Speech Story

It is a crowded morning in the sanctuary at Southern Hills Baptist Church, located in south Oklahoma City. Southern Hills is a large church that maintains an average attendance of about 1,500 people on any given Sunday. The massive green sanctuary is divided into sections, not physically, but people naturally section themselves off into their own categories. The north end of the sanctuary is mostly filled with people over the age of 50. The southern half is filled mostly with people under the age of 50. Youth and children all sit to the left of the stage where others can keep a close eye on any mischief among them.

Service starts promptly at 11 a.m. with the orchestra and choir, along with the music leader, who all begin to play their instruments and sing to open the service. The congregation rises to their feet to sing and pray. For the first 30 minutes of the service people continue to sing and pray. After the congregation has a seat, there is one baptism. The young girl is baptized and people clap and shout out "amen" as the minister submerges her under the water, and then raises her back up. There is a sudden disturbance in the auditorium as two young men grab the attention of some of the older men who are located across the isle from me. They speak with them about something in which I cannot hear. People stop and stare, wondering what is going on. After the service it is learned that the older men’s sons were on their cell phones, and were what appeared to be texting during the service. I later found out they were supposedly reading their bibles on their iPhones.

Around 10:35 a.m. Dr. Douglas O. Melton rises to the stage to preach. Dr. Melton has been the pastor at Southern Hills Baptist Church for the past 10 years. Before Dr. Melton came to Southern Hills, he was the dean of students at Oklahoma Baptist University. He was also a recent candidate for the position of President of Oklahoma Baptist University in 2008.

The church congregation grows silent as the pastor walks on to the stage. He walks to the podium and turns to the congregation and states: “Practice what you preach.” This is the title of the sermon he has planned for the service. As he is says, “open your bibles to Mathew 23,” you can hear bibles opening and pages turning through the large and open sanctuary. Mathew 23 is a record of Jesus’ last public sermon before he was crucified. Mathew 23: 1-3 is the three verses that were covered in the sermon, along with three major points in the sermon. The first point came from the first verse in Mathew 23; “You have a plan of authority.” In other words, false living today is a “disconnect between what we say and what we live.” The second point of the sermon was “Your parents have a place of authority in your family, obey them.” This point was mainly directed to the children and youth of the congregation. God is the ultimate authority, then your parents. It was also explained to the children that yes adults are your authority, but if they ever ask you to do anything immoral, or if what they ask you to do does not feel right, or natural, then tell another adult about it. The third, and final point of the sermon states; “Blending authority and obedience come together in God’s way when we practice what we preach.” Pastor Melton told the congregation a very deep and serious thought he had. That “inconsistency in Christian living is more harmful than rebellion from God.” He was speaking of the way people spend their time, money, and how they schedule their lives. (Melton)

After the sermon there was invitation given where there was more singing and prayer. Two people went to the front of the sanctuary, and one person made a decision.

Following the service there was muffled laughter and many different conversations going on in the sanctuary. People gathered in groups discussing where to eat, what they were doing that afternoon, and so forth.