Blogotional: has a great post which ends:

"So what is my vision for preaching? Just this -- it is a tool for my, and every other Christian in the congregation's, use in their own ministry. Each of us is called to be intimate with another, and through that intimacy the Spirit spreads. Not all of us are gifted at putting voice to the thoughts and ideas that surround that intimacy. That is what great preaching does -- it describes and explains the urgings of the Spirit that people feel, not from the preaching itself, but from the people in the seats or pews around you. A mediocre preacher will sound like a great preacher if he serves a congregation full of true and committed servants of the Lord. That's why I think a pastor should devote himself first to discipleship because discipleship will make the preaching better."

I am eternally greatful for the fantastic people I am priviledged to be in the same church as. There are many of them who are far more spiritual than I am and far more commited to Jesus. Perhaps John has hit the nail on the head- I guess I am one of a small handful of people in our church who God has decided to give the ability to be the voice which expresses the wonders of what he is doing among us. It is the transformed lives that bring glory to God. Preaching is important in that transformational process, but it is not just the preaching that happens on a sunday morning. For me, its the chat in the cafe with Tope or the conversation over coffee that impacts me. But it is ultimately always speech that does it for me- speech accompanied by love of course. After all, as Christians we are called to "Speak the truth in love"

I will end with one of my favorite passages:

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [1] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, [2] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.(Ephesians 4:11-5)