Bane of All Sermons
Maybe I am just a grumpy old man who can’t work his phone! (Comments not welcome!). But a senior priest told me recently that, on a lark, he asked for an AI generated sermon which was, frankly, pretty good. He opined that some of our clergy may have, in a pinch, used one. I put my fingers in my ears and made noise as he spoke. Why so? what’s so bad about an AI-sermon? My friend was historically astute enough to remind me that, in the 16th Century, Anglican clerics would read from the Book of Homilies in lieu of writing a sermon. My retort to him was that only clergy not deemed up to the task of writing their own were required to do this. Be that as it may, what is the case against technologically enhanced homiletics?
It is true that content matters in a sermon- some insight into the Biblical passage, an orthodox point, an apt illustration or application. These are necessary conditions for a good sermon, but not in themselves sufficient. Here I make appeal to what the linguists call the ‘illocutionary sense.’ In addition to the meaning of the words themselves, there is also the context in which they were spoken, the intent of the speaker, and the effect on the lived situation into which the words were spoken. Furthermore, the sermon cannot be separated from a Christian understanding of witness and testimony. Professing the faith is itself an imperative of the Christian life. Like all his or her fellow Christians, the preacher is a dying sinner, saved by grace, who gives voice to what matters most before other dying sinners with their own distress and hope.
The preacher speaks then first to himself or herself. They give utterance to what they need to hear, the word of the grace of God. Only if it matters that much, and that way, to the speaker does it have a chance to matter urgently to the hearer. Of course preaching must not swerve into self-involvement or public rehash of therapy! What I am describing is the x-factor beyond content alone- strain it out and you lose the ‘one thing needful.’ For this reason a sermon as testimony might be disorganized and struggling, but still be compelling spiritually.
There may be such a thing as ‘artificial intelligence,’ but it isn’t human, but rather is alien. In the same way, the cyber-sermon may eloquent, but can’t be ‘kerygmatic’ (conveying the Gospel). Heed St. Paul, my friend: ‘ When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn't use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God's secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. (I Corinthians 2:1). Amen!
Peace,
+GRS
