A Few Plain Rules for Preachers

The following which we clipped several years ago, and put in our Scrap-book, is as applicable now as then, and may be useful to a good many preachers, and will do none of them any harm to observe.

1. Be very sure to understand the text yourself, before you attempt to make others understand it.
2. Be animated—be emphatic. Convince your hearers that you are in earnest; but do not insult their judgments by extravagant appeals to the passions without enlightening their minds.
3. Remember you are placed in the pulpit to teach. Study, therefore, your subject thoroughly, and do not follow—right or wrong—stale commentators. Think for yourself, and when you have new thoughts, communicate them, even if they do tread a little upon the toes of other expositors. At the same time a preacher should not aim to be original, merely for the sake of it.
4. Approach your subject at one, and be short.
5. Study to be eloquent—if you have powers of oratory, improve them. But let theatrical affectation be banished from the place.

J. R. H.*

[*John R. Howard, editor of the Christian Pioneer, the periodical in which these rules are published (vol. 1 no. 2, July 1861), MIce]

Church Bulletins

Just a brief note today: a plug about local congregational material. Please add me to your church’s bulletin mailing list, or pass along my address to the person who handles the mailing. Many churches are now moving to an online bulletin (usually PDF); but I would rather still receive the printed version by snail mail. We don’t have room at work to house bulletins in bulk or to go online each week in order to cull important items. But we will keep single copies when noteworthy events occur: new ministers, new facilities, other transitions. While you’re at it, send me your old church directories as well.

1101 19^th Avenue South

Nashville, TN

37212

Research Projects Underway

I spend my days researching for other people. I answer their questions and sniff out leads on their behalf. Genealogy, congregational history, biography, orphaned parents, scholarly articles and books, institutional research, seminarians and professors: it varies from day to day and no two days are the same. I really like the variety because it forces me to interact with the full range of our materials at work and really has broadened by understanding (while at the same time reminding me how much I do not yet know or understand).

I also nurture some research projects of my own. The last three weeks, for example, I've been up at the crack of dawn tracing out the story of Nashville Churches of Christ from 1866-1906 in preparation for a paper I'm presenting at Union University in Jackson, TN in September. I've had long-standing research interests in Central Church and J. W. Shepherd and constantly keep my eyes open for anything that can contribute to an understanding of them. My most recent project included the Churches of Christ in North Edgefield, a suburb of Nashville just across the river from downtown. This project, slated for publication in September, led to my paper on the Nashville churches.

This afternoon, I enjoyed a few hours at church with former residents of the Central Girls' and Boys' Homes. Right at 100 folks, primarily from the Nashville area, gathered for lunch, to share memories and to keep in touch. I listened to stories and met some fine folks.

Last night Laura and I, Sharman, Sara and Marice (colleagues from DCHS) attended the Friday Night Singing at Charlotte Avenue Church of Christ. The congregation is merging with West Nashville Heights and will sell the building later this fall; this was the last singing in the old building (circa 1921-1923 or so, patterned after the Ryman Auditorium). I'd never before been to church at Charlotte Avenue, so I thought I'd better strike while the iron is hot. At one time it was about the largest Church of Christ in Nashville with something like 1200-1300 members. A historic congregation to be sure.

So, this weekend was a real treat. Let me plug my research projects: If you have, or know of anyone who has any historic material (paper items, photographs, ephemera, congregational records, books, periodicals, bulletins, letters, etc. no matter how insignificant you think it might be) along these lines, drop me a line, I'd love to meet you, listen to your story and talk with you.

It is up to us to keep and preserve our stories!

Hello again

Having taken a late-spring and all-summer hiatus, I am nearly ready to resume my (acutely) occasional blogging.

I've got some news to recap, a few thoughts percolating, and more installments on the way for my on-going Stone-Campbell and family history series. There might be an occasional comment from my new study of Romans I began at Central Church last week. Then there's some family news as well. But for now, since I've got two research projects underway, let me finish those and we'll see what blogs forth.

So, my faithful readers, both of you, check back in a week or so and I'll have something for you then.

grace and peace