“Reverend Barker, your sermon was so meaningful. I want you to know that I felt the spirit of God on your ministry tonight!” And I thought, “You did? What does that tell us about the game we are playing?” Of course, I would have said (as many do) that it doesn’t matter who speaks the word of God, and that even though I was a nonbeliever, the message is the same. But this woman told me that she “felt the spirit” on my ministry. I realized that the whole sermon /worship setup is a huge drama that we are all acting out, not just the person in the pulpit, but the audience as self-selected
...more
