Taped Sermons?
I don’t have my sermons taped, and have been asked why. Here’s a couple of reasons:
1) Jeff Meyers pointed out a number of years ago that taping sermons tempts a pastor to preach to a group other than the church in front of him. Instead of addressing the specific local concerns, he will be tempted to be a “prophet to the nation.” Some preachers are called to that; most aren’t. I’m not.
2) As I’ve mulled over this more recently, I’ve decided that I want the permanent record of my sermons to be found in the congregation I preach to, rather than on a CD, audio tape, or in a book. As Paul said to the Corinthians, they are my letter, the permanent record of the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of my preaching.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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