequacy. I will
doubt my ability to communicate Jesus and His
wonderful love. As a sinner myself, I stand before
others with the task of preaching the gospel. It comes
to me as I imagine it must have to Paul, I am in fear
and trembling. And this has nothing to do with stage
fright. I am fearful that I might not do my job as a
preacher in a way that would please and honor God.
At little stage fright is nothing in comparison.
But there is a danger that public ministry might
devolve into a performance; the preacher or teacher
becomes an actor. My feeling is, although I have no
statistics on this and few concrete illustrations that I
would relate here, a ministry would eventually be
undermined under such circumstances. A congregation
will begin to sense they are witnessing a performance.
Pastors should not underestimate the acuity and
wisdom of the people they preach to. If a pastor has an
ego that needs to be continually fed, the unction of
the Holy Spirit will be thwarted and people may
disregard the message however biblical.
Pastors conduct their ministries because of their
relationship with Jesus Christ, the motive being to
honor and serve our Lord, and to lift up His name. As
Spurgeon said, “The audience is not in the pews, it is
in heaven.”
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For Pastors
Fear of speaking before a group of people—have
you experienced this?
Have you developed your own style of preaching?
Do you relate to the “performance” idea presented
in this chapter?