Uncle Floyd's Letter
Dear Brother Editor:
Your father used to preach a sermon entitled, "Preacher Hoodooism." I don't know just what all he meant by that, but it strikes me that we've got some kind of preacher-ism in the church now.
Fer instant, it appears to me that the preacher is too much a center of attraction both in worship and work. We come together on the first day of the week to break bread. This part of the worship should stand out like, since it is special to the Lord's day. But we seem to manifest the "get-through-with-it" attitude. The prayin, the singin, the 'nouncements and all seem to point to the preacher's part as the main feature. Furthermore, if we don't come up with a purty fair speaker lots a folk won't show up.
Personal, I don't think we hear as much about elders as we do preachers. Many churches don't have elders and ain't fixin to get'em. They make "pastors" out of the preachers, so what's the use?
Now let me say here and now, brother Editor, that I'm not against preachers, located or dislocated. I'm not against regular like preachers.
They's just one kind I'm against — "no count" preachers.
What I'm trying to say is this: congregations become so preacher-centered and preacher-dependent and preacher-conscious that he is all in all. His salary is No. 1 item in the money matters of the church. His sermon is No. 1 item when we meet to worship. He is No. 1 man in the plannin and organizin of things. He is No. 1 topic of talk when someone brings up the church. His is No. 1 influence in the church. And in a few cases he is No. 1 problem.
How come we can't let the preachers stick to their evangelizin? Brother Editor, it ain't right fer no church to saddle the preacher with what all the rest of us ought to be doin. He has big enough job as "A" minister, let alone bein made into "THE" minister.
I say hoorah fer the preacher who has gumption enough to stay with the Bible as to his own work. And another hoorah when he teaches his good brothers that they don't come together to worship him. And another hoorah when he exalts Christ, not himself, as all in all.
I admit I'm a little worked up on this subject. I'm not lookin fer a new "ism." I'm just saying we ain't exempt from preacher-itis.
Yours truly, Uncle Floyd