"If preaching starts and ends with the sermon on Sunday, and it is distributed to individuals as portable property to be taken home in notes or a cassette tape, it cannot help but be the means of fostering interpretive violence. Because it will inevitably put the text at the disposal of the listening or speaking subject's own structure and agenda. The violence comes when we put our own meanings or agenda onto Scripture. The violence comes when the preaching of the Word separates us as individuals over against one another armed with the interpretation we want because we do not come together in mutual submission to discern the Scripture’s meaning for our lives today. If preaching is to avoid this violence, it must foster communal practices among us that allow us to submit to one another in the work of the Spirit to interpret the Scriptures. We do this not as a democracy, but as a Spirit filled community where we submit to each other’s authoritative gifts. Of course, to even think of doing church this way requires a new imagination." Dave Fitch. Pastor/Professor. Pastor of the Life on the Vine Chrisitan Community in Chicago, for goodness sake.. And he was asked to give an address at the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, no less.
I left Bigelow Church this morning, having listened to Dr. Frank Tallerico preach from Galatians 2:11-16. I could have picked up a cassette tape made by our sound tech Bob Bender, Jr. and the notes provided for each member. But I didn’t need to do that. Holy Anger there was interpretive violence? I didn’t have to pick up a cassette tape and replay the message at home. As I was sitting on the second pew just a few feet from him, the violence in my mind, surely Dr. Tallerico could see the anger oozing from my face as he explained the text from his NASV!!!!!!! Did you know Dr. Tallerico has never asked for my well trained theological viewpoint for the interpretation on any passage that he is about to preach on Sunday Morning. Nor has he to my knowledge asked any of the other elders in the church. Who does he think he is Dr. Jack "KJV" Hyles?
I need to submit to Dr. Tallerico the paper written by Dr. Fitch on this subject." Dr. Fitch said. "If you are to avoid this violence, it must foster communal practices among us that allow us to submit to one another in the work of the Spirit to interpret the Scripture." I don’t even think he looked at me for approval as he spoke. Dr. T said, "What was the issue that got Paul so uptight, and led him to this scene with Peter?" I sure could have helped him out! Dr. T said Paul was uptight (He should have used "agitated".) "And Paul addressed their hypocrisy." But the KJV said "dissimulation" not hypocrisy. Then he got on verse fourteen. Paul saw that they walked not uprightly, according to the ‘truth of the gospel." Here Dr. T could have had some help, from my many years of pastoralship and training in theological Greek linguistics. If my "authoritative gift" had been asked, I would have said. That phrase "they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel." "Walked not uprightly" is a present action indicative. "they were not walking on the straight path towards the truth of the gospel." Dr. T used this verse "to show how a person is saved that is at the issue.." I might have suggested when you are not walking on the straight path, it could possibly mean, they were going to the outdoor theater, and going to the Galatia Brew and Beer Pub. And some of them were going over to hear Dr Simon who is in the Emergent Movement. And that some of the men were not coming to worship with a suit and tie. That is not walking straightly upright. And Dr. T tells us the Biblical idea of how a person is saved. What can I say.
I mean Dr. T "let go of expository preaching for preaching that "funds imagination."
Well, I think I will e mail this to Dr. T. and maybe he will get the hint of my "interpretive violence". But now that I have said all this, I do feel rather good.
I am going to suggest this point: We need to have "a collaborative friendship to understand and engage the emerging post-Christian culture" We need to engage in "a literal and spiritual potluck" at the Brew Club next Wednesday for lunch. But Dr. is an Reformed Italian, so I am not going to hold my cup for Brew (coffee).
See what happens when you don’t have church on Sunday Night..........
