seekr: We are pretty much in agreement, I do think that one should try to be a "mouthpiece" of God--hard, and humbling, as that is. Myself, I try to carry Karl Barth's words in my heart always b/f I speak "Is there a word from God for us, today?" preacher?
Also: I always begin by the (Reformed-faith practice of) the prayer for illumination, and I will sometimes use George Herbert's; "Oh my Master on whose errand I come, let me hold my peace and do thou speak thyself, for thou art love and when thou speakest, all here are scholars. Amen."
Bro Bob: I find myself, at least in the last part of lectionary for Eastertide, preaching to a church-on-the-mend, so I was quite naturally drawn to the lections from 1 Peter. "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, living stones...once you were not a people, now you are a people." My congregation was severely pastorally mismanaged b/f I arrived; I/we have picked up the pieces--though, I like it how 1 Peter finds nothing, in the secular sense, ennobling about suffering; just a Chrislikeness there to live out the promise of the baptized community.
On other things, seekr: I agree that I am a "fellow traveler" and have hopes for uniting our people, I think that the only vehicle that that might happen among all of us is through preaching--since, all would agree, we've always been a "Word" centered (double entendre intended) people. I recall Yves Congar's comment that if, among his Roman Catholic faith, the faithful were to hear only the sermons while in another Roman Catholic country the faithful were not to hear the Word preached, but only to have the Eucharist celebrated; the people who heard the Word only would aft/ one year be more faithful than those who had the Eucharist only.
Seems like this "preaching" topic has potential for sharing. I hope.
I am, h/w, fairly pessimistic anymore about the chances for reunion of our Movement; though, one should never doubt what the Holy Spirit can do; and how he will use preaching to achieve his ends.
Best to all.
