This is the last of the workshops which I have held twice annually at Cherry Log, and pre-registrations assure our largest attendance ever. It was doubly imperative that we consider a matter of broad and abiding concern to preachers and their listeners. The decision was immediate: deal with the emotional life of the preacher.
Churches complain of a decline of passion in the pulpit; preachers speak often of ‘burn out’ and ‘compassion fatigue’; and the literature more and more treats the emotional life of the preacher. Some writers have raised again the ancient issue of akedia, one of the seven deadly sins, a condition, bluntly stated, is “I don’t care any more”.
Emotion is the response of the body to value. To be emotionally healthy is to be able to access a range of emotions triggered by the subject matter and appropriate to it. A lack of emotion says the message is untrue or unimportant of unbelieved by the speaker. Excessive displays of emotion may be taken as manufactured and hence dishonest.
We have gathered, therefore, to discuss the emotional life of the preacher, to reflect on the signs of decline in emotional energy, and to offer suggestions about practices which may restore and sustain the preacher’s emotional health.
