What I hear, I forget.
What I see, I remember.
What I do, I understand.
(Confucius)
What does this say about “preaching”, as it is presently understood.
We separate the message from real life, we enclose the ‘preaching event’ in a hall with podium and chairs, we insist that everyone be passive and silent, and we allow only one voice to be heard.
Its very humbling to ask people the week after a message what the message was about.
It often confirms what Confucius noted, ‘what I hear, I forget’.
Why do people long remember children’s messages even after the sermon they introduced was forgotten?
‘What I see, I remember’.
And why do people often come back from mission trips radically challenged, changed?
A combination of ‘what I see, I remember’ and ‘what I do, I understand’.
When I consider Jesus’ preaching, I see a combination of hearing, seeing and doing.
The Spirit is the authority and power behind the impact, but we are mistaken to reduce this to the listening event.
The Spirit stirs and weaves through hearing, seeing and doing, and this is how people are transformed.
Why do we (I?) see so little transformation?
Maybe because we have reduced preaching to ‘hearing’, we have turned people into a passive audience, consumers of ‘good sermons’ that they often forget.
The fullness of the Word of God is the word, deed and flesh experience.
God did not send down a loudspeaker from heaven so everyone could hear.
He sent His Son, in the flesh, speaking and demonstrating, and inviting people to join with Him.
Which brings me to my dilemma, how do I incorporate hearing, seeing and doing in the preaching of the message of the kingdom?
I agree with Jenn
What made a difference to me in remembering and taking to heart (and even putting into action) what I hear on a Sunday was to read the scripture 1-2 times the week leading up to it. Also, my former pastor asked me each week what I thought of his sermon – so I always had to pay attention – knowing I was going to have to comment each week and share how it impacted me.
It is hard to take in 20 minutes of information compared to a 2 minute children’s message (which is why it is important to summarize your points in a sermon!). But it really does make a difference to have read and even wrestled through the scripture beforehand. Your heart and mind are prepared to hear the message. Just my two cents worth.