Pharisee School Christianity

14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Romans 10: 14 - 15 NKJV

I call it Pharisee school christianity.  Many christians will not recognize the name, but may be all too familiar with its practices.  This is a christianity where the word is preached, so I cannot argue with that point.  However, it is often just HOW it is preached that I take issue this approach.  For those of you that partook, I take you back to your college classroom days.  Oh, how I remember those mornings.  I recall one particular lecture class on...political ethics of all things.  Well, as luck would have it, I took this class during spring semester.  That in itself wasn't a huge deal, except that the classroom we were in had a awesome view over the Mississippi river.  So there I was, sitting through blah blah blah lecture after lecture each morning while each time I looked out the window I would see someone else enjoying another sunny morning.  Torture.  Another reason that I bring this class up is because for the life of me I can't recall a damn thing the instructor ever talked about.  I mean, I recall most of the points he was making, but the lectures?  Nope.  So, what does this all have to do with a christian blog?  Well, think of a few of the most boring sunday sermons you have ever heard and you will more than likely recall a few preached by some fresh out of seminary (Pharisee school) pastor.  Now, don't get me wrong, pastors need to get a start somewhere, that's not the issue.  The issue of Pharisee school christianity lies with the way the preacher teaches his flock.  I have sat through far too many sermons where it felt as if I was back in that boring classroom once again.    All too often, the sermon will morph into a lecture complete with college level theories and lingo.  I've often thought to myself, is this how we are reaching out to new christians?  Do we need textbooks and dictionaries to navigate through a sermon?  One might think so.  It's a well known fact that our seminaries strive to equip our future pastors with those tools they will need to reach out to the masses.  I get it.  In fact, I would have no issue whatsoever with a pastor who takes this training and personalizes it with his own style.  I have a dear friend who is a former pastor who has done just that, and I have learned a lot from his words of wisdom.

10Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”11So the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12“Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
Exodus 4: 10 - 12 NKJV

To anyone who is considering a career in theology, I wish you luck.  You will definately have a uphill battle.  Yours is not a typical nine to five gig by a long shot.  You will be called on to be a problem solver, makeshift physician, psychologist and politician.  If you hate office politics, you might not want to be a pastor.  That is just the nature of the job.  I have learned a lot of the pastoral field from my friend.  Enough to know that I most likely would never want that responsibility.  But, I digress.  How many christians are we reaching with our typical Pharisee school christianity?  I don't know the numbers, but what I do know is what I would rather listen to.  Skip the text book theories and dictionary vocabulary and hit me where it hurts!  Tell me how God, if He truly lives in me, can help me with my day to day life struggles.  Encourage me in my walk with Him.  Above all, let me know that it's not I who walks through this life of mine, but my heavenly Father who walks with me.  I want real life, rubber meets the road discussion on the issues we all face every day.  That Pharisee school theory probably won't help me too much with that.  What will help me is knowing that my Lord is there on my level every step of the way.  I know that this kind of teaching might be different than what your instructors taught you, but I will definately remember it well when we're not together.

~Scott~