Last night I started and this morning I rushed to finish Doug Pagitt's work on Preaching Re-Imagined.You can read and download the full 6-page pdf critique here.
But here is my conclusion...
It is my plea that all preachers and congregants—yes, all Christians—reject Pagitt’s philosophy of “progressional preaching” or “dialoguing”. He rejects the biblical practice and command of preaching–even though the command couldn’t be more clear as coming by the sovereign authority and command of God Himself—in order to cater to others because he thinks that a new method will work. This is flat out to be rejected. It is, unfortunately, Pagitt’s way of seeking to ‘please men’ rather than ‘pleasing Christ’. He is, therefore, not honoring the LORD in what he calls leading people in the ‘way of Jesus’ (cf. Gal 1:10). Whether preaching seems to work or not from our perspective we must never—ever—reject the commands of God because we think that new methods, a new cultural demand, or hearing others’ opinions will do the job that preaching just couldn’t accomplish! How haughty a thought. May we be Christians who seek to please Christ (2 Cor 5:10) by loving and longing to hear His Word faithfully proclaimed and preached with all authority (2 Tim 4:2-4). Let us say with David: “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps 119:97). Let us long for the pure word of God, for the faithful and urgent, and passionate, and expository preaching of God’s Word just as newborn babes long for milk (1 Pet 2:2).
