Interaction

A second "Bible vitamin" that George Patterson (see previous post) encourages for congregations is "dialogue to develop".  Instead of the "devastating myth" that "pulpit monologue is the most powerful teaching tool," churches which practice dialogue, teaching one another, encouraging and exhorting one another, and other kinds of edifying interaction "consistently see amazing results." 

Of course, good preaching and teaching is not a monologue, even though only one person is speaking.  Good teaching is done in a spirit of dialogue, which is in large part what makes it interesting.  The speaker has prepared by dialoguing with both God and the biblical authors, so that his or her hearers are listening in on a dialogue that has been going on for some time. (Perhaps eavesdropping is the expression of a desire for good preaching!) 

A good speaker also anticipates the questions and possible objections of the hearers.  Without saying a word, the hearers feel that they are part of the interaction.  

Dialogue is a remarkable and consistent characteristic of the God of the Bible, and hence of the Bible itself.  From Genesis to Revelation, God is listening and people are talking to him - praising,  complaining, pleading, lying, inquiring, confessing - and God is responding.  

So yes, I agree with Patterson.  The Church is called to be a demonstration community of the reign of God in the world.  Since God is a God of dialogue, we his people express his image when we listen carefully and respond thoughtfully and with humility to each other and to the world.