Rob Bell on Preaching

I wrote a post about Rob Bell over two years ago that expressed both appreciation and some concerns. That post received a lot of attention. Leadership recently conducted an insightful interview with Rob Bell about preaching. Here I think Bell is loaded with wisdom and help. Here's an excerpt:What do you teach these students about the spiritual side of preaching?First, the public nature of preaching exposes you to a wide spectrum of feedback—from the really good compliments to really venomous criticism. Both can be dangerous because they lead to either pride or pain. We need to work at becoming the kind of person who is so deeply grounded in who we are, the work we are called to do, and the words we are called to speak, that the ambient hype that surrounds the preaching event doesn't get the best of us.It's important to create a circle of trusting, loving people around you who will tell you the truth no matter what. They can help you think rightly about the criticism and keep you balanced. Preaching isn't just about the sermon, it's about becoming the kind of person who can actually handle the role. It's like a Ferrari. If you don't know how to drive the thing, you're going to crash into a tree.Based on your metaphor, I imagine you've hit some bumps on the road.Oh, for sure. Preaching will inevitably reveal all sorts of stuff residing in your soul. The stage is like a magnet, and any little shards of insecurity, pride, fear, or greed in you will eventually be pulled to the surface. So you have to go down a journey toward becoming a particular kind of person or it will consume you.What does that journey involve?If you're going to preach long term and do it with more hope, more joy, more passion, and more wisdom, then you've got to be willing to dig down into your own soul and psyche and history. How do you seek approval? What messages did your parents send you? What voices do you hear on your shoulders?The other part is sustainability. That's an important word for me. Some pastors think about how to survive the next five years. The better question to ask is, how are we going to thrive? How do we construct a rhythm and pace of life that ensures five years from now we'll have more passion, more energy, and we will be filled with new and fresh ideas about life in God's world?