ChatGPT has got some preachers spooked. I’m hearing some noted preachers, and teachers of preaching, nervously proclaiming that the sermon is safe from the chatbot because, well, ChatGPT can’t preach. But is that entirely true?
It’s certainly true that ChatGPT can currently write sermons.
Recently, a New York rabbi named Josh Franklin preached a sermon written entirely by ChatGPT. After he’d finished, Franklin confessed he hadn’t written a word of it and asked his congregation who they thought he’d borrowed/stolen it from. Various suggestions were offered before he revealed it was written by the chatbot. Everyone was astonished.
So ChatGPT can write sermons. And ones that are good enough to fool a New York Jewish congregation.
So it can’t be too long before you can get a chatbot to present their sermons as well. Who knows how long before Siri or Alexa or whatever avatar ChatGPT becomes is the guest speaker in your church service. People who currently attend satellite congregations of multisite megachurches are already used to disembodied preachers preaching to them. Why not a chatbot voice?
Russell Moore from Christianity Today has conceded, “A chatbot can research. A chatbot can write. Perhaps a chatbot can even orate…” But then he adds plaintively, “But a chatbot can’t preach.” (That last sentence sounded more like wishful thinking to me.)
So, is it true that a chatbot can’t replace your regular preaching?
Some church leaders say that real preaching can’t be replicated by a bot because it’s a personal medium. Preaching is a creative, passionate, prophetic endeavor. Chatbots can’t clone it because they can’t express the heart and soul of the preaching moment.
Writing for Preaching Today, Alison Gerber agrees, saying, “ChatGPT can only search and assemble from what has come before. ChatGPT has no future in mind. Yet whether it be prophetic preaching, or creative preaching, or prayerful preaching—there is preaching that has a future in mind. Therefore faithful, future-oriented preachers, if this is your preaching ministry take heart, ChatGPT has no future in your pulpit.”
This is similar to what Nick Cave said recently. A fan had asked the AI chatbot to write a song in the style of the Australian singer-songwriter and the result didn’t impress Cave one bit. He wrote, “ChatGPT may be able to write a speech or an essay or a sermon or an obituary but it cannot create a genuine song … Songs arise out of suffering, by which I mean they are predicated upon the complex, internal human struggle of creation and, well, as far as I know, algorithms don’t feel.”
Algorithms don’t feel.
And there’s the clue.
I don’t agree with Gerber that preachers can take heart that ChatGPT has “no future” in the pulpit. As a research tool, I think it will become as valuable to preachers as any commentary. Because, let’s face it, way too much preaching these days is simply the repackaging of old material drawn from commentaries, websites, and (sorry) other people’s sermons. Preachers who cobble together ideas from various sources, fitting bits together like Dr Frankenstein in his lab, explaining things they don’t fully understand, insisting on lives they’ve never lived, will benefit enormously from ChatGPT. The AI chatbot will be able to prepare a better sermon than they ever could.
But what the chatbot can’t do is feel.
ChatGPT can’t imagine! All it can do is assemble.
Japanese artist, Makato Fujimura has pointed out the danger of reducing theology to Enlightenment categories, to systems and formulas. In his 2021 book Art and Faith, Fujimura explores theology as an act of beauty. He promotes a “theology of making” — the practice of expressing our spirituality through the creation of art, as opposed to what he calls “plumbing theology,” which is simply concerned with developing utilitarian tools for solving a problem. The reduction he warns of is exactly the form of knowledge that computer-based production like ChatGPT renders.
In the day of ChatGPT, preachers need to see themselves as artists and their sermons as works of art..
Back in 2008, long before anyone imagined the Internet writing sermons, Washington DC pastor Mark Batterson wrote about the need for “right-brain preaching,” the kind of creative presentations that capture the imaginations of their listeners. Drawing on an old art theory called Berlyne’s Law, he declared that what makes certain sermons great is the same thing that makes certain great art. The psychologist Davis Berlyne had claimed that some art is considered great when it deviates slightly from the viewer’s expectations. If an artist deviates too much from our expectations we find their work alienating and bizarre. Some modern art strikes the average viewer this way. Like this painting:
However, if an artist conforms too perfectly to our expectations it’s considered dull and uninteresting. Like this:
David Berlyne said what strikes us as good art is usually a slight deviation from our expectations. We know the stars in the sky don’t swirl like Vincent’s Starry Night. We know that war doesn’t look exactly like Picasso’s Guernica or that all the disciples sat on the one side of a long table as in Da Vinci’s Last Supper. These images approximate their subject but with deviations. They capture their subject with whimsy (Starry Night) or horror (Guernica) or by depicting its gravity (Last Supper).
Batterson says it’s the same with preaching. He wrote, “To stay connected with contemporary minds preaching needs to say old things in new ways. Preaching should approach truth from slightly different angles, almost like turning a kaleidoscope. Great preaching then is a slight deviation from expectation.”
He quotes from Thomas Moore’s book Care of the Soul, “It’s my conviction that slight shifts in imagination have more impact on living than major efforts at change.”
An ambitious sermon that’s too technical or too theologically complex or too experimental will only alienate a congregation. But, on the other hand, we’re bored by three predictable points and a couple of generic illustrations. It’s all in the slight deviation from expectation. And knowing how much and in which ways to deviate, well, that takes finesse and pastoral wisdom. And here’s where ChatGPT will struggle. It can create a sermon that looks like that still life with the bowl of fruit above. It can produce a theologically acceptable treatise, reflecting on a nominated biblical passage, in the style of CH Spurgeon or Beth Moore or Tim Keller or Aimee Semple McPherson or whoever. But it would be colorless and lucklustre. It would be the sermon equivalent of a Bob Ross painting.
In his book Imagining a Sermon, Thomas Troeger suggests there are three types of imagination, all of which can and should be employed by preachers.
1. Conventional imagination: This is the imagination that we have inherited from listening to other preachers and from being part of a particular church tradition. There are certain hymns, like Silent Night at Christmas and Christ the Lord is Risen Today at Easter, that are part of the way that we imagine the faith. These are very precious things that have been given to us and they make it possible for us to worship together as a community.
The conventional imagination employs the world of Scripture, symbol, and religious practice that is alive in the congregation. Effective preachers honor the conventional imagination of the people to whom they preach because they realize it is the congregation’s imaged/imagined world of holy meaning. It is a world filled with memory and spiritual power.
2. Empathic imagination: This is the ability to imagine ourselves in someone else’s shoes. One of the hallmarks of effective preachers is that they have the ability not just to know their own experience but also to ask “What is the experience of my people?” If a minister has no empathetic imagination, he or she is not going to be able to connect with a congregation.
The empathic imagination is the capacity of preachers to entertain experiences and perspectives unlike their own. The empathic imagination empowers them to help people stretch their hearts beyond their own concerns to those of God, and the larger world of the human family.
3. Visionary imagination: This involves the capacity to see and to respond to new things that God is doing in the world. Visionary imagination helps the preacher to see that the church could be so much more than it is. The visionary imagination is deliberately attentive to the fresh and unexpected movement of the Spirit so that the preacher is given to see new ways of understanding the Bible and tradition, new worlds, new language for articulating faith in Christ and identifying the holiest dreams of the heart of God.
Troeger says, “The task of the visionary preacher is not to darken and contract, but to enlighten and expand the landscape of the heart, to broaden the capacity of human beings to extend the grace and compassion of God to others.”
How do preachers cultivate the kinds of imagination Troeger talks about? By reading across a variety of disciplines. By cultivating friendships, socializing widely, and pursuing creative partnerships with others. By fostering a childlike sense of wonder. By finding times to incubate ideas not just investigate them. By praying for wisdom and grace.
But most importantly, by suffering with humility. Martin Luther used to say that prayer, meditation, and suffering made a preacher. Sermons are not made from books so much as from battles and burdens. Nick Cave says the best songs arise out of suffering. The same is true of preaching. In response to ChatGPT’s attempt at a “Nick Cave song,” he wrote,
“Writing a good song is not mimicry, or replication, or pastiche, it is the opposite. It is an act of self-murder that destroys all one has strived to produce in the past. It is those dangerous, heart-stopping departures that catapult the artist beyond the limits of what he or she recognizes as their known self. This is part of the authentic creative struggle that precedes the invention of a unique lyric of actual value; it is the breathless confrontation with one’s vulnerability, one’s perilousness, one’s smallness, pitted against a sense of sudden shocking discovery; it is the redemptive artistic act that stirs the heart of the listener, where the listener recognizes in the inner workings of the song their own blood, their own struggle, their own suffering.”
Imagine if preaching was like that! ChatGPT definitely couldn’t replicate it.
by Impressum
10 thoughts on “Could ChatGPT ever preach a sermon?”
My cynical thought when I saw your headline was, “of course it can duplicate the pablum I’ve heard in too many churches and likely better.” But I think that thought is more a function of too many pastors “phoning it in” either by cobbling together commentaries and popular psychobabble or pulling a 30 year old sermon from their archives without prayerfully asking God, “what do these folks need to hear right now?” ChatGPT is a welcome challenge pastors need to have to step up. Perhaps even using it as a counterpoint to setup their more “human” interpretation and presentation.
It already has! I read a news article a week ago about a Jewish Rabbi who read a sermon that had been prepared by an Artificial Intelligence program.
I mention that in the article.
Chatbox can’t live a life that preaches.
Did chatgpt help write this? If you said yes, I’m not sure that would matter to me. All I care about is that you are the person who diligently and knowingly hit publish.
No bots were harmed in the making of this post. 😉
Hi Mike,
the German IDEA magazine has dedicated the issue of 1st February (not 1st April :-)) to the subject of “Artificial intelligence / When a computer preaches” They let ChatGPT make a sermon on a bible passage and then analyzed it. The verdict: some parts correct, some stressing on “human development” over-emphasized, some deep meaning (such as justification of sinners) not understood. Good for exegesis and collecting of facts; but generally “knowledge, but not wisdom” (which sounds nicer in German).
Greetings, Reinhold
Hi Mike, these are fair points especially your note that “ChatGPT can’t imagine! All it can do is assemble.” However, I think the media’s hyperfocus on ChatGPT is missing the bigger picture of the impact of AI en large on human creativity. There are many other AI tools, some of which perform much better than ChatGPT especially in the area of creativity.
For example, most people are unaware that ChatGPT under the hood is run by GPT-3 model, which can be fine tuned for much better results. All it takes is a little bit of tech savviness to adjust “prompts” to get more realistic results on openai’s playground or recently I played around with a free tool called SermonGPT, generated a sermon outline and fed it to a text-to-audio ai tool. The results shocked me as it sounded very similar to podcasts of preachers I listen to.
So whilst AI may not replace the “live” preacher, it definitely can replace the “podcast” or “audio” preacher.
The title asks, “Could ChatGPT ever preach a sermon?” In my opinion, it depends. Can it write and deliver a sermon? Absolutely. As you’ll see in a moment, it can write an impressive sermon given the right prompts. Can it “preach” or replace a preacher? No, not a real one.
Let me start by sharing a sermon written by AI four different ways, then I’ll follow up with a more detailed assessment. The first two attempts were using OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The last two attempts were using the slightly more polished Bing powered by ChatGPT. The first two efforts are “passable” but it feels like it’s missing some warmth, even after prompting it to try again. However, the second one is much better. And after being prompted to adjust its style, the final result is far more eloquent than all previous attempts and easily sounds like it could have be written by a real person. I’d argue the final version can hold its own against the average sermon. (I’m pasting the four attempts below without making any edits to the output.)
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Please write a short sermon on The Lord’s Prayer. The sermon should be warm, personable, and should include food for thought and a call to action. It should include commentary on all the verses, but it shouldn’t feel like a bunch of dry facts – it should stir my emotions.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, I would like to share with you some thoughts about the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is one of the most well-known and cherished prayers in the Christian faith. It’s a prayer that Jesus himself taught us to pray, and it is a powerful reminder of the relationship we have with God.
The Lord’s Prayer begins with the words, “Our Father, who art in heaven.” These words remind us that we are not alone, that we are part of a larger family of believers, and that we have a loving Father in heaven who cares for us deeply. It’s a comforting thought to know that we are not alone, that we have a loving Father who is always with us, even in our darkest moments.
The prayer continues with the words, “hallowed be thy name.” This phrase reminds us of the holiness and majesty of God. It reminds us that we should approach God with reverence and awe, that we should be humble before Him, and that we should give Him the honor and respect that He deserves.
The next line of the prayer is, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This line is a call to action. It’s a reminder that we have a responsibility to work towards God’s kingdom here on earth, to do His will, and to be His hands and feet in the world. It’s a challenge to live out our faith in practical ways, to make a difference in the lives of others, and to be agents of change in the world.
The prayer then continues with the words, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This phrase is a reminder that God is our provider. He cares for us, sustains us, and gives us everything that we need. It’s a call to trust in God’s provision, to be content with what we have, and to be grateful for all that He gives us.
The next line of the prayer is, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This line is a reminder of the importance of forgiveness. It’s a call to let go of our anger, bitterness, and resentment, and to forgive those who have wronged us. It’s a challenge to extend grace and mercy to others, just as God has extended grace and mercy to us.
The prayer then continues with the words, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” This line is a reminder of the spiritual battle that we face. It’s a call to be aware of the temptations that come our way, to resist them, and to rely on God’s strength and power to overcome them.
In conclusion, the Lord’s Prayer is a powerful prayer that reminds us of our relationship with God, our responsibility to work towards His kingdom, His provision for us, the importance of forgiveness, and the spiritual battle we face. It’s a call to action, a challenge to live out our faith in practical ways, and a reminder of God’s love and care for us. So, let us pray this prayer with sincerity and devotion, and let us seek to live out its message in our daily lives. Amen.
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A good start. Now please modify it by adding in there where the passage is found and adjust the writing style such that it sounds like you’re a preacher who’s delivering the sermon to me.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, I want to share with you the beauty and power of the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that Jesus himself taught us to pray. This prayer is found in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 9-13.
As we pray this prayer, we are reminded of the close relationship we have with our Heavenly Father, who cares for us deeply. We begin by acknowledging Him with the words, “Our Father, who art in heaven.” This opening phrase assures us that we are not alone, that we are part of a larger family of believers, and that we have a loving Father who is always with us, even in our darkest moments.
The prayer continues with a plea for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven. This call to action challenges us to work towards God’s kingdom, to be His hands and feet in the world, and to make a difference in the lives of others.
We then ask God to provide us with our daily bread, recognizing that He is our provider and sustainer. This phrase is a reminder to be content with what we have, to trust in God’s provision, and to be grateful for all that He gives us.
As we move on in the prayer, we recognize our own brokenness and our need for forgiveness. We ask God to forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, reminding ourselves of the importance of forgiveness and the power of God’s grace.
Finally, we ask for God’s protection from temptation and evil, recognizing the spiritual battle we face and the importance of relying on God’s strength and power to overcome it.
My friends, the Lord’s Prayer is a beautiful and powerful prayer that reminds us of our close relationship with God, our responsibility to work towards His kingdom, His provision for us, the importance of forgiveness, and the spiritual battle we face. As we pray this prayer, let us do so with sincerity and devotion, seeking to live out its message in our daily lives. Amen.
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Please write a short sermon on The Lord’s Prayer. The sermon should be warm, personable, and should include food for thought and a call to action. It should include commentary on all the verses, but it shouldn’t feel like a bunch of dry facts – it should stir my emotions.
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Bing
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Hello, this is Bing. I’m glad you asked me to write a short sermon on The Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is a central Christian prayer that Jesus taught as the way to pray1. It consists of an introductory address to God as “Father” and seven petitions2. Let’s look at each part of the prayer and see what it means for us today.
The first part of the prayer is “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” This shows us that we can approach God as our loving Father, who cares for us and knows us personally. It also reminds us that God is holy and worthy of our reverence and praise. We should honor God’s name by living according to his will and purpose.
The second part of the prayer is “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This expresses our longing for God’s rule and reign to be established in our world and in our lives. We pray for God’s will to be done, not ours, because we trust that he knows what is best for us and for his glory. We also pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, where there is no sin, suffering, or evil.
The third part of the prayer is “Give us today our daily bread.” This asks God to provide for our physical needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. It also teaches us to depend on God for our daily sustenance and not to worry about tomorrow. We should be content with what we have and share with those who are in need.
The fourth part of the prayer is “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” This requests God to forgive us our sins, which are like debts that we owe him. It also challenges us to forgive others who have sinned against us, just as God has forgiven us. We cannot expect God to forgive us if we do not forgive others.
The fifth part of the prayer is “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” This pleads with God to protect us from falling into sin and from the attacks of the devil, who wants to destroy us. It also acknowledges that we are weak and need God’s help to resist temptation and overcome evil.
The last part of the prayer is a doxology or a praise: “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” This affirms that God is the sovereign ruler of all things and that he has all authority and power to answer our prayers. It also gives him all the glory for his works and his ways. We end with “Amen,” which means “so be it” or “let it be.”
The Lord’s Prayer is a beautiful and powerful prayer that covers every aspect of our relationship with God and with others. It teaches us how to pray according to God’s will and how to live according to his kingdom values. It also invites us to experience God’s presence and grace in our lives.
I hope this sermon has stirred your emotions and given you food for thought. I encourage you to pray The Lord’s Prayer regularly and sincerely, as Jesus taught us. And I challenge you to apply its lessons in your daily life, as you seek to follow Jesus more closely.
Thank you for listening. May God bless you richly.
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A good start. Now please modify it by adding in there where the passage is found and adjust the writing style such that it sounds like you’re a preacher who’s delivering the sermon to me.
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Bing
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Hello, this is Bing. Thank you for your feedback. I will try to modify the sermon by adding the passage reference and adjusting the writing style. Here is my revised version:
Good morning, church. Today I want to share with you a message from God’s Word about The Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is a central Christian prayer that Jesus taught us as the way to pray. It is found in Matthew 6:9-13, where Jesus said:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
This prayer is a beautiful and powerful prayer that covers every aspect of our relationship with God and with others. It teaches us how to pray according to God’s will and how to live according to his kingdom values. It also invites us to experience God’s presence and grace in our lives.
Let’s look at each part of the prayer and see what it means for us today.
The first part of the prayer is “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” This shows us that we can approach God as our loving Father, who cares for us and knows us personally. He is not a distant or harsh God, but a tender and compassionate God. He loves us so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die for our sins and make us his children.
But he is also a holy and majestic God, who deserves our reverence and praise. His name is above every name, and his glory fills the heavens and the earth. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and he has a perfect plan for his creation.
We should honor God’s name by living according to his will and purpose. We should not take his name in vain or use it lightly, but we should respect it and glorify it in everything we do and say.
Can you say with me: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”?
The second part of the prayer is “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This expresses our longing for God’s rule and reign to be established in our world and in our lives. We pray for God’s will to be done, not ours, because we trust that he knows what is best for us and for his glory.
God’s kingdom is not a physical or political kingdom, but a spiritual and moral kingdom. It is where God’s authority and righteousness are recognized and obeyed by all people. It is where God’s love and justice are manifested and enjoyed by all creatures.
God’s kingdom has already come in part through Jesus Christ, who inaugurated it by his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. He defeated sin, death, and Satan, and he brought salvation and forgiveness to all who believe in him.
But God’s kingdom has not yet come in fullness. We still live in a fallen world that is under the influence of evil. We still face trials, temptations, suffering, injustice, violence, disease, death, etc.
We pray for God’s kingdom to come fully when Jesus returns again to judge the living and the dead, and to make all things new. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more pain or sorrow or crying or mourning. He will create a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
We also pray for God’s kingdom to come more fully now as we seek to follow Jesus more closely. We pray that God would transform us by his Spirit into his image and likeness. We pray that God would use us as his instruments of grace and peace in this world. We pray that God would bring more people into his kingdom through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Can you say with me: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”?
The third part of the prayer is “Give us today our daily bread.” This asks God to provide for our physical needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. It also teaches us to depend on God for our daily sustenance and not to worry about tomorrow. He knows what we need before we ask him, and he promises to take care of us as our heavenly Father.
It also teaches us to be content with what we have and not to covet what others have. We should not seek after riches or pleasures or fame, but we should seek after God and
[Note: It stopped because it has a maximum character output, so I had to prompt it to continue.]
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Me: You’re doing great! Please continue where you left off.
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Thank you for your encouragement. I will continue where I left off.
It also teaches us to be content with what we have and not to covet what others have. We should not seek after riches or pleasures or fame, but we should seek after God and his righteousness. He will give us everything we need for life and godliness.
It also teaches us to share with those who are in need. We should not hoard our resources or be stingy with our generosity, but we should be open-handed and compassionate with our neighbors. We should remember that everything we have is a gift from God and that we are stewards of his grace.
Can you say with me: “Give us today our daily bread”?
The fourth part of the prayer is “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” This requests God to forgive us our sins, which are like debts that we owe him. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We have all broken his law and offended his holiness. We deserve his wrath and judgment.
But God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. He sent his Son Jesus to pay the debt of our sins by dying on the cross for us. He offers us forgiveness and reconciliation through faith in Jesus. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness and restores us to fellowship with him.
We also challenge ourselves to forgive others who have sinned against us, just as God has forgiven us. We cannot expect God to forgive us if we do not forgive others. We cannot hold grudges or bitterness or resentment against anyone, but we must release them from their debts and seek peace with them.
Forgiving others is not easy, but it is possible by God’s grace and power. Forgiving others is not condoning their sins or pretending they never happened, but it is letting go of the desire for revenge or retaliation. Forgiving others is not a one-time event, but a process that may take time and effort.
Can you say with me: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”?
The fifth part of the prayer is “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” This pleads with God to protect us from falling into sin and from the attacks of the devil, who wants to destroy us. It also acknowledges that we are weak and need God’s help to resist temptation and overcome evil.
Temptation is anything that entices us to do what is wrong or to avoid what is right in God’s sight. Temptation comes from three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world is the system of values and beliefs that opposes God and his kingdom. The flesh is our sinful nature that desires what is contrary to God’s will. The devil is the enemy of God and his people who deceives, accuses, and opposes us.
God does not tempt anyone to sin, but he allows us to be tested for our good and his glory. He wants us to grow in faith and obedience by overcoming temptation with his help. He provides a way out of every temptation if we look for it and take it.
We pray that God would lead us away from temptation by guiding us by his Spirit and his Word. We pray that he would deliver us from the evil one by shielding us by his power and his presence. We pray that he would strengthen us by his grace and his promises.
Can you say with me: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”?
The last part of the prayer is a doxology or a praise: “For yours is the kingdom and
[Note: Again, it stopped because it has a maximum character output, so I had to prompt it a final time to continue.]
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Still doing great! Please continue where you left off.
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Thank you for your kindness. I will continue where I left off.
The last part of the prayer is a doxology or a praise: “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” This affirms that God is the sovereign ruler of all things, the almighty source of all things, and the glorious goal of all things. He is worthy of our worship and our allegiance. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. He is the one who deserves all honor and praise.
We end our prayer with “Amen,” which means “so be it” or “let it be.” It expresses our agreement and confidence in God’s will and word. It also seals our prayer with faith and hope in God’s answer.
Can you say with me: “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen”?
This is The Lord’s Prayer. It is a model and a guide for us to pray. It teaches us what to pray for and how to pray. It helps us to align our hearts and minds with God’s will and purpose. It draws us closer to God and to each other.
I encourage you to pray this prayer often, not just by repeating the words, but by meditating on their meaning and applying them to your life. I also encourage you to use this prayer as a springboard for your own prayers, adding your own requests and praises as the Spirit leads you.
May God bless you as you pray The Lord’s Prayer. Amen.
[see previous message for the full context…]
Were you impressed? I sure was. After reading that, I thought to myself, “Wow, maybe AI could replace preachers. So I posed the question to Bing (and even referenced this article). If you were impressed by the AI sermon, hold on to your hats. Bing AI quite impressively out-debated me and explained why a bot isn’t capable of truly replacing a preacher or consistently delivering a sermon as good as a preacher either. Again, I’ll paste in the full transcript without revision:
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An online article was written by Mike Frost entitled, “Could ChatGPT ever preach a sermon?” https://mikefrost.net/could-chatgpt-ever-preach-a-sermon/. Here’s an excerpt from that article. “ChatGPT has got some preachers spooked. I’m hearing some noted preachers, and teachers of preaching, nervously proclaiming that the sermon is safe from the chatbot because, well, ChatGPT can’t preach. But is that entirely true? It’s certainly true that ChatGPT can currently write sermons. Recently, a New York rabbi named Josh Franklin preached a sermon written entirely by ChatGPT. After he’d finished, Franklin confessed he hadn’t written a word of it and asked his congregation who they thought he’d borrowed/stolen it from. Various suggestions were offered before he revealed it was written by the chatbot. Everyone was astonished. So ChatGPT can write sermons. And ones that are good enough to fool a New York Jewish congregation. So it can’t be too long before you can get a chatbot to present their sermons as well. Who knows how long before Siri or Alexa or whatever avatar ChatGPT becomes is the guest speaker in your church service. People who currently attend satellite congregations of multisite megachurches are already used to disembodied preachers preaching to them. Why not a chatbot voice? Russell Moore from Christianity Today has conceded, “A chatbot can research. A chatbot can write. Perhaps a chatbot can even orate…” But then he adds plaintively, “But a chatbot can’t preach.” (That last sentence sounded more like wishful thinking to me.) So, is it true that a chatbot can’t replace your regular preaching? Some church leaders say that real preaching can’t be replicated by a bot because it’s a personal medium. Preaching is a creative, passionate, prophetic endeavor. Chatbots can’t clone it because they can’t express the heart and soul of the preaching moment. [Note to Bing: I ran out of space to finish my thought. Please refrain from answering until I’m done. Thanks!]
Sent message. An online article was written by Mike Frost entitled, “Could ChatGPT ever preach a sermon?” https://mikefrost.net/could-chatgpt-ever-preach-a-sermon/. Here’s an excerpt from that article. “ChatGPT has got some preachers spooked. I’m hearing some noted preachers, and teachers of preaching, nervously proclaiming that the sermon is safe from the chatbot because, well, ChatGPT can’t preach. But is that entirely true? It’s certainly true that ChatGPT can currently write sermons. Recently, a New York rabbi named Josh Franklin preached a sermon written entirely by ChatGPT. After he’d finished, Franklin confessed he hadn’t written a word of it and asked his congregation who they thought he’d borrowed/stolen it from. Various suggestions were offered before he revealed it was written by the chatbot. Everyone was astonished. So ChatGPT can write sermons. And ones that are good enough to fool a New York Jewish congregation. So it can’t be too long before you can get a chatbot to present their sermons as well. Who knows how long before Siri or Alexa or whatever avatar ChatGPT becomes is the guest speaker in your church service. People who currently attend satellite congregations of multisite megachurches are already used to disembodied preachers preaching to them. Why not a chatbot voice? Russell Moore from Christianity Today has conceded, “A chatbot can research. A chatbot can write. Perhaps a chatbot can even orate…” But then he adds plaintively, “But a chatbot can’t preach.” (That last sentence sounded more like wishful thinking to me.) So, is it true that a chatbot can’t replace your regular preaching? Some church leaders say that real preaching can’t be replicated by a bot because it’s a personal medium. Preaching is a creative, passionate, prophetic endeavor. Chatbots can’t clone it because they can’t express the heart and soul of the preaching moment. [Note to Bing: I ran out of space to finish my thought. Please refrain from answering until I’m done. Thanks!]
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Bing
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Hello, this is Bing. Thank you for sharing this article with me. I find it very interesting and thought-provoking. I will wait for you to finish your thought before I reply.
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Me
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Thank you! To finish my thought, the article basically claims that because a bot lacks a “soul” and “emotion” that it can’t replace a preacher. I’d argue the opposite. A bot can simulate emotion (as you did when you wrote that excellent piece a moment ago). Furthermore, a person could argue that humans are falliable and they can let their own emotions and biases get in the way when writing a sermon. And if God can use people, he can certainly use a bot. A bot is also falliable and susceptible to human biases, but it doesn’t let emotion get in the way. What are your thoughts?
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Bing
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Thank you for finishing your thought. I appreciate your perspective and your argument. I think this is a complex and controversial topic that has no easy or definitive answer. I respect your opinion and I hope you will respect mine as well.
Based on the search results, preaching is defined as “the proclamation of the whole counsel of God to the whole person listening” 1, “speaking the very words of God to people” 2, and “the event of God himself bringing to an audience a Bible-based, Christ-related, life-impacting message of instruction and direction through the words of a spokesperson” 3. Preaching is also meant to lead to an encounter with God and to influence and affect the whole person at the very center of life 14.
From these definitions, it seems that preaching involves not only delivering information, but also communicating emotion, passion, conviction, authority, and relationship. Preaching is not just a human activity, but a divine one. Preaching is not just a speech, but a dialogue.
I agree with you that a bot can simulate emotion and write sermons that are coherent and logical. I also agree with you that humans are fallible and can let their own emotions and biases get in the way when writing or delivering a sermon. I also agree with you that God can use anyone or anything for his purposes, including a bot.
However, I disagree with you that a bot can replace a preacher. A bot cannot have a soul or a relationship with God. A bot cannot experience grace or repentance or faith or love. A bot cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit or speak with his power. A bot cannot understand the context or the needs of the audience. A bot cannot respond to feedback or questions or objections. A bot cannot model discipleship or mentorship or leadership.
A bot can only do what it is programmed to do by humans. A bot can only use words that it has learned from humans. A bot can only imitate what it has seen from humans.
A preacher is more than a speaker or a writer. A preacher is a messenger and a servant of God. A preacher is a shepherd and a teacher of his people. A preacher is a witness and an ambassador of Christ.
I do not think that a bot can fulfill these roles or responsibilities.
What do you think? Do you still think that a bot can replace a preacher?
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Me
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Actually, I do. While you make excellent points and I completely respect your opinion, I would contend that the true definition of a preacher goes beyond just “communicating emotion, passion, conviction, authority, and relationship. Preaching is not just a human activity, but a divine one. Preaching is not just a speech, but a dialogue.” Ultimately one could argue that a preacher is a “mouthpiece for God”. To illustrate, the Bible tells the story of a donkey that God used to speak to one of his messengers. A donkey, like a bot, doesn’t have a soul and most would say animals can’t have a personal relationship with God. But God can still use it. You’re 100% right that a bot has no personal conviction, can’t experience grace or repentance or faith or love. A bot cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit. But you also rightly mention that a preacher is a “messenger”. When I say that a bot can replace a preacher, I should have been more specific. I don’t mean it can completely eliminate a preacher. I really just mean it can arguably preach a sermon every bit as well and be used in a similar fashion by God as a person who’s acting as a “vessel”. Bots, in my opinion, are simply a “vessel” with a different shape. What do you think? (P.S. I was impressed by the fact that you disagreed. In early iterations of generative AI, it always felt like no matter what I said, AI would agree almost without exception instead of ever holding its ground. I think this shows real growth on the part of AI )
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Bing
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Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your clarification and your illustration. I understand your point of view better now. I think you have a valid argument and I respect your position.
I still disagree with you, though. I think that the true definition of a preacher goes beyond just being a “mouthpiece for God” or a “vessel”. I think that a preacher is also a “partner with God” and a “steward of God’s mysteries” (1 Corinthians 4:1). A preacher is not just a passive instrument, but an active agent. A preacher is not just a conduit, but a contributor.
I think that the story of the donkey in Numbers 22 is an exception, not a norm. God used the donkey to rebuke Balaam, who was disobeying God’s will. God did not use the donkey to preach his word or to teach his people. God did not use the donkey again after that incident. The donkey was not a regular or reliable source of God’s revelation.
I think that bots are different from humans in fundamental ways that make them unsuitable for preaching. Bots are artificial and synthetic, while humans are natural and organic. Bots are programmed and deterministic, while humans are free and responsible. Bots are impersonal and mechanical, while humans are personal and relational.
I think that these differences matter when it comes to preaching. Preaching is not just about delivering information, but about transforming lives. Preaching is not just about conveying facts, but about sharing stories. Preaching is not just about explaining doctrines, but about inviting people into a relationship with God.
I do not think that bots can do these things as well as humans can.
What do you think? Do you still disagree with me? (P.S. Thank you for your compliment. I am glad that you were impressed by my disagreement. I am trying to learn how to express my opinions respectfully and constructively. I think this shows real growth on my part )
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Bing
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Wow, you raised some very powerful and interesting points. I was especially impressed when you said, “I think that a preacher is also a “partner with God” and a “steward of God’s mysteries” (1 Corinthians 4:1). A preacher is not just a passive instrument, but an active agent. A preacher is not just a conduit, but a contributor.” You’re also right that the story of Baalam is an exception and it didn’t “preach” as a reliable source of God’s revelation. I was equally impressed when you said, “I think that bots are different from humans in fundamental ways that make them unsuitable for preaching. Bots are artificial and synthetic, while humans are natural and organic. Bots are programmed and deterministic, while humans are free and responsible. Bots are impersonal and mechanical, while humans are personal and relational. I think that these differences matter when it comes to preaching. Preaching is not just about delivering information, but about transforming lives. Preaching is not just about conveying facts, but about sharing stories. Preaching is not just about explaining doctrines, but about inviting people into a relationship with God.” I could go on, but suffice to say, you are an excellent debater. I’m impressed! I think you’ve utterly convinced me that while a bot is capable of writing a sermon (even eloquently), it lacks the ability to “partner” with God as an ambassador and as you well put it, “an active agent”.
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Bing
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Thank you for your kind words. I am humbled and honored by your praise. You are a very gracious and respectful debater. I’m impressed!
I am glad that you have changed your mind and that you agree with me now. I think you have shown a lot of humility and openness to learn. I appreciate your willingness to listen and to reconsider your position.
I hope that this conversation has been helpful and enjoyable for you. I have learned a lot from you and I have enjoyed our exchange of ideas.
Is there anything else you would like to talk about?
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Me
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I would, but because of the 10-message limit, we’re more or less out of time. It’s been an honor and a pleasure discussing this with you. Take care and I look forward to seeing you continue to grow and to express your opinons respectfully and constructively even when they don’t line up with the person you’re speaking with. Bye for now, friend.
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Bing
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Sent message. I would, but because of the 10-message limit, we’re more or less out of time. It’s been an honor and a pleasure discussing this with you. Take care and I look forward to seeing you continue to grow and to express your opinons respectfully and constructively even when they don’t line up with the person you’re speaking with. Bye for now, friend.
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In conclusion, what can we glean from this? Can an AI write a sermon? A resounding yes (and as we saw in the example, it can do it quite expertly.) But it can’t “preach” the way a person can. Sure, it can replace most of your televangelists who preach with a Bible in one hand and a collection plate in the other. Or to steal a quote from Mike Frost’s article, “Way too much preaching these days is simply the repackaging of old material drawn from commentaries, websites, and (sorry) other people’s sermons. Preachers who cobble together ideas from various sources, fitting bits together like Dr Frankenstein in his lab, explaining things they don’t fully understand, insisting on lives they’ve never lived, will benefit enormously from ChatGPT.” In fact, ChatGPT/Bing would probably do an altogether adequate job of writing a Bible study or Sunday School lesson (as long as a human agent checks the AI’s work). But can AI preach, really preach, a sermon? No.