tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823652967548514737.post1112499451461589767..comments2022-04-11T22:46:14.279+01:00Comments on Stickles are Random: I need to choose a dissertation topic...Kevin Sawershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02173618698897367164noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823652967548514737.post-59986895745778594912014-03-15T15:47:19.301+00:002014-03-15T15:47:19.301+00:00So why not do some serious research on how people ...So why not do some serious research on how people react to sermons, what works (and what that means) with different audiences. You could develop into some suggestions on how to respond to peoples real reactions and needs.<br />I have over 50 years experience of listening to sermons and continued to be surprised that preachers develop their ideas of what the folk need without hearing their voice. This leads to all sorts of issues: e.g. preachers giving University lectures to those for whom it just floats over, preachers trying to convert the converted, preachers name dropping (Socrates, Augustine) to folk who are not interested in such, preachers not giving intellectual content to university congregations, preachers making 3 points where one might be remembered and acted on, preachers with nothing to say about folk's real everyday lives etc etc etc<br />Why not start with a survey or other form of empirical research. (PS: I came here from the Ship and may not return so no reply necessary. I just offer you these thoughts).<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01509468087593465169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823652967548514737.post-86735039155571955142013-09-08T16:06:56.089+01:002013-09-08T16:06:56.089+01:00Friends, thank you very much for your ideas and en...Friends, thank you very much for your ideas and encouragement. 'How church could be reimagined for a new generation of Christians' - that sounds awesome but I wonder how I could narrow it down to make a realistic Masters dissertation topic. *Thinks*<br /><br />Mike, I share your preference for the small group context, and agree that having to do something with the passage is a strong incentive to study diligently. Which is why I'm so keen on participative meetings; if we're all expected to contribute (not every meeting, but often) then it seems to me that there's far more incentive to engage with God. Whereas if we know that someone will be giving a detailed sermon, sharing the fruit of <i>their</i> study, I'm far more likely not to bother with much study and other engagement with God myself.Kevin Sawershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02173618698897367164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823652967548514737.post-41160488465710103702013-09-07T18:29:32.895+01:002013-09-07T18:29:32.895+01:00that sounds interesting; I've fallen asleep th...that sounds interesting; I've fallen asleep through more sermons than I can count, and I don't think I've missed out on much as a result. My experience has been that small groups are a bit better than congregational contexts for learning and really getting into scripture, but nothing beats actually preparing / leading a study yourself; consistently the times when I've got the most out of a passage have been when I've got to go do something with it afterwards (speak, present, lead a small group, whatever) - especially if you aren't given any 'study notes' which invariably discourage (me at least) from fully understanding and exploring the passage. <br /><br />Find a way to get me to engage at that level every week in a church meeting of some sort, and it be like being in a spiritual grow-bag... but I don't know how you foster such self-driven scripture study in a one-to-many large congregation context<br /><br />whatever you do, keep us posted on how your ideas develop, and (if this is a fair thing to say - I hope so!), enjoy writing it!<br /><br />blessings,<br />MikeMike S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00249172204212469036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823652967548514737.post-72661353514070535082013-09-07T18:23:42.330+01:002013-09-07T18:23:42.330+01:00I think that you can join those options together n...I think that you can join those options together nicely to form one idea for a dissertation - Challenging the traditional held view of a Church service.<br /><br />The idea of the sermon is Biblical - it's a carrying on of the sort of teaching that Jesus did, getting the message across in the way that they did at the time. However, back then, the only way to educate masses of people was in this manner. Roll through the centuries and Bibles wee written in Latin, which only the educated could read and so again, the only way to preach to the majority was in this manner too, in fact the way most people got information was in this way - think about Town Criers who would read aloud town notices for all.. However, today, most people can read and write and modern media has opened a whole new way for people to give and receive information and be educated, so why do Churches still follow an antiquated form of message giving? <br /><br />You were a teacher, so you have a grounding in more modern educational methods... so why not use this knowledge, along with your organic church passion to write about the changing face of services and how church could be reimagined for a new generation of Christians?Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08352216400091388428noreply@blogger.com