The Role of the Word and the Sermon
In the article, Bob Ekblad correctly notes that the church has one external public instrument of conversion. This is a word that it «has the right to use in its role for improvement» and evaluation. Ekblad expresses sound ideas, which I appreciate, about how Orthodox preachers carry out their mission in society. This can be done using the religious genre of the sermon, «forming materials through various forms of verbal and visual preaching of Christian culture».
Features Of the Audience
The main reference point for the preacher of the Holy Script is the audience for which the sermon is intended. I agree with Ekblad that the choice of language, the thematic focus, and «the complexity of the explanations»3 should depend on the audience.
Thesis Statement
Christian preaching becomes a means of spreading knowledge about the faith and Christian culture, taking a particular form of appeal depending on the listener’s race, denomination, and social status.
Components of an effective sermon
Social Orientation
To reach the hearts of modern people, the sermon must contain answers to questions that interest all segments of society. That is why Ekblad pays so much attention to the study of social culture that «guides both conscious and unconscious behavior of the vast majority of people». Thus, the impact of the Word of God will become more accentuated and socially oriented.
Understanding Of the Worldview Characteristics of the Audience
Every person and every nation has a different representation of God. For this reason, Ekblad advises preachers to choose the words «with which they can bring the sermon closer to the experience of contact with God» that the audience has. The preacher first has to study the idea of God that exists in his audience. They will have a picture of the possible relationships between the worldview characteristics of the audience and the values that the Holy Scripture preaches.
Application Of Communication Strategies
The preacher is the mouthpiece of God on earth: he does not just read the Holy Script – he explains it. To convey the Word of God to people, Ekblad offers the preacher «to apply various communication strategies». The type of preachers who use them manage to affect their listeners much faster than the rest. The method of preaching the Word, aimed at correctly establishing contact with the audience, will help create memorable and effective conversations with parishioners.
Conclusion
Not everyone can be a preacher, an evangelist, or a teacher in the church’s service, but only those who meet the requirements of the Word of God. For Christian preaching to influence people, preachers must consider the individual characteristics of their listeners – whether they are racial, ethnic, social, or cultural. If any of them are ignored, the sermon will not have the proper effect and will not reach the listener’s heart.
Bibliography
Boaheng, Isaac. “Cross-Cultural Christian Mission in The Ghanaian Context: Challenges, Strategies and Prospects.” E-Journal of Theological and Religious Studies 1, no. 1 (2020): 16-26.
Ekblad, Bob. “Reading Scripture for Good News That Crosses Barriers of Race/Ethnicity, Class, and Culture.” Interpretation 65, no. 3 (2011): 229-248.
Lidorio, Ronaldo Almeida, and Abraham Jun. “Cultural Analysis and Thematic Biblical Theology Cross-Cultural Approach of Gospel Communication.” Conspectus — The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary 28, no. 1 (2019): 139-160.
Oldenburg, Eric. “From Receiving to Sending: Healthy Principles to Mobilize the Church for Cross-Cultural Service – Insights from Ukrainian Evangelicalism.” In Proclaiming the Gospel, Engaging the World: Celebrating One Hundred Years of Melbourne School of Theology, edited by Michael Bräutigam, Peter G. Riddell, and Justin T. T. Tan, 279-297. Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2021.