As a frequent First Person Narrative preacher, I can attest to the tension between Creed and Creativity. Perfectly described. My most "daring" preaching has been at the edges of that tension.
I was trained in the John MacArthur exposition tradition of heavy exegesis, further influenced by R. C. Sproul with a reformed bent that was still textually-centered, and now attend an LCMS church as a retired Army chaplain. What I see is described well by Alastair Begg, a tension between Text and Framework. Law-Gospel is like Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered with minor differences; in all cases getting the four parts right by balancing the T and the F can be a difficult dance.
I hope it’s okay for a non pastor to comment. So far I’ve had 4 LCMS pastors. Two of them acted as if the sermon was unimportant and muddled their way through 15-20 minutes of agony for the congregation. I wondered if they had ever taken any courses in preaching. My current and former pastor get it/got it. I never mind/minded if church ran a bit late. With these two I always write notes. LCMS pastors do need to focus more on the art of preaching. For a multitude of reasons.
One warning about the me sermons. I went to a church that my wife started attending and that guy always used himself and his family as examples...the good family members compared to the bad family members. In the end his message wa that everyone needed to be like him and what he viewed to be his good family members. Be like me and you will be perfect isn't a great message. I said you can keep going there but I am sick of listening to that guy glorify himself and his perfect part of the family. Ugh, that really made me sick.
