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The Preaching Life

J. G. Morrison was the leader of the Laymen’s Holiness Association that united with the Church of the Nazarene in 1922. A close ministry partner of Dr. Morrison, named Ira E. Hammer, wrote this article seven years later, and it appeared in the June 12, 1929 edition of the Herald of Holiness. It is entitled, “The Preacher With His Books.” While the language is not gender inclusive, his advice is still relevant for us today.

John Wesley taught that one must be well informed in order to live properly. No man in his generation did so much to stimulate thought and true education as did Wesley. To live godly one must think deeply, broadly, and study continuously.

Wesley was a prodigious reader. With his strenuous labors of travel, preaching and the exacting care of all the churches, it was necessary for him to do much of his reading on horseback as he rode the long circuits of his preachers. Yet he read much and read carefully. Not only did Wesley read much but he wrote much. Few literary men exceeded him in the volume of his excellently written works of highly literary standard.

The Methodist circuit riders of Wesley’s day were constantly urged by their great leader to read, study, meditate, and fill the mind with useful knowledge that they might the more efficiently preach the Word of God to all men. He expected his preachers to rise at four in the morning that the early hours might be devoted to prayer, study, and meditation.

Brethren of the ministry, we are as highly responsible and go forth with as great a commission as did the men called of God to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ in those heroic days. Nor are we comparatively better equipped to do so, for the education of the common people of those days was far below that of the same class today. Go where we may we must preach to people, young and old, who have been trained to think closely, logically, and surprisingly often, very profoundly. A preacher is always a teacher and that of the most sacred truths. How then shall we teach unless we learn to think, independently of written matter, clearly, logically, and profoundly? This does not come to one with a smattering of reading only. We must read for information. Read for both beauty of expression and thought. Read for depth of comprehension. Read for inspiration. Saturate your reading with prayer and real communion with the Holy Spirit whose presence in your heart quickens your perception, broadens your concept, intensifies the beauty, illuminates the vision and clarifies your comprehension of what you read.

District Superintendent W.D. Shelor recently said, “No man who will read three or four hours a day will be at a loss what to preach.” The preacher should be systematic in the use of his time. Set out to accomplish as much study, as much reading, as much prayer as you may and let nothing easily persuade you to give it up for something else. These matters are foundational and not only affect your immediate usefulness, but all your future ministry as well.

Reading this article made me wonder, what are preachers reading today that the Holy Spirit is working through to, “quicken perception, broaden concepts, intensify beauty, illuminate vision, and clarify comprehension”?

We would like to hear from you. What books are you reading that are nurturing your preaching and nourishing your soul? Send us a list of the top five most influential books you have read in recent years to mail@preachersmagazine.org. We will publish some of your lists in our Pentecost 2007 edition.