I was reading a book yesterday called “How to Improve Your Preaching” by Bob Jones Jr.
The topic of the chapter was the Introduction of the Sermon and the author was explaining how to defuse a hostile audience. In this, he made the following example:
An example of tact in disarming an audience was demonstrated by a chaplain from Massachusetts who was preaching to a wealthy Presbyterian congregation while the Northern Army was in possession of the city of Norfolk during the Civil War. Â The Northern preacher was in the pulpit upon the command of his general, and the Confederates were in the pews in obedience to military orders. Â The preacher began the sermon with these words, “My friends, I am here by no choice of mine. Â I came to your city as a chaplain, to look after the souls of my neighbors who are here, as I am, under military rule. I stand in the place of your honored pastor by command of my military superior; but I am a preacher of the same Christ whom you possess, and I ask you to hear me for His sake.”
While not the purpose of the chapter, this little passage explains—at least to me—exactly what I do as a U.S. Army Chaplain.
“I stand in the place of your honored pastor by command of my military superior,” he says.
This is the role of the Chaplain. Not to be a missionary. Not to be an evangelist. Not to be a psychologist. But to “stand in” for the local pastors while the Soldier is away—to provide for the Soldier the free exercise of religion that our Constitution guarantees.
Â
Concerned_Soldier says
“This is the role of the Chaplain. Not to be a missionary. Not to be an evangelist. Not to be a psychologist”
Aren’t you a little bit of all of them?
You don’t see yourself as a Missionary?
Oh by the way Graf is a hoot!!
V/R
C_S