A soft voice, a gentle heart and a quick word

It is not so much that things were better "back in the day." The McDonald's commercial speaks to that issue with its morning breakfast biscuit. It is just that I have been reading some of the sermons of a few of the minister who had retired by the time I had begun to do ministry.  I bought a lot of books of George Buttrick, Paul Scherer, Arthur Gossip, James Stewart from Scotland, Ed Steimle, Gardner Taylor and others.

There are a few things that seem to be consistent in a lot of their sermons that I am just now getting around to reading. Too late to do me much good, but there is a joy in reading them.  They do have their different styles and some of them have a voice of conviction and confidence that is interesting to hear. Paul Scherer has a wonderful way of dismissing the false and misleading ideas of faith and worship. Buttrick had a quality of voice and writing that put things simply and directly.  He was not heavy handed or overbearing.

Gardner Taylor is most impressive for his great pastoral heart that keeps showing up in paragraph after paragraph.  He does not try to pretend that everything is well. He constantly is reciting the things that may be wrong in our lives. If he is talking about the problems in society most of the time it is from how those challenges affect the reader.  His tone is gentle and sympathetic.  And what is even more impressive is that he quickly makes his point about what God in grace and do and leaves it there. He seldom tries to convince and "argue" you to faith.

If he were to preach on the 13th chapter of I Corinthians, he would talk about how faith can disappoint. How you have had faith in an elect official and he has failed you. How you have had faith in education and you still are looking for a job. How you have been kind and gracious with charitable acts and the people who have gotten the gifts are not thankful.  How you have sacrificed for you children and they have turned out poorly. We have had faith, hope and love, but they have not lived up to their billing, but the love that Paul is talking about is not your Love, but God's love for you. God's love for you never fails. Never ends.  And he is through.  No long attempt to defend or validate his claim about God's love. Just the statement.

I am not sure that our society is prepared or receptive for that kind of preaching now, but I know it is vastly different from what I heard.  I just know I am ready to read those kinds of gentle simple words.