Aimee Semple McPherson
a a a a a a a a a a Aimee Semple McPherson is an interesting individual. I can only wish for
enough time to read more about her disappearance! No my friends, she is no
Amelia Earhart, but she did disappear for five weeks. Her ministry experienced
numerous highs and lows, but she did have a gift for the dramatic. I believe her
sermon demonstrates several of the McDill skill sets. She demonstrates Skill Seven,
Balancing Persuasive Elements in her ability to illustrate the biblical text. McDill
writes, “a sermon illustration is any word picture that gives the biblical truth a
familiar enough image that the listener can see it in his mind.”[1] Skill Nine, Scenes
and Stories, is present in McPherson’s retelling of the Barabbas narrative. McDill
writes, “not only are word pictures and stories essential to good speech
communication, but they are also inherent to the revelation of God in Scripture.”[2]
Not only does she bring the story to life, but she also teaches her congregation that
God sent his son to pay for their sins. “Tis neither jest nor mocking, Barabbas. ‘Tis
true, thou art a free man. For one named Jesus is to be stretched upon your cross
on Calvary’s hill…”[3] However, she also fails in this area to some degree. Her use of
flowery language does not fit this skill (McDill, 157), although this could be merely
an effect of reading her early 20th Century words through an early 21st Century lens.
McPherson follows the McDill method for this step by including the “five phases of
a story”.[4] And finally, Skill Ten, Human Experience, is also present in the text of her
sermon. She thoroughly integrates the experiences of Barabbas, while also showing
that all are in need of substitutionary atonement.
Word Count: 327
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
a a a a a a a a a a Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s sermon for the third Sunday of Advent, December 17,
1933, paints a vivid picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus. When referencing Mary’s
song as recorded in Luke 1:46-55, he writes, “this is not a gentle, tender, dreamy
Mary as we often see her portrayed in paintings… a hard, strong, relentless hymn
about the toppling of the thrones and the humiliation of the lords of this world,
about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.”[5] Skill Nine, Scenes
and Stories, is present in this portion of the sermon. McDill writes, “look for
dynamics of the situation and note them as well… watching for characters,
relationships, motives, changes, divine involvement, incongruities, and surprises.”[6]
I especially like the way Bonhoeffer brings the text down to a human level, “she
[Mary] speaks, by the power of the spirit, about God’s coming into the world, about
the Advent of Jesus Christ… she, of course, knows better than anyone else what it
means to wait for Christ’s coming. She waits for him differently than does any other
human being.”[7] Not only is Bonhoeffer again using Skill Nine by sketching the
story, but he is also employing Skill Ten (Human Experience). He connects man’s
waiting for redemption to Mary's waiting to give birth, a theme common to all
mankind through the ages. Everyone knows what it feels like to wait for something,
and this has been translated through the retelling of this part of Christ’s birth
narrative.
Word Count: 320
[1] Wayne McDill, 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, Nashville: B & H Academic,
2018, 126-127.
[2] Wayne McDill, 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, 152.
[3] "Barabbas, by Aimee Semple-McPherson," Jawbone Digital, February 23, 2017,
Accessed May 05, 2021, https://jawbonedigital.com/barabbas-aimee-semple-
mcpherson/.
[4] McDill, 154.
[5] "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 5, 2021, doi:10.2307/j.ctt22h6t1c.17, 342.
[6] McDill, 163.
[7] "Sermon on Luke 1:46–55, London, Third Sunday in Advent, December 17, 1933,"
In London, 1933-1935: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 13, 343.
