The insignificance of words and yet the necessity of preaching – there is a huge difference between God preached and God not preached, and that is why real Lutherans teach the necessity of preaching, and preaching something very specific – Christ crucified. Love and fellowship and lollipops and rainbows are nice but they are insufficient for the life and death matter of proclamation. “As insignificant as humans appear, we are struck even more by how helpless, small, and inadequate our words are to describe or express anything—especially in trying to find adequate words for what we hold to be highest and best (for what once was God). We say: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me.” So Augustine, at the beginning of his Confessions, was stuck between the necessity and inadequacy of speaking of God: “What does anyone who speaks of you really say? Yet woe betide those who fail to speak, while the chatterboxes go on saying nothing.” Likewise Ecclesiastes (the preacher) warns: “God is in heaven, you are on earth, therefore let your words be few” (5: 2).” Stephan Paulson
