Preaching and "Lost"

"Lost" has stayed engaged with its audience with its twists and turns and consistent big finish. But it's getting time to wrap it up. Now the twists are just dragging things on...even when they are interesting. And they have so many ideas for big finishes that they build episodes around these in mind. All of this means that the story is no longer driving the show. The story is being driven by the show.

I think this reflects temptations in preaching. I am tempted to twist the Scripture back on itself to show all its intricacies, forgetting that the intricacies are pointers to the big story. I am tempted to finish with a bang, making the text I'm preaching fit this structure. And when this happens, the story is being driven by the show.