Your comment reminds me of a thought that comes to me occasionally when young men preach. I don’t have anything against young men preaching. Calling is important and God has used many young men. However, the process I have learned with older children has proved helpful in gaining insight on how to preach. The primary method of teaching with toddlers is the imperative, but as the kids grow, I have found that I have to “woo” them into the truth. I can’t just say, “that is just the way we do it.” I have to explain, be patient, reason with them, talk and talk and talk. But most importantly, I just can’t tell them to do something without the effort of “come let us reason together.” Much could be learned by preachers by raising young adults into sainthood. The tools are the same.

i agree with you, and assume that chesterton was drawing on the verse: “let not many of you be aspire to be teachers…” and other humility-inspiring Scriptures; so what of young men inhabiting the pulpit and delivering “wisdom” and “leadership” to the people of God while older men sit in the pews and nod and smile…?

trev

J