Otros regímenes especiales

This study adopts Lowry’s theory of narrative preaching because it may help in guiding listeners toward the process of reconciliation. Stated differently, Lowry structured narrative preaching into five constructs, which the study believes may provide helpful ways of guiding listeners in the journey of reconciliation. In addition, Lowry’s constructs of narrative preaching to a large extent is similar to Osmer’s four tasks of practical theology. Lowry’s five constructs, however, are reconstructed into four constructs to make them congruent with the fourfold understanding of practical theology (see section 1.4.1).

3.2.1 UPSETTING THE EQUILIBRIUM

The first construct is what Lowry calls upsetting the equilibrium, that is to create the desire of interest for the hearers the way a narrative does – to get them engaged by developing some

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ambiguity that will need to be resolved or introducing some kind of conflict or tension analogous to the opening scene of a play or movie (Lowry 1980:30-31).21 Lowry’s idea of starting a sermon by creating the desire for the listener is helpful in preaching reconciliation. This means the preacher starts the sermon by presenting the listener with a picture of conflict or violence within the context of preaching (see 2.5). Cilliers (2010:93) notes that “if preachers are to connect to people, they will have to connect to the particular experiences that these people have”.

Lowry’s constructs of upsetting the equilibrium are more or less similar to Osmer’s practical theology descriptive-empirical task (what is going on?) (Osmer 2008:34). This means that, at the onset, preaching should focus on the experiences and material of the listeners so as to make the sermon real to them. As Lowry (1997:64) argues, “[c]onversations begin not with the known, the settled, the secure, the fixed, but with the unknown, the unclear, the tenuous, and the fluid. A sense of dis-ease or wonderment will get things going-sometimes by what seems to be the smallest of issue”. Preaching that speaks to particular people in the concrete circumstances of their lives must begin with an awareness of the life situations of the hearer (Long 1989:57). Stated differently, preaching reconciliation should begin by presenting the listeners with a picture of what is going on within the context of preaching. This denotes that preaching reconciliation should go beyond intuitive and imaginative thinking of the circumstances of the listeners. Just as preachers explore the meaning of scriptural texts with methods of biblical exegesis, so too they must learn to use methods for exegeting the congregation in all its sociocultural particularity (Tisdale 1997:11, 24-25).

3.2.2 DIGGING INTO AMBIGUITY

The second construct, according to Lowry, involves digging deeper into ambiguity to determine all that is really at stake or probing the causative ingredients responsible for the situation. In other words, preaching should seek reasons for the occurrences. This means that, in preaching reconciliation, the preacher analyses the discrepancy between what is and what can or ought to

21 _{The preacher's responsibility in the opening step is to create the conflict, tension and interest so that the audience} participates actively in the sermon. For Lowry, a sermon introduction may upset the equilibrium of members of a congregation by means of an insignificant ambiguity that serves simply to stimulate interest in the sermonic process. This must be done in such a way as to engage the listener in the central sermon theme. The ongoing movement of the sermon is possible only when the congregation experience a sermonic itch in the opening stage (Lowry 1980:31; Je Lee 2003:73).

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be. Hence, in preaching reconciliation, upsetting the equilibrium should be followed by asking slow, thoughtful why questions.

Lowry’s constructs of digging into ambiguity are to a large extent similar to Osmer’s interpretive task of practical theology (seeking to know why is this going on?) (Osmer 2008:82). As Lowry (1980:37) argues, all narratives to some degree move toward an ending that resolves the conflict created earlier in the story.22 As such, probing into the causative ingredient responsible for the situation is crucial for preaching. For example, in preaching reconciliation, the preacher – through probing into causatives – may guide the listeners to know how they in one way or the other contribute to divisions, conflicts and violence. The key question in preaching reconciliation then will be, “what contributes or fuels divisions, conflicts and violence within the context of preaching?” In addition, the preacher may use stories to mirror some actions or attitudes that trigger conflict and violence.

3.2.3 EXPERIENCING THE GOSPEL

The third stage is experiencing the gospel. According to Lowry, stages one and two are intended to prepare the way so that when the gospel is then proclaimed it is effective. In other words, stages one and two aim at helping the listeners understand what the text of the Bible says, and do that which it refers (Je Lee 2003:75). This is because the ability to experience the gospel depends chiefly on the success of the analysis provided in stages one and two. Moreover, Lowry argues that it is a fatal error to announce the good news in the beginning, without using stages one and two to prepare the listeners (Je Lee 2003:75). In other words, it is only when in-depth analysis has occurred that listeners are ready to hear the good news of the gospel (Eslinger 1987:82; Je Lee 2003:75).

22 _{For Lowry, what is needed is depth of analysis, and that depth of analysis should processed a sermon shared with} the congregation. The overarching purpose of the process of analysis, according to Lowry, is to arrive at an explanation of why, first the preacher in the study and then the congregation in the sermon event. When an inadequate diagnosis is used, a sermon become relatively complicated and ambiguous through which tension and interest collapse and the listener will never listen. Moreover, Lowry maintains that how diagnosis is developed in the sermon is the decisive factor to judge the quality of a sermon. Equally, when adequate analysis is maintained through the process of "whys" in the sermon, the listener remains interested and ready for the resolution to be developed (Lowry 1980:45, Je Lee 2003:74).

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Lowry’s construct of experiencing the gospel may be compared with Osmer’s nominative task of practical theology (what ought to be going on or what does the Bible say?) (Osmer 2008:139). This is significance in preaching reconciliation, because reconciliation is the decisive activity of God, not human beings, and hence the climax of preaching reconciliation must be stage three, which is conceptualizing God’s activity (Lowry 1980:69). Human response is necessary, but it does not mean that human response is posed in the centre of the sermon. What is at the centre should be the good news of what God can do, what God has done, and what God will do (Eslinger 1987:83; Je Lee 2003:76). For example, change of thoughts, change of action, confession of the evil done or proposed to do, and forgiveness, which are key ingredients for