A Finnish Free Church pastor has published a substantial reflection in the denomination's weekly newspaper on why preaching remains central to free church worship — and why it can never be reduced to a merely human exercise. Writing in Suomen Viikkolehti, Pastor Paul Raja-aho asks readers when they last experienced a sermon that stirred genuine conviction of sin, a sense of God's holiness, or a direct encounter with the Holy Spirit speaking into their personal circumstances. For Raja-aho, such moments are not optional extras but the very purpose of Christian proclamation.
Drawing on both pastoral experience and biblical reflection, the pastor traces the connection between the preacher's dependence on the Holy Spirit and the congregation's receptivity. He insists that effective proclamation requires spiritual preparation — not just study of the text but openness to being personally addressed by it before standing to speak. The article appears in the Finnish Free Church's (Suomen Vapaakirkko) principal publication, and reflects an ongoing conversation within Nordic free church movements about the nature of worship and the role of the Word in congregational life.
Raja-aho's reflection contributes to a broader theological discussion within free evangelical churches globally about how preaching differs from public speaking, and about what makes a sermon a genuinely spiritual event rather than merely an informative one. The piece, published in the "Ilmiöt" (Phenomena) and "Raamattu" (Bible) sections of the newspaper, underlines the Finnish Free Church's continued investment in thoughtful theological discourse alongside its regular news coverage.
(Originally published in Finnish. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Suomen Vapaakirkko / Suomen Viikkolehti — svl.fi/saarna-pyhassa-hengessa-miksi-saarna-on-niin-tarkea/
