John Albert Broadus displays many of McDill's principles and skills in his
sermons. The title of the sermon, How the Gospel Makes Men Holy (Rom.
7:24-25), in*A Legacy of Preaching*seems to reflect the name the text idea
skill.1*The subject of the text is holy and the modifier of the text is how or
how to. Moving deeper into the sermon one can see that Broadus felt
compelled to expound on the Apostle Paul's intentions in the biblical text
in Romans before Romans 7:24-25. By providing perspective on things
such as justification, the character of man, justification, righteousness, the
new baptism and the new Master, Broadus is using the skill of found in
Persuasive Elements.2*Broadus' sermon is sprinkled with Natural
Analogies,* as well as Human Experience. Natural Analogies come in the
form of marrying a pious woman, the loss of loved one, or a carpenter's
plummet.3*The human experiences expressed in the sermon are vividly
and imaginatively shared in order to show how the more one attempts to
avoid sinning for goodness sake, the more one is drawn to sin; like an
elderly woman who has never experienced life outside the walls of a small
town, she does not long to have that experience until she is reminded that
there are experiences that do indeed exist outside the city walls.4*The
previous example falls into the Scenes and Stories skill as well as the
human experience. Broadus finds a way to connect with the hearer of his
sermons on an emotional, psychological and spiritual level that touches
their humanity in such a way that one feels compelled to* response to or
reflect on the nature of Broadus' message.
* * *Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a man of principle, character and courage; of
which would cost him his life while opposing the German Christian
Movement in Nazi Germany.5*In Bonhoeffer's sermon there seem to be
several of McDills skills being used through out the sermon. Three skills
mostly standout in the entirety of this particular sermon and those are
Scene and Story, Human experience and aiming for a faith response.
Bonhoeffer begins his sermon with story scene and story, as he
passionately paints a picture of the mother of Jesus, Mary. He describes
the Mary who wrote the song of Mary as passionate, carried away, proud
and enthusiastic.6*And that Mary writes such a song with by the power of
the Holy Spirit.7*The continues with story and scene by showing the hearer
the heart of the Father and his love for the lowly by how he chose a lowly
carpenters wife, Mary, to have the closest relationship with his Son and
Savior of the world, Jesus.8*Moving to human experience Bonhoeffer
communicates that man where mans understanding is outraged, nature
rebels and piety keeps its distance, that is where God loves to be, with the
lowly and where miracles happen.9*His most power image comes in the
form of a human experience. Bonhoeffer reminds his hearers that our
savior's power was initially in the form of a manger.10*This manger cannot
be approach in the same manner that one would approach the crib of a
normal child, for each will be judged or redeemed at the manger of
Christ.11*Finally, Bonhoeffer implores and calls for a response from his
audience to celebrate Christmas "rightly" and lay down at the manger our
human struggle for power, our vanity, arrogance and
selfishness.12*Bonhoeffer most certainly prepared in some kind structured
way, which helped him develop his sermons in such a way that you can
almost feel the passion and power that must have come from his
message. So, it is likely he used other skills that we find in the McDill text.*
* ****1Forrest, King, Curtis and Milioni, editors.,*A Legacy of Preaching: Enlightenment to
the Present Day Vol.*(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 225.
* * * *2John A. Broadus,*Sermons and Addresses(Richmond: Johnson, 1887), 97-109.
* * * *3Broadus,*Sermons.97-109.
* * * *4Ibid.
* * * *5Forrest, King, Curtis and Milioni,*A Legacy. 308-309.
* * * *6*Sermon on Luke 1:46–55, London, Third Sunday in Advent, December 17, 1933."
In*London, 1933-1935: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 13, edited by Clements Keith,
by BONHOEFFER DIETRICH, Goedeking Hans, Heimbucher Martin, Schleicher Hans-
Walter, Best Isabel, and Stott Douglas W., 342-47. MINNEAPOLIS: 1517 Media, 2007.
Accessed May 6, 2021. doi:10.2307/j.ctt22h6t1c.17.* 342.*
* * * *7Clements,*Deitrich.*342.
* * * *8Ibid. 343.
* * * *9Ibid.
* * * *10Ibid. 345.
* * * *11Ibid.
* * * *12Ibid. 347.
