Naked In the Pulpit

Let me throw out another link to some stuff by Tim Keel. This time, it's an article titled "Naked in the Pulpit," published in Leadership Journal. The article reflects on Tim's movement from a more planned, scripted, didactic manner of preaching toward a more personal, intimate, relational approach. As I'm not a preacher, I find the article interesting mostly for the potential parallels to be drawn between Tim's reflection on preaching and my own manner as a teacher.

For example, consider the following:

If the only kind of speech we use is speech that deals with comprehension, then we will only talk about that which we understand. As a preacher, I am invited to describe a reality that I am just beginning to get the hint of. That means being willing not to know, to stumble over language so I might tell a story. I'm not so interested in merely providing comprehension; I'm interested in describing reality, even if that leaves room for confusion.

In many ways, this same interest is what most motivates me as a teacher. It is this interest that pulled me back to graduate school to begin with. On the good days, this goal comes close to being realized--at least for me. (You'd have to ask my students whether or not I ever really come close from their perspective.) On the not-so-good days, this goal seems miles away. I find myself wondering about my ability to pursue such a goal, to overcome the various forces--cultural and personal--that can inhibit the pursuit (e.g., the assessment culture, NCLB, etc.).