Lost in Translation
There are still times, 14 years later, that it feels alien for me to be immersed in US culture. One of these time happens whenever I listen/watch Craig Groeschell preach.  I like Craig. I really like to hear him be interviewed as he speaks such good sense so easily.  He is a great teacher and leader.  I watch and listen to him because I sometimes learn something.  I particularly like his approach to blending business psychology and preaching the Gospel.  This approach can, on occasion, turn up a new perspective.  That's exciting.  It's enough to keep me coming back to him.  However, every single message, there is a choke moment.  This is the moment that I want to hit the pause button and consider bailing out of the message.
It's always the same choke moment.  Usually it's in the first two thirds of the message. And it's always a Craig Groeschell self-aggrandisement moment.  In the past 2 months I have learned the following about Craig from Craig:  He is physically fit; he has frequent intimacy with his drop-dead gorgeous wife; his wife is a genius, humble and great with money, cooks like a chef and parents better than super nanny; Craig is a brilliant investor and is independently wealthy due to investing magnificently; Books pour out of Craig's mind like manna from heaven; All of Craig's children are remarkable; they all invest in the stock market; many are developing sermons at age 6; some are writing books; Craig is a championship level tennis player; he was a star student in seminary; his mentors read like a roll call of the Evangelical Christian hall of fame; Craig is humble enough to give 30 minutes a month mentoring sessions to a select few young preachers, who drink his words like honey; Craig is a stud, according to his wife; Craig's publishers are desperate for his next book;
Seriously.  If you don't believe me, subscribe to the podcast of his sermons and just listen to them.
Such overt self promotion, to my English public school ears, is just vulgar. It makes me wince.  It's so unsullied by grace and humility.  I am beginning to think that this is expected and accepted in the native US mind.  Am I right?  Even his attempts at humility come off as self-stroking to me.  Craig is a great preacher - good enough to keep me coming back, but boy I do wish he'd leave out the self profiling.  He says he is keen to take the focus of LifeChurch.tv off him.  At least he said that 4 years ago.  So far it looks like it's going the other way. If he died today (God forbid) I wonder what LifeChurch.tv would like like in 2 years time?

Pure preaching glorifies Jesus Christ, so that the preacher more and more fades from view, and is forgotten.  The lasting memory and impact lifts up Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory, the profile, the kudos and the lasting image.