Preaching in a Changing Culture: An Interview with Ron Martoia

After eighteen years as pastor of a church he planted, Ron Martoia's ministry has shifted to that of a "transformational architect," equipping leaders to deal with change. His speaking and writing seeks to help leaders understand a shifting culture and learn to minister effectively in an era of change. (You can visit his website at velocityculture.com.) He recently visited with Preaching editor Michael Duduit about what he is learning and how that can help preachers in an era of cultural transformation...

Happiness or Holiness?

What is marriage for? Have you ever wondered that? I mean, sure, there are lots of reasons that marriage exists and that it works. It is for companionship. We are wired for relationship, and marriage is the ultimate realization of relationship at its most intimate level. It also provides a basic building block for society. Our world would be in real trouble if the family unit broke down completely and ceased to exist.

Challenges for 21st-Century Preaching

I have visited many parts of the world in which the challenges to the 21st-century pulpit look rather different. So part of the purpose of the rest of this essay is modest: to stimulate thinking that will help others flesh out this list and modify it for different cultural locations.

Citizens of Another Kingdom

When I was in high school a new music teacher came to town. He was fresh out of college and full of ambition. But here he was, stuck in a very rural community where people didn't put up with (as they called it) "long-haired music," either from the Beatles or Beethoven. Still, he was determined to teach us good music. We were going to sing selections from Handel's Messiah for our Christmas concert. Most of us had never heard of Georg Frederic Handel, and when we first tried to sight-read through the selections, we became convinced we didn't like his music. It was too hard, too complicated. More than that, Handel wouldn't allow us to sing simple harmonies; no, he created different parts for each voice, and we in the bass section weren't able to hide all our typical mistakes when Handel and our new director demanded that we sing alone.

For a Few Rupees More

These days, American businesses seem to be outsourcing more and more products and services. Call a firm for information about Aunt Ethel's airline flight, or to get help with a computer problem, and you're more likely to talk to someone in a cubicle in Bombay than Buffalo. (Although those outsourced workers tend to adopt American-sounding nicknames - think "Buddy" with a distinctive Indian accent.)

Speak Until Justice Wakes: Prophetic Reflections from J. Alfred Smith Sr.

Dr. J. Alfred Smith has long been considered one of the most respected statesmen in the African-American church, and one of the most influential leaders in the contemporary church. For decades he has demonstrated for "all who have ears to hear" what it means to speak prophetically, that is, to speak truth to power. In this inspirational resource, the author's unbridled passion for prophetic ministry shines through.

The Shack

The hot book many are talking about is called The Shack (Windblown Media), and it's getting lots of attention, positive and negative. The book, by William P. Young, is a fictional account of a man's meeting with the Trinity in a rather unusual human garb. I haven't read it myself yet, but I've heard lots of folks discuss it - some think it is a powerful faith builder; others think it's a theological abomination.