Monday, May 22, 2006

Plaigarism is Okay!

Download your sermon from the Internet because it's more important to be effective than original. Or so says this guy.

Hat tip.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

North Indiana hosted this guy to do a continuing education event for pastors. It was a two-day seminar, and I signed-up for it. I left after the first day. He rubbed me the wrong way (he said exactly the same things as he put in that post about using other people's sermons). I found him to be arrogant and full of himself. A spirit of humility would make it easier for me to listen to what he has to say.

Mark said...

Sure, we all borrow from each other (hopefully giving credit)...but Sjogren's advice gives comfort to the sloppy, lazy pastor who has now been given permission to be sloppy and lazy. What happened to searching the scriptures and listening to God? With due respect to Rick Warren, I think the Bible and prayer are better sources for sermon prep than any of his tapes.

John said...

And if you aren't in the habit of composing your own sermons, you never will become good at it.

Ethically, I don't think that it is wrong to read other people's sermons so as long as your congregation is fully aware of what you are doing. Then deal with their reactions to such behavior.

Mark said...

John,

I agree. We should all be reading and listening to great sermons. I think it's even OK to borrow as long as we give credit. But if we borrow TOO much, then we are no longer being creative and we are preaching a second-hand word.

John said...

Yes.

In practice, sermon plaigarism would never work because the congregation would rise up in outrage.

Mark said...

James,

Most churches are not technologically equipped to invent original graphics. I think it's also correct to say that most choir directors have been called to lead their choirs, not be songwriters. However, ALL preachers should have a call from God to preach. And if most of our sermons are copied from somebody else's thoughts, then we are lazy and not obeying our call to listen to God, search his word and preach a due word in season.