Sermon as Conversation: What Progressional Implicatory Preaching is and Why it is Important
(In this second part of my paper (find the first one here), “Sermon as Conversation,” I talk about what exactly progressional implicatory preaching is and why it is important.)
Before unpacking what exactly progressional implicatory preaching is, it should be noted that PIP does not only call into question the role of a sermon within a faith community, but also what sort of faith communities we hope to form in the world. Faith communities are not created to simply hear good sermons, but to participate with the living and liberating God in our world. Therefore, preaching is not an end unto itself. Preaching serves as a means to form the kind of faith communities we long to create in the world.
Essential to PIP is what Pagitt calls progressional dialogue. This is “where the content of the presentation is established in the context of a healthy relationship between the presenter and the listeners.” As a result of the mutuality between the presenter and the listeners, “substantive changes in the content are then created as a result of this relationship.” The beauty (or risk, depending on how you perceive it) of progressional dialogue is that it “doesn’t allow [pastors or congregants] to stay in one place with [their] opinions and agendas left unaltered.” Both presenters and listeners alike are “given the opportunity to change, refine, and reframe our ideas about God and our lives as God’s people.”
With the a priori of PIP established, it should also be mentioned that all forms of sermons consist of three essential elements: crafting, delivery, and reception. A sermon must be crafted in a particular way in order for it even to be eventually delivered and received. Some people craft a sermon by expositing a particular pericope from the Bible. Others may craft a sermon based on a whole narrative from scripture. Some include illustrations, stories, visual aids, and more to reinforce the message of the sermon. Furthermore, often a practical application is intertwined at the end of the sermon. Regardless, sermons can be crafted in many ways but are crafted nonetheless. However, what good is a sermon without it being delivered? Just like the crafting, delivery of a sermon can take many forms. Some may read from a manuscript, while others may memorize the script. Even some have a loose structure of what they want to say and let the Spirit lead them as they deliver. In addition, some may be soft-spoken as they preach, while others may be boisterous. Lastly, a sermon is not crafted and delivered for the sake of being crafted and delivered. Ultimately, a sermon’s crafting and delivery are a means to its reception. As multiplicitous as the ways in which a sermon can be crafted and delivered, the number of ways in which a sermon may be received are far greater. An individual may receive a sermon as inspiring or confrontational. They may also receive reluctantly or graciously. These are just a few of the innumerable ways an individual or a congregation may receive a sermon…