Fred Craddock: He Wrote the Book on Preaching

They say celebrities die in "threes".  A short time ago we lost one of the most prominent figures of my young adult years, Leonard Nimoy.  The second we lost this past weekend, though celebrity might be a stretch.  Fred Craddock was an unassuming and gracious man who would likely resist the label celebrity himself.  Additionally most of my readers will probably not know him by name.  Despite the fact that he literally wrote the book on preaching (Preaching by Fred B. Craddock) and was recognized as one of the ten best living preachers, those who are outside the confines of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and a few other traditions or those outside the ministry will probably not recognize the name.  Dr. Craddock was not a televangelist and did not seek to be in the spotlight.  He was a quiet man who simply wanted to minister to others and proclaim the good news.  But he was also more than that.

The Rev. Dr. Fred Craddock was a pioneer and an innovator in preaching, developing a narrative style that he used to showcase what he called the inductive method of preaching.   He built on extensive study of the biblical text (in order to preach one must have something to say and that requires study - study is not getting away from one's daily work, but getting into it - paraphrased from As One Without Authority by Fred B. Craddock) as well as his love of writing and storytelling to build this style of homiletic.  It was a purposeful design that was intended to guide the hearer to the point of the sermon even as the preacher was arriving there in his words.  It worked.  At least it seemed to work as attested to by the fact that this small, quiet, humble man could draw listeners into the largest venues so that there was standing room only when he preached.

But he was more than a preacher - he was a minister, a teacher, a guide and a mentor to many, many prospective ministers and preachers.  And whether you embrace his style of preaching or not, he undeniably influenced generations of preachers in this country, changing the landscape of sermon delivery - in some cases without the preacher himself even being aware of Craddock's influence.

I was never privileged to study with Dr. Craddock.  But I did have the privilege of serving Central Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Humboldt, TN, which was his home church. I was humbled to share some time and some one on one conversations with him about preaching and ministry - to sit at the feet of the master, so to speak, even if only briefly.  I was a first hand witness to the power of his preaching style and to the way he drew people to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was a tremendous influence whether you knew him or not, and whether or not you recognize his name or his celebrity, if such it can be called.

I celebrate the life of Dr. Craddock today as they eulogize him at Cherry Log Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Georgia - the church where he was pastor emeritus.  I laud his influence on myself and so many other pastors and preachers.  And I encourage all of us to recognize that it is not necessarily in fame and fortune that we influence people - sometimes it is simply in engaging in the call and vocation to which we have been called.  Sometimes the influence we have on people is simply in living our lives -  "preaching is to some extent self-disclosure by the preacher" (Preaching) and it involves not just sharing what we know but who we are. It is often not the flash of lightening or the roar of thunder but the quiet influence of sharing who we are with someone else.

Today I celebrate the life of a man who simply lived his call and vocation and in so doing touched the lives of many -  many of whom may not even realize that he has touched them.  Dr. Craddock taught me that it is not the magnificent victories or the grand actions that most deeply influence people - it is the simple act of living life with honesty and integrity - of living out who we are as people of God in Christ.  We are ripples on the pond, multiplying and creating additional ripples, and the full extent of our impact on the distant shore may not ever be apparent to us.  He will be missed.