The Internet and the Work of a Pastor

Associate Pastor, Anniston First United Methodist Church (link)

If you’re like me, the last time you had access to a well-stocked theology library was the day you left seminary. This may be one of the things I miss most about seminary. But, libraries aren’t the only place where you can find good theology and Bible study resources. The number of websites featuring theological and biblical content has exploded in recent years. While one should consider the reliability of sources even in a respected library, it is even more important for sources found on the Internet. Nearly anyone with a computer can publish to the Web, which means that whenever we go about theological research, sermon preparation, or Bible study using the Web, we can ill afford to be casual in our reading and usage of Internet sources. Just because it is published on the web doesn’t mean it is faithful to United Methodist doctrine and polity (or even basic Christian doctrine, for that matter!)

While theological/biblical sources on the Web can be immensely useful, their proliferation has contributed to a disturbing trend: plagiarism. It seems that the Internet has made it all too easy for pastors to lift and co-opt the work of others with just a few clicks of a mouse. No one expects pastors to be original (my New Testament professor said if you go about interpreting the Bible and you come up with an interpretation that no on else in the history of Christianity has thought of, you should go back and think it over again!). Part of the beauty of our United Methodist heritage is that we celebrate tradition, connectionalism, and the movement of the Spirit in others.

Thomas Long, in an April 17, 2007, article in The Christian Century, writes, “Preaching depends on trust. When we deceive listeners we undermine the basis of our witness.” Taking a sermon that one downloads from Rick Warren’s website (even if you paid for it) and standing in the pulpit and reading it with nary an indication that the sermon isn’t your work is deceptive. Use others’ contributions to the Christian witness, but don’t represent as your own work something that you glean from the Internet. Give credit where credit is due. If you come upon a particularly juicy line that absolutely must be in your sermon, a simple, “One commentator suggests,” will usually suffice as a lead-in and says to your congregation, “I didn’t write this, but I’ve done my homework and I think this is important for you to hear.”

With that preface, here are a few sites that I have found reliable and valuable as I prepare for preaching and teaching:

Free Sites for Exegesis and Study:

www.textweek.com — This site has been around for a while, but keeps getting better because it’s regularly updated with new content. This site features links and references for other web pages that pertain to each lectionary passage. The content is broad-based: patristic content, articles from theological journals, blogs, sermons, kids’ material, bulletin graphics, movie illustration index, and more.
cep.calvinseminary.edu/thisWeek — This site is the work of The Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary. Each week, someone writes in-depth exegeses on the NT and OT lectionary passages. The site includes good textual analysis and ideas for illustrations.
www.ccel.org — This site features full texts of the works of the church fathers including patristic commentaries, works from the reformers including John Wesley, and renowned classics like Pilgrim’s Progress, The Practice of the Presence of God, and The Imitation of Christ.
www.atla.com — This site is an online archive of a great number of Christian magazines and journals, including The Christian Century, Interpretation, and Novum Testamentum. Alumni of Asbury, Duke, and Emory (among other seminaries, see http://www.atla.com/products/catalogs/atlasalum.htm for instructions) offer their alumni free access to this archive.

www.umcworship.org — Online resources from the GBOD. The site offers worship planning helps (including hymn suggestions and contemporary music suggestions) and preaching helps for each Sunday of the Christian year.

Pay Sites: Sermon Illustrations:

www.esermons.com — This is one of those sites that makes it really easy to steal (they sell full-text sermons). But, it also has great resources like PowerPoint backgrounds, illustrative stories, bulletin materials, and videos, all designed with the lectionary passages and/or sermon series in mind. This is a pay service, but could be a benefit for smaller congregations without the staff to design flashy graphics and supporting materials.
www.bluefishtv.com — This service is immensely helpful if you use video illustrations. Only $1.99 each (or cheaper with a subscription), some videos even come with discussion guides for use in small groups. This is also great for youth ministry.

www.movieministry.org — This pay service is an extensive index of movie themes. They’re even tied to scripture, so you can search on scripture reference, keyword, or movie title. All references include a plot synopsis, background synopsis, application, and chapter/minute references for DVDs.

I hope these resources can help you. Of course, you may have others that you find helpful. If you do, just comment here. Others may find them helpful, too!