Teach Listening - 5 Tips

TITLE: TEACH LISTENING - 5 Tips
Written by: Conrade Yap
POINT: We learn so much about learning how to do expository preaching, what about helping the congregation toward expository listening?

At Regent-College, one of my favourite courses is expository preaching, conducted and eloquently taught by Professor Darrell Johnson. As a required course for MDiv students, we go through the basics of learning to do exegesis, to interpret the passage and their contexts, and to be faithful to what the texts say. A unique approach is the way Professor Johnson encourages each student's preaching practice time. He asks for fellow students to evaluate the 10 minutes preaching effort. All of us are encouraged to listen well, and to give feedback so as to help the student improve. I have many enjoyable times, being encouraged that I am not the only person nervous about preaching up front.

Indeed, speaking in public is one thing. Trying to be faithful to the Bible without becoming boring is an art. In this sense, preaching is both an art as well as a science. Yet, for all the expository preaching that we learn, what about the standpoint of the listener? Is there such thing as 'expository listening?'

According to Ken Ramey, there is. Ramey has just released a handbook called "Expository Listening: A handbook for Hearing and Doing God's Word." As I think about it, it certainly makes sense. What good is there for TV stations to transmit signals, if people do not have any television sets? What good is learning to speak eloquently in French, if the people we speak to do not understand French? Likewise, if we preachers spend so much time in preparing expository sermons, what about spending some of this time to teach the congregations how to listen?

I believe that preaching is one of the greatest privileges given to any Christian. Mind you, we can easily turn preaching into a pathway for super-stardom. When this happens, we are in danger of leading the people away from worshiping God. We end up putting ourselves on the pedestal instead of serving the people by pointing their eyes of Jesus. In teaching listening, we connect with the congregation even more, as they understand more of where we are coming from, and we seek to understand where they are coming from. Here are 5 tips I have for teaching listening.

Four Kinds of 'Friends' Every Pastor Needs

This is a very thoughtful article that should be a good resource for pastors and budding pastors. Entitled: "4 Types of Friends Every Pastor Needs," Ike Reighard, a pastor of more than 30 years, from Kennesaw, Georgia, writing for CrossWalk.com distills four different kinds of people that all pastors need to surround themselves with. Leadership can be lonely. (That is an understatement).

According to Reighard, we need a 'DEVELOPER' to bring out the best in us. We need a 'DESIGNER' as a kind of a mentor who walks alongside us. We need a 'DISTURBER' to rough us up in case we become too comfortable in smooth-sailing ministry work. We need a 'DISCERNER' to give us a fresh perspective of our calling as pastors.

Personally, I think Reighard misses out one important 'D.' A DISCIPLER. You can read the rest of the article here. Thanks to alum Stanley for first bringing this to my attention.

conrade

Dr Bruce Waltke Resigns from RTS

This is a special update on one of Regent-College's beloved Professors. Dr Bruce Waltke has resigned (6 April 2010) from the Reformed Theological Seminary because of a theological dispute between Bruce and the powers to be, at RTS. It seems that the controversy was first stirred by a video entitled: "Why Must the Church come to Accept Evolution?" The crux of the matter is that Waltke urges Christians not to completely reject evolution. In other words, it is entirely possible for a Christian to accept evolution. Theistic Evolution.

Dr John Stackhouse has written a posting on his own blog, largely in defense of his colleague.

For me, I think it is a regretful situation. In the words of Brandon Withrow, "any professor who really wants serious academic freedom needs to look elsewhere."

Personally, I do not hold the view that Dr Waltke holds, but I do not agree that he should have been forced to resign, simply based on one belief. From my interactions with him, Waltke is not one who willfully imposes his ideas on others, but respectfully offers them for consideration. For more information, check the following:

1) Biologos (the site video that started it all)
2) Dr John Stackhouse blog
3) Official News from RTS
4) Good roundup by Brian LePort
5) Cosmos (Dr Ross Hasting's Response)
6) Official Re-conciliatory Note from RTS

I wonder why in this particular case, both Waltke and the rest of the academics did not 'agree to disagree' and carry on life as normal? That is, is it necessary for Waltke to resign just because of this one issue? Or is this the proverbial feather that breaks the camel's back? Maybe, it is simply to let matter explain itself, like this note.


conrade

Daffodil Day 2010 (April 9th)

Today is Daffodil Day. This is an initiative spearheaded by the Canadian Cancer Society. For the day, the public is welcome to wear a little daffodil. Due to the ease of getting onto the Internet, anybody in the world, with an Internet connection can remember their loved ones, and friends afflicted by cancer. It may not bring immediate healing in itself, but just letting those who are affected by cancer, that we are with them, brings a certain kind of comfort that only companions can provide. Wear one today. For me, I remember Insu, Maureen, my late 4th uncle, and others who have left this world after battling bravely with cancer.

Photo credit: Canadian Cancer Society

You can get your Daffodil pin by clicking here. "Wear a badge of courage for someone fighting cancer."

conrade

Re-post: Three Scattered Thoughts on Good Friday

The following is first published under my blog: Yapdates.

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Today is Good Friday. I wake up reflecting on Jesus and thinking about the Cross, the World's continued ignorance of Jesus, and how the Church continues to be under unfair labeling by media.

1) Thinking of Jesus and the Cross
It is a time to remember Jesus being captured, cursed, and crucified at the Cross. As we enter the last week of Lent, that climaxes in Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday, it is good to remember the work of Christ. It is important to know where our faith, our Christian belief centers on. It is Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. It is because of Jesus' willingness to go to the cross, and die for all mankind, that we have hope. The Apostle's Creed says it poignantly, which is a summary and uniting statement for the vast majority of Christian denominations and quarters.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;

2) Thinking about the World Ignoring the Cross
Good Friday is a significant event for Christians all over the world. I know of some friends who would rather forget Christmas, instead of forgetting Good Friday. It is significant because, it is not Christmas, but Jesus's death on the cross that is the act of dying to give this world a new hope and opportunity to be restored back to God. About 2 billion people in the world have adopted Christianity as their faith, almost a third of the world's population. That is a significant number.

Unfortunately, I feel that many are not willing to take into consideration this number. Take Google for example. As a search company, their algorithms work on the basis of popularity and numbers. The more people links to a particular site, the more 'important' and 'relevant' this information is. On special days, on their plain white background search page, there will be special pictures to commemorate a significant event on the day itself. For example, when the Winter Olympics started, there was this:

Winter Olympics - Feb 20th, 2010

For special days like New Year's Day, it will be like this:

Happy New Year - Jan 1st, 2010

Not Good Friday. While many countries with a Christian presence declare Good Friday a national holiday, the giant search corporations prefers to remember the birthday of Hans Christian Anderson, the story teller. Even Halloween gets to have their icon on Google. Not Good Friday. Not Jesus. It is another example of how the world conveniently ignores Jesus, in favour of other gods.

Good Friday - Apr 2nd, 2010

So Hans Christian Anderson is more significant than Good Friday. Mmmmph. Either someone is a big Hans Christian Anderson fan, or he is plain ignorant of the significance of Good Friday. Come Easter Sunday, what do you think you will see? I think the Easter bunny and the chocolate eggs will dominate the headlines. Again!

3) Thinking of the Church Carrying the Cross
A thought provoking article was written by Dr David Horn of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has recently returned from some humanitarian projects in New Orleans. He makes a sharp comment asking: "Where is Brad Pitt Now?" When the Katrina crisis first blew over, many people pay attention. The media swarm the place for coverage. People give generously to various agencies to help the hurricane victims. That was back in 2005. Now, about 5 years later, where are the famous movie stars? Where is popular media? What happens to the rebuilding projects that began with so much fanfare?

Not the movie stars. Not the big-time media. All they are doing right now is to look for the latest and the greatest excitement happening in town. Katrina is no longer exciting. Horn further observes that the real people picking up the pieces left behind, the ones who are faithfully and quietly helping are the religious groups, like Churches and many other faith based organizations. Where are the stars? What is the media portraying religions, especially Christianity?

Horn makes a stark contrast of the difference, and the injustice that is inflicted on Christianity.

"Which brings me back to Brad Pitt. Where is he now? One of the unsung songs in the national media, now that the television cameras are gone after five years, is that it is almost solely faith-based organizations—churches, Christian schools, and other religious organizations-- that are still packing their bags and heading down to New Orleans to patch the city back together again. Where did everyone else go? But why should the national media care? They already have their story. And the story is that apparently the church is full of hypocrites who think about little else but heaven." (Horn)

So while the Church continues to pick up the pieces, and be faithful to help in little ways, the mass media in general continues to portray the Church as a bunch of hypocrites only concerned about heaven. What kind of reporting will that become?

conrade