Grasping for the Wind

Tolkien Tuesday #4

Good sermons require some art, some virtue, some knowledge. Real sermons require some special grace which does no transcend art but arrives at it by instinct or 'inspiration'; indeed the Holy Spirit seems sometimes to speak through a human mouth providing art, virtue and insight he himself does not possess: but the occasions are rare. In other times I don't think an educated person is required to suppress the critical faculty, but it should be kept in order by a constant endeavour to apply the truth (if any), even in cliche form, to oneself exclusively!

J.R.R. Tolkien
In a letter to his son Christopher in South Africa

Posted by John on November 28, 2006 01:32 PM | Posted to Tolkien
Share: