New collection of sermons published by one of America’s greatest preachers
The Selected Sermons of Dr. Roger Bourland is a compilation of the works of one of America’s best-known and best-known preachers. In 1976, Dr. Bourland received the United Methodist Church’s Outstanding Preacher Award and was also a speaker on The Protestant Hour, a popular radio program that reached countless American homes each week. Now his son, Joe Bourland, has compiled some of his father’s best and most popular sermons into one volume for readers’ enjoyment and spiritual nourishment.
The sermons are divided into six sections. The first covers of the sermons Dr. Bourland gave when he was “preacher to the pack”. For several years, Dr. Bourland was a pastor in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and consequently had several of the Green Bay Packers’ players and coaches in his congregation, including Bart Starr. I’m not a soccer fan, but it did me good to hear about his friendship with these men who are role models for our youth. He often spent time with them, even worked out with them, and best of all, he talks about how no kid in his congregation will believe church is for “sissies” when they have the memory of a 250-pound pro football player. sitting next to him in church.
The second and third sections of the book are sermons collected while Dr. Bourland was preaching first in Green Bay and then in Omaha, Nebraska. The fourth section covers many of his sermons from his years on The Protestant Hour. The fifth section is very special because it is for special occasions, titled “The Seasons,” and includes sermons for national and liturgical holidays, including confirmations, Thanksgiving, and Advent, as well as the very special sermon that the Dr. Bourland preached at his Joe’s wedding.
The final section is a series of sermons that Dr. Bourland preached during Advent based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Using each of the three ghosts Ebenezer Scrooge encounters as his focus for each week, Dr. Bourland shows us how Christmas is not just about gifts, but about being sensitive to the people around us, realizing that Christmas is not always easy for others and to be good Christians in our compassion for one another.
Dr. Bourland’s sermons do not have much moralizing and there is no sin and damnation focus here. He talks about sin and even about sexuality, but when he does, he does it in a matter-of-fact and sincere way. In fact, we could qualify this entire collection as about practical Christianity. Dr. Bourland does not believe in fundamentalism and makes it clear that the Bible was written for people living in biblical times and not directly for us today; by extension, he says that there is no point in trying to predict when the world will end. based on the scriptures. Instead, he urges us to live each day as if it were the last in order to be prepared for whatever may come.
Although many of these sermons were preached forty years ago, they are still extremely relevant today. Dr. Bourland preaches about the Cold War and the fear of nuclear war, which is still a huge concern today. He tells us not to focus on these things but to get used to waiting for the return of Jesus. He tells us:
“Then we must enter into moments of creative waiting. These are times of expectation and hope and searching. What has gone before is no longer part of us. What will come after has not yet been revealed. God pushes us and we know it is wrong standing there on the mountain, looking up with our mouths open, we are in an intermediate phase, but it is a phase that points beyond itself.
“There’s something wonderful about that. We come to see that these kinds of things have always been part of God’s eternal plan for his people. We watch and wait as the Spirit of God ebbs and flows around us.”
Sometimes Dr. Bourland gives us very detailed readings from the Bible, especially in several of the sermons that focus on the Psalms. At other times, he turns to other sources to help illustrate his points and shed new light on familiar stories. For example, in his sermon on the parable of the prodigal son, he references Shakespeare’s King Lear.
As a Catholic, I found several of Dr. Bourland’s sermons on John Wesley and his preaching interesting in order to better understand Methodism. And he was happy to learn that Dr. Bourland clearly believes in ecumenism, even referencing valuable Catholic beliefs, especially the power of confession.
In a time of random shootings and terrorism, we urgently need to hear what Dr. Bourland has to say about the importance of nonviolence. He illustrates this point by talking about a camping trip in the wilderness that he took when he considered carrying a gun for protection. He decided not to bring the gun, only to get within fifteen feet of a bear on a trail. Fortunately, the bear got away due to the noise he and his family made, but Dr. Bourland makes an excellent point here:
“What if I had stuck a gun in the Quetico? I wouldn’t have shot that bear, but I’m sure the chemistry between us would have been dramatically different. The potential violence changes everything.”
“Creative nonviolence is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Eliminate unfounded fears and build love for peace among people of good will.
“Royal strength simply doesn’t have to assert itself or prove itself. Royal strength is gentle and kind. Such was the strength of the Lamb.”
One final theme that I will discuss in the sermons that really resonated with me was what Dr. Bourland has to say about patience. I could completely relate to him when he described his own impatience and how he hates meetings, and I loved it when he described Jesus as one of the most impatient people of all. Then Dr. Bourland revealed that those of us who struggle with our own impatience don’t necessarily have to be so concerned about it. He affirms:
“What is patience in the New Testament? The patience that Paul speaks of as a mark of God’s people is something so different and so much more important than I originally thought that I can kick myself for never having felt it before. The New The New Testament word means steadfastness The New Testament word means patience The New Testament word means perseverance The New Testament word means to endure pain or wickedness or suffering without showing a long face or the need to take revenge on someone. Jesus talks about being able to turn the other cheek when someone slaps you. The secret behind that is that in Christ, there is nothing within that compels you to slap back. Patience! The New Testament word means being able to hurt without breaking out in anger.The New Testament word means being able to take whatever life throws at you without losing your spirits, courage, or balance. Little things can destroy you. That is patience and that is a gift.”
Dr. Bourland has much, much more to say that can help us today. In this age of fear, anger, violence, and political strife, we all need to pause and remind ourselves of what it means to be a Christian: getting along with one another and focusing on our relationship with God. Anyone looking for a little comfort, some good advice, or a better understanding of the Bible and what it means to be a Christian will benefit from the life-giving words in this book.