Preach Naked
This past Sunday I preached out of the gospel of Mark, Chapter 2:23 through 3:12. As I was reading through the passages I made sure everyone noticed the punctuation. Jesus is clearly angry, it actually says He was. When he calls up the man with a withered hand the sentence ends with an exclamation. Too often, we picture Jesus as a withdrawn emotionless character. On more than one occasion, recorded in the Gospels, He was visibly angry. Not only do we see raw emotion but in other places we can see His transparency. Whether he is weeping over the death of his cousin or lamenting the path Jerusalem chose, Jesus was forthright about how he was feeling.
This should be an example to all of us as we prepare to preach this coming Sunday. Preach Naked. I have heard it said that when the people in our church hear us preach the very worst part of them is listening to the very best of us. Everyone brings baggage into church and everyone assumes they are the only one with baggage. As communicators we have the opportunity to open our hearts and at times spill our guts. When we are transparent others respond. We create a sacred space where it’s okay for everyone to admit they are messed up. Consider your message this coming Sunday and ask how will you let the people in your church see how real you really are?