by Lawanda Smith

In last month’s article, we explored the value of using illustrations from church history in the sermon. Last month’s article also alluded to the necessity of showing the Gospel’s relevance for today. Theologian Karl Barth once said that Christians should always have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. Indeed, a major task of the sermon is to show how the principles of Scripture are relevant for today.

With almost every resident along the Gulf coast, I kept a close eye on the strengthening Hurricane Dennis two weeks ago. Every few hours, updated weather statements reported that the storm churned closer to the Gulf. Three days before expected landfall, coastal residents prepared for the fifth major hurricane in ten months.

But something else was happening as Hurricane Dennis approached. People in areas not expected to be affected by the storm were preparing, too. Those who lived in towns and cities where evacuees would stream were preparing to care for people who would be staying in hurricane shelters.

Many of these evacuation centers were gymnasiums at local churches. Church members who had been trained as hurricane emergency workers staffed the centers, and churches not designated as evacuation centers sprang into action as well. Many members volunteered at community evacuation centers. Other people across the United States donated supplies or offered financial help. Some even prepared to send disaster relief teams to help residents of hardest hit areas.

As I watched these preparations, I was reminded of Jesus’ compassionate ministry to hurting people. He even reminded his followers that whatever they did to help someone in need, they also did for him (Matthew 25:40).

Often current events provide relevant illustrations of biblical principles. Christian response to Hurricane Dennis, for instance, is a concrete example of the kind of compassion Jesus advocated.

Other times a current event is so significant it can present an occasion for an entire sermon. The week Hurricane Dennis strengthened another event dominated the international news: the explosion of several bombs in the mass transit system of London. The terror attack vividly reminded every American of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. The following Sunday that year, pastors’ sermons in churches across the country attempted a comforting response to the hurt American people were feeling.

Of course, unless an incident is as significant as 9/11, connecting the sermon’s theme with current events requires some effort. We really do have to read the newspaper as Barth suggested, for one thing, watch the local and national news on television, even keep up with current news reported on reputable Internet sites. But it’s a worthwhile effort for both the pastor and the congregation because, by drawing current events into sermons, pastors can help people reflect on the relevance of biblical principles for life today.

For the past several months, this series of articles has explored ways pastors can use the sermon as a means of Christian education, specifically as a way to educate people theologically. Relating current events to biblical principles, as this session describes, helps connect the ageless Christian story to our modern day stories. Similarly, weaving stories from church history into sermons helps people connect the larger Christian stories with their own stories. By integrating biblical stories and personal stories into sermons, pastors can help people discover how their stories connect with the larger story of Christianity. And by pointing out how the biblical text is written, pastors can challenge their congregation to Bible Study by incorporating into their sermons methods of interpreting Scripture

Dr. Lawanda Smith is Instructor of English and Religion at Louisiana State University Alexandria. She resides in Alexandria, Louisiana, where she is a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. She also preaches regularly at other churches in the area. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, water skiing, and entertaining her cats.