Reflecting on Listening to a Sermon I Disagreed With

Granted, this may sound arrogant, but grant me the benefit of the doubt for the sake of discussion.  Recently, I listened to a sermon that I started disagreeing sharply with from the beginning.  After the first point, I found myself disagreeing with the second and it kept spiraling.  I am squirming in my seat, and contemplating, “In a world without consequences, I would stand up and say something”.

It was one of those, “We need to get back to the good old days!” charges with examples I could not appreciate it and with a tone that I could not identify with.   (Since it was Sunday, I thought it would be ok to pray twice that morning), I prayed that God would remind me of my prayer from the beginning of the service when I asked to speak through this man so that I may drawer nearer to my God.  Though there were a few points that I appreciated, after all, it’s hard to disagree with someone completely for 45 minutes), this was a hard sermon to take to heart and though I had just prayed that I would continue worshipping throughout, I was worried that our congregants would love it because I really thinking that this type of mentality causes damage to today’s church.  It was very frustrating. 

Believe me, I am not the guy who hears one or two things that are disagreeable and rule the preacher out, even if it’s a style difference.  I even find disagreement with the people that I enjoy the most but this was on a different level. 

I left feeling like I had just wrestled with someone but not in the Jacob sense, or in the conviction sense, but more in the “sharp disagreement” sense.  This really bothered me, because generally speaking, I am one to try to pursue the unity.  I prayed, I talked to people I trust, and while I’m tempted to say it was a bad sermon, it wasn’t.  Many people like it.  I just had significant problems with its thesis. 

There will be a next time, especially because of the positions that I appreciate.  The good was in the conversations that resulted with a trusted few and personal reflection.  So may God bless this man, our congregation, my heart, but I hope I don’t see him at our pulpit anytime soon.