We have trouble finding restaurants our whole family enjoys. This is mostly due to the fact that my son is the Pickiest Eater on the Planet and thus rejects most ethnic food. The rest of us are more adventurous. This past weekend, my husband came up with the idea of going to a Japanese steakhouse, hoping that the "performance" aspect of the meal would overcome our boy's initial resistance to "weird" food.
He was right. The hibachi guy whirled and twirled his knives, created small fire bombs on the grill, and tossed eggs into the air and cracked them spectacularly on the back of the chopping blade. Our son was mesmerized and enthusiastically requested that we make a return visit. However, I privately told my husband that I didn't think the food was very good, despite all the fireworks.
Which makes me think of a temptation in preaching--at least for me. There is always the temptation to make the text do all sorts of clever, flashy things--things that make people ooh and ah at your homiletical dexterity. But there is real danger that in the end, the food isn't really very good. Lord, have mercy.
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6 comments:
Note to self: skip onion volcano trick and flying shrimp tails maneuver I had all planned out for next week...
Excellent point!
yes, excellent point and one I needed to hear this week especially. Flashy does not equal substantive, no matter what people say they like.
ahhhh, The meat of a consumeristic mentality to church and spirituality.
*laughin' at cheese*
dang, or Japanese steakhouses serve shirmp without tails. I've missed out on that maneuver.
I'd walk the aisle just 'cuz if you do the onion volcano thing in your sermon, RWP.
Good analogy.
My kids love those knife throwing restaurants, too.
i love this.
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