Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader.
This goes along with my word, Character, for the year. We talked about Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in undergrad and graduate school a lot. I am really aware of it every Sunday. Ethos is whether or not people will trust what I'm saying, Pathos how people feel about what I'm saying, and Logos is whether what is being said is making any logical sense. I can't say that any preacher knocks all three out of the park every Sunday. I know I don't. The ethos of a preacher is truly important. You listen to him or her and wonder if they studied throughout the week, what kind of sources did she use, are those his words and thoughts or someone else's, and do they follow their own words. That last one is a tightrope. I know sometimes people feel that certain preachers preach their topic to really speak to one or a certain group of individuals that are dealing with that particular issue. I don't know about others, but I can say that I try my hardest to preach the text and land the application of that text at my own feet first, then the congregation, then the world. But, alas, I will sometimes fail to truly live out my own words and sometimes those that love me most remind me of things I have said and help direct me to the path I preached.
I love preaching and studying God's word. It is a daunting task to say the least, that I have take lightly. I take my actions in social, community, and church settings seriously and try to keep my character everywhere I go. Driving may be my greatest weakness in this area! Ha!
I pray that I can preach with great integrity and treat people with the same respect I desire.
Here's to a strong ethos in 2016 and beyond.
This goes along with my word, Character, for the year. We talked about Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in undergrad and graduate school a lot. I am really aware of it every Sunday. Ethos is whether or not people will trust what I'm saying, Pathos how people feel about what I'm saying, and Logos is whether what is being said is making any logical sense. I can't say that any preacher knocks all three out of the park every Sunday. I know I don't. The ethos of a preacher is truly important. You listen to him or her and wonder if they studied throughout the week, what kind of sources did she use, are those his words and thoughts or someone else's, and do they follow their own words. That last one is a tightrope. I know sometimes people feel that certain preachers preach their topic to really speak to one or a certain group of individuals that are dealing with that particular issue. I don't know about others, but I can say that I try my hardest to preach the text and land the application of that text at my own feet first, then the congregation, then the world. But, alas, I will sometimes fail to truly live out my own words and sometimes those that love me most remind me of things I have said and help direct me to the path I preached.
I love preaching and studying God's word. It is a daunting task to say the least, that I have take lightly. I take my actions in social, community, and church settings seriously and try to keep my character everywhere I go. Driving may be my greatest weakness in this area! Ha!
I pray that I can preach with great integrity and treat people with the same respect I desire.
Here's to a strong ethos in 2016 and beyond.
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