GOD BLESS….

I can (maybe) accept that the job of the preacher in worship is to proclaim God’s word, but your comment assumes that response (even a quick one) from the congregation is not ALSO the word of God being proclaimed. God can speak through uneducated fishermen, prostitutes, criminals, and yes, even lay people — IF we, in our hierarchical institutions are not too quick to silence God.

I realize that my argument makes just as much an assumption as does yours, but I’d rather listen to someone who is “not God” speaking and then use my God-given discernment to make that call, instead of the other way around.

I’m with you, not just from the perspective of what I’m used to, not just because questions can be trivial, but for theological reasons. I’ve read Pagitt’s book, and there are things I really like and things I really dislike about it.
I agree that sermons should be prepared in the context of ongoing conversations within the congregation. I try to meet up with people during sermon prep to see what they can contribute to applications etc.
The very nature of Christianity is well modeled when God’s word is proclaimed and we sit with mouths closed. The congregation sitting in silence allows us to respond with our hearts first, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When we are encouraged to respond quickly with our mouths, I fear that it will foster an attitude that the word of God itself is merely one opinion among many.

A great book I have on my shelf is by Laurie Green called Let’s do theology, which is a wonderful book about doing theological reflection in amongst the congregation. It is based on the reflection model EXPERIENCE-EXPLORATION-REFLECTION-ACTION. Similar circles of reflection appear in other books and seminary courses, but Laurie describes many examples of groups of ordinary folk in local congregation grappling with life and the bible and coming to greater understanding and action. I think the concepts in this book may help think more deeply about this whole process.

Open Door’s Trialogue process is actually really simple. Once a week, a varying group of people meets at a local coffee shop. It is open to anyone – invitations are usually made publicly during announcements at their worship gathering or in their e-newsletter. It’s always open to visitors; sometimes people from the congregation bring friends or family who have never even been to a worship gathering. Scripture is selected ahead of time by the preacher for each week. Once everyone is there, the group reads the passage together, and then conversation goes wherever the Spirit leads it. The preacher will take notes on whatever questions, issues, or good points come up, and then address and use those in the sermon. Sometimes the group closes by brainstorming creative and artistic ways for the congregation to respond to or particpate in the sermon. On the nights when I’ve participated, the conversation usually lasts around two hours, but I’m sure it’s been longer or shorter at other times. That’s as formal as it gets.

BJ tells me that he usually avoids reading the scripture passage ahead of time so that he comes to Trialogue open to whatever fresh ideas come from the other people there. I think the name Trialogue is meant to imply a three-way dialogue (God + multiple people), and I think is lives up to that name.

I think maybe what you’re getting at, Brian, is something highly valued in emerging church and culture: Authenticity. A sermon has to be “authentically you” for people to buy into it.

I can agree with that.

Perhaps there is a productive balancing point between “community” and “individualism” that can be found amidst all this talk about collaborative sermons.

I should have been more clear. What is important in this process is that the message remains something you believe in – you don’t want to be saying other people’s words even if happen to agree with them.

What can sometimes happen is that instead of saying what you originally wanted to say you try and include everything and end up saying nothing. Plus, if what you’re saying really isn’t yours and you’re not passionate about, your delivery goes right down the tubes.

It’s not so much an issue of ownership as it is coherence and flow.