I wonder how many books about preaching have been published. Two hundred? Five hundred? It is hard to know for sure, but the number is not small. And although there are numerous books about preaching, most of them are quite similar. They cover the same topics and sound the same in various ways. Some books about preaching are unique, however, filling a void in the area of homiletics. One such unique homiletic resource is Preaching as Reminding by Jeffrey Arthurs. This book does not cover regular preaching topics like selecting a text, finding the main point, constructing the outline, writing the conclusion, the importance of prayer, and so on. Instead, Arthurs focuses on preaching as reminding God’s people of his truth. Arthurs argues that remembering is a necessary aspect of the Christian faith and thus, essential in preaching.

There are seven chapters in Preaching as Reminding. In the first three chapters, Arthurs explains the Bible’s emphasis on remembering. He begins by highlighting texts in Scripture that show how God remembers his people and does not forget his promises (e.g., Exod 2:24–25). The next chapter summarizes the error of God’s people when they forget him and his Word (e.g., Ps 106:21). The third chapter is about the prophets and apostles as “remembrancers”—those who call God’s people to recall the Lord and his Word. Arthurs says that pastors today are the church’s “remembrancers.” They have a similar role as the prophets and apostles in calling God’s people to remember the truth.

Arthurs provides helpful biblical detail about remembering and forgetting in these three chapters. I appreciated the way he describes the Bible’s teaching about remembering, memory, and forgetting. It is so true that God’s people are prone to forget him and his Word. As a result, pastors should appreciate and appropriate in their preaching a focus on the biblical concept of remembering.

The last four chapters take the “theology of the first three chapters and apply it to ministry to demonstrate how to stir memory through vivid language (chapter four), story (chapter five), delivery (chapter six), and ceremony (chapter seven)” (3). These chapters explain the particular and practical ways of preaching to stir the memory. The way a pastor delivers the message (the style) helps people remember. Language, metaphor, and repetition can help people recall the truth. For example, Arthurs helpfully mentions that utilizing the “musicality” of speech can aid people in recalling the message (78). Properly told stories and illustrations can also help people remember the Lord. Finally, ceremonies and symbols also help people remember God’s truths.

This section of the book was full of helpful insights about the words and ways pastors can preach to help stimulate and stir people’s memories. As a pastor, I do want to preach in a way that helps people remember and never forget the truths of God. These chapters gave me some practical instructions that will help me preach more effectively to the Christian’s memory. For example, the discussion about nonverbal communication made me consider how I handle myself in the pulpit. I want my nonverbal pulpit communication to contribute to, not detract from, the worship service and sermon. Although these four chapters were beneficial for me, I disagree with Arthurs’ endorsement of rituals (e.g., incense, anointing oil, etc.) to stir the memory. He is very word-centered in these chapters, which is a plus, but he also leaves the door open for what I would consider elements of worship that are not commanded in Scripture.

Preaching as Reminding is not a perfect book on preaching. It is not the best book on preaching that I have ever read. Nevertheless, it does fill a void in preaching resources. This book is a unique contribution to the area of homiletics. For that reason, I certainly recommend it. I realize there is more to preaching than simply causing people to remember God and his truths. Yet memory is an important aspect of biblical preaching that pastors do well to remember (pun intended!). Arthurs has done much study in the field of memory within Scripture’s teaching, and he also understands how memory works in people’s experiences. His studies and insights are well explained in this book. If you are a pastor or Sunday School teacher, or if you teach in some other Christian capacity, you would do well to check out Preaching as Reminding. This is a homiletics resource about which we should not forget!

©Shane Lems. All Rights Reserved.

Jeffrey D. Arthurs, Preaching as Reminding: Stirring Memory in an Age of Forgetfulness (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2017).

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Post authored by:

• Shane Lems

  

  Shane Lems is a graduate of Westminster Seminary California and has a DMin from RTS Orlando. He has been a church planter and pastor in the URCNA. Since 2013 he’s been serving as pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Hammond, WI. He is married and has four children. Shane has written numerous articles for Modern Reformation, New Horizons, and other publications. He is also the author of Doctrines of Grace: Student Edition and manages a book blog, The Reformed Reader.

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