When my grandparents went to church, they expected to get what they called, “their toes stepped on.” It meant the preacher was there to convict them, which might offend them a little. And they kind of liked it. Can you believe it? If the sermon didn’t sting a bit, they figured the preacher was having an ‘off week.’
By the time I was a teenager, the strategy had changed. Now, sermons were packaged as “challenges”—difficult teachings were offered as optional. The challenge was a courtesy that let us pull our toes out of the way before they got stepped on. If we didn’t want the discomfort of conviction, we simply refused to accept the challenge.
But refusing challenges week after week eventually made us feel bad which brought about the era of “food for thought.” Preachers began ‘sharing’ messages which we vastly preferred to ‘preaching.’ Take it or leave it—it was up to us. Pastor was just inviting us to ‘chew on this’ or ‘check out that’ or ‘meditate on’ something else. The pulpit became a TED Talk with a few Bible verses sprinkled in. Who wants to be challenged when we can just be curious?
However, we’re not stupid. We figured out that the preacher intended for us to apply what he ‘shared’ to our lives which made our toes hurt. Now preachers assure us throughout the sermon that none of the awkward, uncomfortable messaging is meant for us. “I’m preaching to myself today,” is regularly recited to be sure no one feels targeted. In fact, we could leave the room when the preacher opens his Bible. Everything he’s going to say is for his own benefit, not ours.
We’ve gone from sermons that aimed to correct us, to sermons that wouldn’t dare presume we need correction at all. Toe-stepping is out. Tiptoeing is in.
“John, you jerk! Is this about me?!!”
Maybe. If you’re a regular church attender and the stuff I say bothers you more than anything you’ve heard in church — then yes. This is about you.
(Psalm 51:3) For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
