Activity in Preaching (Part 2)

Seeing faith put into action will take time. But regular exposure to the Word of God will bring the changes in people’s hearts and habits. The Desert Father, Abba Poemen, taught, “The nature of water is soft, that of stone is hard; but if a bottle is hung above a stone, allowing the water to fall drop by drop, it wears away the stone. So it is with the Word of God; it is soft and our heart is hard, but the man who hears the Word of God often, opens his heart to the fear of God.” Relevant, inquiring, textually based preaching of the Word of God will wear away at emergent people to motivate them to grow in worship and work in the Kingdom.

We are experimenting with this at our church. After we studied the book of Acts together, a group began to organize what has come to be called “Place Acts.” It is a database of people and their talents, interests, and resources. It has been communicated that everyone who is a part of our community ought to be on the list, and the list is updated through periodic surveys and an active website. Church leaders manage this database. When a need arises, people who have a connecting interest are contacted. From helping a member move, to commissioning ministry leaders, “Place Acts” has helped us put faith into action. The postmodern preacher must help his congregation put faith into action.