God could have sent angels to preach, said Calvin, but He sent sinners. True preaching is humiliating, painful, foolish. But pastors are servants of the Word--dying men sent to dying people.

The pressure to trivialize preaching assaults pastors from all sides--from video venues to sacramentalism. Compare the role of preaching in the life of our churches with ages past and this becomes obvious. But the preaching of the Word has always been central to the life and worship of healthy churches.

Televangelists are not the only preachers doing violence to the Word of God in our time. Our pulpits are full of men who have been trained to conspire with their congregations to muzzle the Holy Spirit while appearing pious. Are you one of them?