A Word for Preachers...Trueman on God's Presence in Preaching

"One of the reasons, I think, that preaching is often not done well is that people who preach don't understand what they are doing. That's a rather blunt way of putting it: They do understand a certain amount: They know they're going to read the Bible, they're going to exegete the passage, et cetera, et cetera, but they need a bigger theological understanding of precisely what is going on.

"In the Middle Ages, we could put it this way: We could say, 'God's presence is mediated to the people as they gather as a church through the Sacrament.' That's why your eyes focus on the table when you walk into Cologne Cathedral. The most important thing is 'Where does God, if you like, come down and meet the people?' In the Sacrament."

"...With the Reformation,  God's presence is mediated in the Word. Have you ever thought about it? When you preach on a Sunday, you are not just passing on information. You are not just giving enthusiastic talks. There is a sense in which, when you preach, you are mysteriously mediating the presence of God to your people."

Carl Trueman
Why the Reformation Isn't Over
Together for the Gospel 2012