Ethics, Power Points, Plus.... (Jan. 4)
And so it's on we go! How appropriate to deal with the ethics involved in using resources and being fair. From the "in between" vantage point, the pastor can be an effective influence on parishioners who deserve up front approaches to whom and what their pastor is reading, his or her attitudes toward the readings and above all the relationship of those readings, images or inferences gleaned from the Scriptural contexts. The "qualified yes" Power point use article of Andrew Root arouses in a reader courage. I like the point that the images are the point in Power Point and not necessarily the words. Again, faithfulness to the text ideas is an essential point here The No to Power Point article raises questions but I respect his view. I'm just glad Philip is not my pastor. And the Witte article is right on in its assertion of "building ethos and authority" no longer purely depending on" preaching or its sacred source." Guess, however, I"d have to say "Careful here! Discretion, prayer and Spirit inspired thought must take place here. So it's on from here. These are my main points for now. Back later!
One point about the ethics article that really struck me is how the blatant use of others' resources breaks the preachers' ability to speak to his/her own audience. It's one thing to use others' insights to enhance one's understanding of the text, but the preaching of the Word is hindered when the preacher is no longer thinking of the community to whom he/she is preaching. If you're not speaking in the language of and to the lives of your listeners, it's almost like you're preaching in a foreign language.
ReplyDeleteAmen to Jim's comments. I'd add on a separate note that the use of Powerpoint for images only and not for words is off the mark. Yes, there is a risk with using words, particularly if your bullet points turn into sentences or become a crutch. But having a short, succinct, powerful phrase, particularly when linked to an image, can often lock in things for your audience.
ReplyDelete