Hosted Groups – Doug Jackson
The Crude Monosyllable: Addressing the Reality of Hell with Postmoderns
In his famous sermon, “On Learning in War-Time,” C. S. Lewis, after referring to Hell, jokingly asked pardon for using “the crude monosyllable.” That sentiment apparently continues: the Barna Research Group reports that “a majority of Americans do not believe that Satan exists and most adults are leery about the existence of Hell.” But Lewis, along with his friend Charles Williams, offers us a way to talk about Hell that has the potential to grip the imaginations of a generation whose logic has failed them. Join us as we explore such metaphors as a few dozen bottles of sound old vintage Pharisee and the knotted rope to warn a new generation about Hell.
Stealing Past Snoring Dragons: Sermon Illustrations as Mini-Narnias
In “Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What’s to Be Said,” C. S. Lewis’ famously described his fantasy tales as an effort to “steal past those watchful dragons” of over-familiar religious jargon and help people truly “feel as one should about God or the sufferings of Christ.” Many preachers face dragons that snort snores instead of fire! Come join a conversation about how the imaginative use of illustrations can deliver the emotional wallop that sound doctrine deserves. We will talk about our favorite illustrations from Lewis and other Inklings, but also about daily sources that can put “luster into” our preaching.