Depreciating the value of preaching

We are living in an age which is querying everything, and among these things it is querying the place and value and purpose of preaching. In increasing numbers, people seem to be depreciating the value of preaching, and they are turning more and more to singing of various types and kinds, accompanied with various kinds of instruments. They are going back also to dramatic representations or recitals of the Scripture, and some are going back even to dancing and various other forms of external manifestations of the act of worship. All this is having the effect of depreciating the place and value of preaching.

Now we know that the Reformation - even before you come to the particular Puritan emphasis - swept away all such things. It swept away the medieval "mystery plays" as they are called, and dramatic performances in the church. The Reformation got rid of all that, and it is very sad to observe that people who claim an unusual degree of spirituality should be trying to lead us back to that which the Reformers saw so clearly had been concealing the gospel and the Truth from the people. If you mime the Scriptures or give a dramatic representation of them, you are distracting the attention of the people from the truth that is conveyed in the Scriptures; whereas preaching, as I am going to show, is essentially concerned with bringing out the truth of the Scriptures.

- D.M. Lloyd-Jones, The Puritans