"Not to Preach"

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clem456 said:
Do we have any volunteers who would like to preach to nonbelievers what the Trinity is, and do it credibly, so that a nonbeliever might be prone to absorb it? 🙂 Is even the Pope able to do that? That’s a very difficult task. The Trinity is a mystery, as are many other things theological. The Trinity is also not just a dogma on paper, but a reality.

We can witness to the realities of our faith by living them. Preaching can obviously be a part of that. But living the faith makes it “real” for someone who does not understand or believe it. Our lives can show others this reality when words cannot fully suffice.
For example, the Trinity is three divine persons in loving relationship. Living in a Christian marriage is a witness to that relationship, a participation in this reality. Others can see this reality at work, even if they don’t explicitly understand it.
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There’s a big difference between “preaching to nonbelievers” sic} and singing hymns at Mass.
 
Most of us, if we admitted it, will never preach in our lives. We will never stand up in front of a group of people assembled and preach, never stand on top of a milk crate on the corner and preach.

I know preachers. My best friend is a Methodist Pastor. It takes a specific skill. Even Paul had to learn how to preach - they laughed and walked away when he preached at the Areopagus in Acts 17. We may talk about the faith and even argue about the faith, but most of us will never give a sermon or homily in our lives, never actually preach. At best, the most any of us will ever do is teach Catechism or preach to our children or wife.

The teaching authority was given by Jesus to the Apostles. Most Catholics don’t even believe in the teachings of the Church - how can they preach? Scripture says that many should not presume to be teachers. We can give lip service to preaching but most of us are called to preach through our lifestyle, language, dress, actions and how we stay at peace while the world is in a rage.

Scripture says that we are to be witnesses, not preachers. Most people don’t know how to be a witness, or even what that means. The word witness in Greek is martures - martyrs. It means one who does what he has heard or seen or knows. To be a witness means that we testify to the worth and effect of our faith through our actions.

-Tim-
 
Brendan said:
Really? Then how do you convey the concept of the Trinitarian nature of God to JW’s? By Interpretative Dance???

😛
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Yes exactly. How would christianity have ever begun if the apostles were all mute? & just went around ‘serving’ & ‘being nice to’ the romans & the world? ESP maybe ?
 
drforjc said:
Apparently St. Peter in Acts 2:14 -41 was not using the right approach… even though 3000 converts were made that day…
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Yes - the devil wants nothing more than for christians to ‘shut up’.
 
Cricket2 said:
MY own take: we can preach all we want but our actions will speak a whole lot louder. I have hears so many people go on and on about being a Christian, but how they live their lives says something entirely different. And then they wonder why more people don’t convert or believe in God.

I don’t know who said this but I am sure we have all heard it: “Walk the talk.”
If you are not going to I think being silent is best.
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But if you.follow this reasoning then no one would ever qualify as good enough to ‘talk’ - because everyone at some stage has failed to ‘walk’. God did not say only the perfect can speak of Him - because only then would ‘the stones’ be shouting out about Him.
 
Joy2day said:
Yes - the devil wants nothing more than for christians to ‘shut up’.
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Competent preaching requires training and good listening. For us moderns especially, good listening means less talking. Many of us would serve the Kingdom more effectively if we talked less, prayed more, and lived a Godly life. Then, when we are called to speak, God’s word might be fruitful in us and others.

Think of the Advent Gospels. The Word is made flesh. This is all we need to know in a nutshell. The Word is made flesh. Mary did not conceive a bible or a theological treatise. She cooperates in bringing the reality of the Gospel into human flesh. She does this with the witness of her life, with the “yes” of her very own flesh and blood,. She bears a child and raises him with Joseph. This is the most powerful witness. Mary is the first disciple, the Mother of the Church, yet she does not speak hardly at all. When she does speak, her words praise God, they don’t preach to others about what they should be doing.
46 And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,
47
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48
“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49
“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50
“And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
51
“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52
“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
53
“He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
54
“He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his [am]descendants forever.”
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Praising God for his goodness, for his promises. This is not preaching as we know it. It is not full of herself and her own knowledge. She is praising God because she is “full of grace”. That’s who she is, not something she preachesabout. Her life witnesses quietly to the grace God has given her.

Why is her example not worth emulating?
 
CyrilSebastian said:
In the hymn “As a Fire is Meant for Burning”, part of one verse is “Not to preach our creeds or customs, But to build a bridge of care,” Why would a hymn indicate that the congregation “not to preach” their “creeds or customs”?
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The lyricist for this hymn (Ruth Duck) is an female ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. There is no reason to believe that the hymns she writes would reflect Catholic theology.
 
clem456 said:
Competent preaching requires training and good listening. For us moderns especially, good listening means less talking. Many of us would serve the Kingdom more effectively if we talked less, prayed more, and lived a Godly life. Then, when we are called to speak, God’s word might be fruitful in us and others.

Think of the Advent Gospels. The Word is made flesh. This is all we need to know in a nutshell. The Word is made flesh. Mary did not conceive a bible or a theological treatise. She cooperates in bringing the reality of the Gospel into human flesh. She does this with the witness of her life, with the “yes” of her very own flesh and blood,. She bears a child and raises him with Joseph. This is the most powerful witness. Mary is the first disciple, the Mother of the Church, yet she does not speak hardly at all. When she does speak, her words praise God, they don’t preach to others about what they should be doing.

I think you are setting up an unnecessary **“either/or” **situation versus the more Catholic “both/and” hermeneutic that should stir us to either form or witness, depending on the situation.

Praising God for his goodness, for his promises. This is not preaching as we know it. It is not full of herself and her own knowledge. She is praising God because she is “full of grace”. That’s who she is, not something she preachesabout. Her life witnesses quietly to the grace God has given her.

Why is her example not worth emulating?
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You’re setting up an unnecessary “either/or” situation versus the more Catholic “both/and” hermeneutic. Sometimes we must proclaim the Kingdom by words, other times by example, and other times both word and example.
 
drforjc said:
You’re setting up an unnecessary “either/or” situation versus the more Catholic “both/and” hermeneutic. Sometimes we must proclaim the Kingdom by words, other times by example, and other times both word and example.
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Not sure where you see the either/or in my post.
Yes, I agree, there are times for words as well as example. 🤷
 
drforjc said:
You’re setting up an unnecessary “either/or” situation versus the more Catholic “both/and” hermeneutic. Sometimes we must proclaim the Kingdom by words, other times by example, and other times both word and example.
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But sometimes, if not most times, not by the same person. We aren’t all equally gifted, and as Tim and Clem says we’re not all qualified to preach. We have no teaching authority in the Church. We’re not qualified to give homilies. But we are all qualified to witness, and we are all qualified to dialogue. But even the latter requires some notion of what dialogue is. It isn’t trying to convince the other that you’re right and (s)he’s wrong. The starting point for dialogue is listening, something so important that “Listen” is the first word of the Rule of St. Benedict. Dialogue is not proselytizing. It’s not finger-pointing, and it’s not preaching. It’s listening and trying to find ground for common understanding. It can be as simple as a Catholic and a Muslim cooperating to build a hospital together in a third-world country or sharing their common love of God together.

I used to work in a factory that had a large contingent of mentally handicapped workers (Down’s Syndrome and the like). Sometimes it was easier to see the Kingdom of God be proclaimed by them through their actions and their child-like faith and trust, than in many of the Sunday homilies I’ve heard.
 
Preaching, teaching, praying, singing in a choir, serving at Mass, etc all can be forms of witness. The question before us when we do so is “What is our witness about?” It is also our daily challenge. 🙂
 
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