Questions on the Church Gathered and Teaching therein (or wherein? I can never get that right...)

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I find myself frustrated lately.  So, in honor of my hearing a lengthy quote from a Contemplative today... I'm going to just ask questions.  These are things I am struggling with lately.

Presupposition: The Church corporately gathers to worship our Triune creator and redeemer God through Song, Word, and Sacrament.

With this in mind...

  • What is the purpose of the sermon?  
  • Should the sermon be verse-by-verse exposition? or topical?
  • If verse-by-verse, should there always be a central theme?
  • If topical, how should the Bible be used in the course of a topical sermon?
  • Should Jesus Christ, and him crucified, be proclaimed every time the Church gathers?
    • Should this be the central theme of the service overall?
    • Or should it be the theme, specifically, of the sermon also?
Very frustrating questions I have.  Especially if my assumptions on any (or all) of these are incorrect, and then I am wrongly judging sermons due to my incorrect paradigm.

Ugh.

Maranatha.

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