Concerning Sermons (1) : Hearing with Heart

It’s a struggle, perennial one.
Heart vs mind.

Such a false dichotomy.
Such an imposition of phantom categories.
Still rearing it’s head though in fact, it was torn apart ages ago, by Paul and much more antiquated by Moses (Deut 30:6).

“Circumcision of the heart”

Circumcising is by definition that of the foreskin of the penis.
At best it’s circumcision of flesh.
Never of the heart.
Readers knew. “Heart” refers not to the organ, but to the soul.

And it’s the same with hearing sermons “with the heart”, not eardrums, nor mind.
Lots of books and seminars on preaching sermons, from the construction of them to the delivery.
Few on receiving. Even less on the necessity of preaching to the “heart” for the sole reason that the “heart” is the receptor itself.
No wonder so many lousy preachers, HK Chinese in particular.
They invariably feed doctrines and information to the mind. Unfortunately, their sermons have the sole therapeutic function, for those inflicted by insomnia!

Over the past couple of years in a world post-Wuhan, worldwide habits changed.
With it church going.
And hearing sermons.
Too bad only the medium of preaching has changed.

One could easily find tons of sermons from unlimited number of preachers all over the world.
Immediately preachers from HK came up short.

There are plenty to discuss.
Will deal with each in detail.
But for now, the biggest of them all is the failure to preach to the heart. Instead they put all efforts into preaching to the mind.
The starting point determines where one ends up.

Congregations are hurting.
From human experiences.
From local political oppression.
From virus.
But preachers preach as if they only need teaching, or more specifically, they only need “knowing”, as if once it is “known” or “taught”, it is automatic downstream!

Well it isn’t.
Not for lack of understanding.
Not for lack of efforts.
Nor for lack of will power.

Preachers preach as if only one grammatical mood is needed: imperative.

How sad.
What a lack of grasp of pains of the heart, and yearnings of the heart! Efforts made, PowerPoint employed, still can’t hit the nail on the head.
Jesus knew what people need.
And don’t pit Paul against Jesus: Paul speaks of circumcision of heart and “where the spirit is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3)

Preachers, please preach to our hearts.
Please understand our hurts, angers, and sense of shame.
There is no automatic billionaire.
Neither is such homeless.
Each and every life has its own struggles.

Speak on common human experience.
Don’t just think explaining and convincing is preaching—they come not for lecture.
Don’t just point your finger at the congregation—they already knew.
Don’t just think you are going to rally them like a manager to his staff—they are fed up to the back teeth.
For those who are willing to stay and hear, please tell them that the LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy and truth, and never will He forsake them!
Rarely have I come across HK Chinese preachers who could do that. I didn’t find in pulpits of mega churches in Alliance or Evangelical Free denominations.
For sure, this relates to how the preaching is carried out, via cold-blooded lecture or friendly conversation. Will talk about that later.
For now, please preach to the “heart”!

Fortunate that I often hear it from Rev Wing So, formerly of Waterloo Hill Church and San Francisco Evangelical Free Church.
Sometimes I picked it up from Rev Andrew Kwong of Alliance Seminary.
Once in a while, from Rev Kwok Man Chi of Evangel Seminary.

And regularly from Rev Philip Yeung of China Graduate School of Theology.
Good dies young.
Sorely missed.