September 2, 2010 by Peter Mead
It seems obvious, but it needs to be said. When we speak we need to make sure we make sense. There are various reasons why we may not make sense to our listeners. Here are a few to be aware of:
1. Obscure Language - If you obfuscate using technical, rare or archaic vocabulary, then you will lose folks. They will probably still compliment you on your “deep” message, but be alert enough to spot the implication of that encouraging feedback!
2. Unknown Illustrations - Your illustration from the world of online war games, submarine technology, chinese martial arts, Finnish cuisine, Egyptian burial rituals or first world war poetry may make perfect sense to you. But are you including enough explanation to allow them to get it? (And if it needs that much explanation, is it really the best illustration to use?)
3. Omitted Connections – The logical connection between what you are currently saying and the larger point you are offering may not be so logical if you forget to mention it. Actually, you need to state, restate and underline the logical connection, just in case they were drifting in that moment. So easy to miss bits of messages we know, but are so needed.
4. Rapid Transitions - Maybe you include something of a transition from direct explanation to explanatory illustration, but the transition is so fast your passengers fail to make the turn with you. Disoriented they look around trying to figure out where they are now, almost oblivious to what you are actually saying.
5. Unclear Speech - If they can’t make it out, they can’t comprehend it. And there’s no need to get snooty about your accent either, every accent has elements that are unclear, so try to be aware of that and speak clearly. Watch for facial signals of misfiring speech. Restate if you suspect some may have missed what you said. Oh, and be careful of rapid fire sentence finishing, or fading away when the period is in sight.
6. Assumed Knowledge – It is dangerous to assume people know things. Do they have the biblical awareness necessary for the message? Do they know the cultural, historical, political, geographical knowledge that you are assuming for your explanation of the text to be vividly received?
7. Written Notes – I’m not having a go at notes. I’m just pointing out that almost anything can make sense in written outline form, but your listeners are listening. Sometimes what is written doesn’t make sense when it is heard. Write your messages for listeners, not for your own eyes.
What’s missing? Why else do we sometimes fail to make sense? (Number 8 – Don’t speak out of your depth – If we don’t get it ourselves, they have no chance!)
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 8 - Message Detail | Leave a Comment »
August 31, 2010 by Peter Mead
I am a huge advocate for biblical preaching. But I don’t think preaching covers all the bases as far as training and equipping is concerned. It would be naive to think that a sermon or two every week for decades will equip a church
As leaders of churches we need to think carefully about the place of small groups, of seminars, of training sessions, of mentoring . . . and somehow figure out how to do that without overcrowding the weekly schedule.
Think too of subjects that probably won’t, or won’t easily get addressed, in normal preaching. How does the big story of the Bible fit together? What are the various temperaments with which God has wired us? And spiritual gifts – how do we discover and use and fan into flame? And what about practical instruction in addressing interpersonal tensions? And how do you mentor a leader, a preacher, a husband, a dad . . . with just preaching?
Preaching is critical, but it’s not everything. How are you equipping people in the local church to multiply the ministry?
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion | 1 Comment »
August 30, 2010 by Peter Mead
I suspect that if we’re honest, we’d all admit that preaching leads to numerous battles with pride. Perhaps not every time, perhaps not in the same way as each other, but there is an inherent danger that points of pride will peek through when we preach. Much of this may be an internal battle unseen by others except the Lord. But sometimes in our preaching we do things that can reveal, or be perceived to be, pride peeking through. A few examples:
1. References to “scholastic matters” – You know what I mean, the extra reference to a dispute among commentators, an unnecessary quotation from the Greek/Hebrew, a technical term (punctiliar aorist, genitive absolute, etc.), an unnecessary excursus into matters of textual criticism, unnecessary citation details showing how much you’ve read, etc.
2. Allusions to “hidden stores of knowledge” - This is more subtle, but some of us fall into it. It’s where you open the door to a subject, only to immediately close it with some passing reference to “that is for another time” or “so much we could say about that…” Sometimes it helps to let people know you’re aware that more could be said about a matter, but sometimes it can come across as prideful parading of unrevealed knowledge.
3. Demonstrations of “foreign language competence” – I remember reading a theology book and getting very annoyed by the author quoting in Dutch and Norwegian (as well as Latin, French, German, Spanish, etc.), all without English translation. Ostentatious to say the least. But actually in our preaching it can be tempting to throw in a foreign phrase or quote. Depending on the audience this may connect very effectively, or it may just look prideful.
4. Narratives of “personal illustration” – Haddon Robinson always said that an illustration shouldn’t make you look like a jerk or a hero. Tempting though. A story in which you gave a stunning response in the moment, or where others acclaimed your skill, or yet another reference to your prize winning exploits in the county fair vegetable competition, or “when I met Billy Graham…” Maybe it is a good illustration, maybe it does help the message, but think carefully how it comes across, because if it smacks of pride, it will leave a sour taste.
So I readily hold my hands up as guilty of all four charges. Perhaps you do too. Let’s think through the next message and try to eradicate any hint of pride so that nothing will detract from the God of whom we preach, who is worthy of all honour!
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preacher's Personal Life, Preaching, Religion, Stage 8 - Message Detail | Leave a Comment »
August 27, 2010 by Peter Mead
Here are three separations often occurring in pulpits that are sad, to say the least:
The separation of leadership and preaching – I’ve mentioned this before, probably after reading Michael Quicke’s 360-Degree Leadership. In some churches, especially those that have to, or choose to, rely on visiting speakers, there is an unfortunate separation of preaching from leadership. The result tends to be preaching that is informative, perhaps even impressive, but not truly pastoral.
The separation of theology and application – It’s sad to see a situation where the riches of theology have supposedly been plumbed, and yet there hasn’t been the appropriate and necessary emphasis on application. Is theology truly preached if it is only offered as informational instruction rather than transformational preaching?
The separation of gospel and text – Perhaps somewhat different, it is sad to see that in some situations the gospel is preached, but without genuine reference to the text. That is to say, the text is presented, but rather than preached, it offers a springboard to a generic gospel presentation. Better the gospel than no gospel, but much better the gospel well rooted in God’s Word.
Any other sad pulpit separations you’ve noticed?
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 3 - Passage Purpose, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 8 - Message Detail | 2 Comments »
August 26, 2010 by Peter Mead
When you are preaching the Old Testament, there should always be a radar bleeping in your heart regarding where Christ fits into the message. Some will suggest that every message must be entirely and purely about Christ, whatever the text was originally intended to convey. I feel this approach can bring our view of the inspiration of Scripture into disrepute.
Not every Old Testament passage is just about Christ. I know that Jesus took two disciples on a tour of the Old Testament on the road to Emmaus, but I’d also like to point out that that road is only 7 miles long! We need to recognize that many passages are about humanity responding to the God of the covenant, or about the power of the creator God, or about judgment, etc. If it is a stretch to make the passage be about Jesus, don’t. However,
The listeners are always listening to the sermon post-incarnation. Consequently there is a need to make sure we are engaging with the text in light of later revelation. That doesn’t mean we have to reinterpret the original meaning to be something that it could not have been originally. But we do have to land the bridge of the message in the contemporary circumstance of our listeners (including the fact that we are post-incarnation, post-cross, post-resurrection, post-Pentecost, etc.)
The Old Testament is, of course, heading toward Christ. It is Christo-telic. That doesn’t mean it is Christo-exclusive.
May God grant us wisdom as we seek to honour His whole revelation in all its fullness, recognizing the progression of revelation, speaking with absolute relevance to contemporary listeners and always honouring and glorifying the Word incarnate!
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 3 - Passage Purpose, Stage 4 - Passage Idea, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 6 - Message Idea, Stage 7 - Message Outline, Stage 8 - Message Detail | Tagged Christocentric Preaching | 1 Comment »
August 25, 2010 by Peter Mead
Why do I recommend preachers have full sentence points? Or to put it another way – what is the problem with single-word points?
After all, a series of three or four single words can be memorable, both during the message and potentially after it. So why not just give single word “points” as the message progresses?
A single-word may convey a title, but it cannot convey an idea. A single word will tell the listeners something about what is going to be said, but it is not able to convey the idea in a nutshell. Why waste the opportunity to make a single sentence summary of the message content?
Single-word points tend to push the message toward information summary rather than transformational communication. Not always, but often, a single word will lean toward historical lecture material. The old idea of masses of explanation before any application is problematic. Why waste the opportunity to be relevant, targeted, personal at such a key moment in the message? Putting the points in full sentences that relate to us today can be very powerful. You can immediately go to the text and “back then” to see the support for the point, but you’re doing so with a sense of its relevance to us before you even get there.
Single-word points encourage a lack of cohesion within each point. If your “point” is a subject, then there is almost no end to what you could (and possibly will try to) say in this section of the message. If your point is a distilled summary of the applicational point (or the message of the text at that section), then there is automatically a control mechanism to avoid scattered thoughts that don’t cohere.
Preaching is oral communication, which consists of transmitting ideas. When we talk in conversation we make points, assertions, suggestions, encouragements, etc. in full sentences. We don’t naturally use single-word headings. This is a written communication approach. Whatever notes you may or may not be looking at, when you preach you are speaking. Why use literary approaches? Forcing yourself to think yourself clear at the level of the points in your message, making sure you can convey the thought in a clear sentence will only help your message communicate more effectively.
Incidentally, if you are still craving the mnemonic assistance of single word tags, you could always add them (or some shorthand approach) in the transitions and final summary. Having said that, remember that your goal is not for listeners to remember your outline, but to be transformed by the main idea of the text and its application to their lives.
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion, Stage 7 - Message Outline, Stage 8 - Message Detail | Tagged Sermon Outlines, Preaching Points | 2 Comments »
August 24, 2010 by Peter Mead
Continuing ten ways to disturb the comfortable with your preaching:
6. Don’t make it clear when you are starting a rhetorical question. If the question slips in and people miss it, they then land in the pause as uncomfortable outsiders, unclear what it is they are supposed to be responding to. Be sure to verbally, vocally, or even non-verbally, mark the start of a question intended to engage (even if rhetorical and they aren’t expected to answer out loud).
7. Give the impression that the answer to a rhetorical question is obvious, when it isn’t. Nothing like making people feel thick to add discomfort to their emotive experience inventory.
8. Give the impression that you need their facial response, but you’re not getting it. If you need it, look around and find someone whose face is encouraging (sometimes the grisly faces are grimacing in concentration – it’s the totally uninterested faces to be concerned about!) If you request response too much and give the impression that you’re not getting it, then your listeners will grow uncomfortable trying to make you comfortable. That’s not really their job.
9. Give a series of “it/this” statements without being clear what the “it/this” was. If they missed your original reference and then you string “it” sentences together, they’ll feel lost for long enough to grow uncomfortable. “What difference would this make in our church? What would it do in our nation? What if your family put this into practice? How might it change your life? Etc.”
10. Go for a big finish after a message that has barely got out of second gear. I was taught to make my introduction proportionate to the message – i.e. don’t overpromise and under-deliver. The same is true of conclusions: don’t under-deliver then finish with an excessive bang.
There are other things, but I suppose I’d summarize some of this in this way. Don’t be dependent on your listeners wanting you to succeed and being willing to go hunting for the message in what you are trying to say. Instead prayerfully seek to be an arresting, engaging, confident, winsome, human and compelling communicator. If you are uncomfortable, they will be doubly uncomfortable. Once for themselves, and once for you.
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August 23, 2010 by Peter Mead
Someone said preaching should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Here are ten ways to make your listeners feel uncomfortable as you preach, but not in the right sense of the term:
1. Give off non-verbal signals of nervousness. Wring your hands, pace uncontrollably, fidget as you preach, breath shallow, avoid eye contact, flit from one ceiling corner to another, etc. If you convey nerves, they are contagious and soon the whole room will be infected.
2. Appear to be dependent on your notes. If they get the impression that you might lose your place, or somehow get stuck, then they will start watching in the “eyes up” time for when your eyes will go down again. If you need notes for personal testimony, something isn’t working well.
3. Appear to be uncertain or hesitant. This doesn’t mean you need to rush or preach at 100mph. But there is a vast difference between a purposeful pause with poise and a hesitant gap that generates anxiety in all present.
4. Apologise for lack of preparation and you are set. This never fails. If you can give a good apology for your lack of preparation, or for your inability to communicate, or whatever, you’ll have almost guaranteed an uncomfortable experience for your listeners.
5. Expect people to tune in to ineffective description. Describing a narrative scene or an illustration situation is not easy. A poor description will leave the imagination projection screen blank inside the listeners. But that is not a disaster, they will usually be tracking conceptually, even if they can’t “see” what you’re saying. But to make them uncomfortable, verbally express the expectation that they can imagine what you’re describing. “Can you imagine being there? What would it have felt like?” If the description isn’t vivid, then the questions will pressure listeners into an uncomfortable corner.
I’ll finish the list tomorrow.
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion, Stage 8 - Message Detail | 1 Comment »
August 20, 2010 by Peter Mead
It’s easy to fall into a rut with planning a series. Either a whole book, or a whole section, divided equally into chunks. But there can be variety in a series.
How about a survey message to start and/or finish? Giving people a sense of the whole will help with the parts.
Why not linger longer in key sections? Most of us typically feel like we could go again with the content we omitted after a message. Most listeners fail to really take onboard a message after one shot. Why not linger longer in a key section for a couple or three messages? I’m listening to a series with three messages from John 1:14-18, followed by a couple of messages that reach out into the rest of John.
Why not pause for fuller context? That is, sometimes a New Testament book will lean heavily on Old Testament content, why not take a message from back there? For example, I can imagine a series through Hebrews that includes three messages on the key Old Testament passages – Psalm 2, Psalm 95, etc., followed by the Hebrews section that builds on them.
How about tasting the themes from other writers? In a series on a book or section of a book, why not take a message and see how other writers handle the same theme and how they nuance it?
How about a mid-series pause for applicational underlining? We tend to march on, passage on passage. But why not pause mid-series to review and underline the applications that have become evident thus far?
Then there is the benefit of changing perspective too. Perhaps you’ve preached a book from Paul’s perspective, why not try a message engaging with the letter from the perspective of the recipients. It could work with anything from Romans to Philemon. Changing perspective can really underline the reality in which the text was written and its relevance for us today – it’s not just a timeless religious text, it’s a relevant application of the gospel to real people in real situations.
Plenty more that could spice up a series too . . . any thoughts?
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 1 - Passage Selection | Tagged Sermon Series | Leave a Comment »
August 19, 2010 by Peter Mead
Illustrations are an interesting subject. Actually, my concern is that often illustrations are seen as the source of interest in a message. Therefore the best speakers, that is, the most interesting, are those who seem to be a repository of well-researched illustrations. But here’s my concern – do we rely on illustrations to be interesting?
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that we are relying on illustrations to be interesting. What does this imply? Does it imply that really entering into the text as we preach is boring? (That is to say, explaining, understanding, encountering, experiencing the text is actually boring?) Or does it imply that actually we often aren’t really engaging and entering into a text at all?
In some preaching you do get the sense that the text serves as an introduction to the next illustration. Personally, I don’t believe the text itself is boring and in need of our help to make it interesting. I do believe that a lot of preaching somehow seeks to explain texts without really entering into them. The text is offered at arms length as exhibit A, but is not a living and active revelation in which the preaching thereof engages the whole listener in an encounter with God. (I’m not really arguing for some kind of neo-orthodox “text becoming word” concept here, but I am suggesting that the Bible is written with affective and emotive function in the different biblical genre that requires it to be somehow experienced and well-understood – as opposed to “mentally understood” from a safe distance leaving the heart largely untouched.)
So no illustrations then? I’m not saying that. If their main function is to offer interest, then I would suggest revisiting the text some more and discovering something more of its wonder as engaging inspired revelatory literature. But what if the illustration serves to explain some aspect of the message, or help to validate or “prove” the truth of the text, or assist the listeners in imagining effective application of the text? By all means, use explanations, or proofs (maybe a better term would be supports or validations), or applications. Personally I prefer to call them what they are – explanations, or supports, or applications. If I call them “illustrations” then I might be tempted to fall into the illustration equals interest trap. For many, that is what illustrations are. They don’t have to be. May we convince people of the inherent interest value, and personal value, of the Word of God. If we fail to do that, what is it we are doing again?
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion, Stage 8 - Message Detail | Tagged sermon illustrations | 4 Comments »
August 18, 2010 by Peter Mead
One approach to preaching a text is a particularly well worn path, but at times it verges on leaving the territory of the expository. If done well it doesn’t leave the territory, but it sometimes gets close to the fence. Let me see if I can help you see what I mean.
Imagine you have a preaching text, perhaps a section of, let’s say, ten verses. A fairly common and standard approach is to come up with a series of points that cover those ten verses. Perhaps you take a keyword approach – three reasons, four benefits, three challenges, etc. By using these key words you are able to construct a series of points that are parallel and technically cover the entire text. In the preaching of that text you will, by means of your three or four points, preach the whole passage. You will probably have a liberal sprinkling of illustrations throughout. At various points in the message the listeners will look down at the text. Traditional, tried and tested, faithful expository preaching. Probably.
It all depends on whether the points you are preaching are the points of the text. This is where the keyword approach can run into difficulty. Rarely did Paul, or Peter, or John, set out to list a series of thoughts in parallel form. Consequently, the processing of the text into your points might result in processed text (and like food, excessive processing can wring the nutrition from it). Now I need to be careful here because the approach described above can be a very faithful approach to preaching, and very effective. But I’d like to offer a nudge:
When you preach, are you overtly or implicitly saying “my message (on this text)” and “my points”? Or, are you overtly and implicitly saying “Paul’s message in this text” and “Paul’s point.” Exposition that isn’t by the fence at the periphery of camp exposition, but sits right in the middle, is exposition where the text is not just the source of the propositional content and historical background, but where the text is really the boss of the message. The best expositions are where the listeners haven’t just been informed about the text, but where they have entered into the text, the text has entered into them, and where the text has been set free to do what the text was intended to do.
Too easily some of us don’t really do what the text does, but instead we focus just on saying what the text says, and actually end up helping the text out by nursing it through with the aid of our well planned structures and materials of interest.
Expository, but only just.
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 6 - Message Idea, Stage 7 - Message Outline | Tagged Expository Preaching | 2 Comments »
August 17, 2010 by Peter Mead
I had the privilege of attending the Keswick Convention for the first time this year. I had a little role in the young adults stream – K2. But I also got to enjoy the Bible readings and evening celebrations, as well as a couple of afternoon sessions. I have to say, I have become a fan of Keswick (good preaching, decent music, no pre-registration, great town, perfect weather . . . ok, that last bit was a lie.)
It was a blessing to be around people hungry for the Word. I laugh as I remember walking down Helvellyn Street toward the main tent and being overtaken by an older gentleman, probably in his seventies, practically running in order to get in for the Bible teaching. Whatever your age, a hunger for the Word of God is a sign of sure spiritual health!
It was a blessing to receive some real feasts from the Word. Actually, the Sunday morning message I heard in one of the churches was enough for the week. But there were other feasts too. The morning Bible readings were excellent – good content, high relevance, great energy, contagious enthuiasm. The more relaxed afternoon sessions I attended were a blessing too. For many, I’m sure, a week at Keswick must be a welcome feeding from God’s Word (especially for the many coming from churches where the diet is poor).
It was a preacher’s pleasure to watch and learn as others were preaching. Not every message hit the same heights. But there were things to learn about preaching in every message. Things about content, structure, unity of message, use of illustration, aspects of delivery. It was great to be able to observe and sit under seven other preachers in a week. We preachers can learn a lot when we watch and listen, whether the experience is generally positive or negative. And each time, irrespective of the preacher, the passage is pure gold, the pondering of which will effect the gradual transformation of our hearts and lives.
It was great to be in a huge crowd for singing too! As a poor singer it is great once in a while to be in a crowd big enough to make me less concerned about ruining the experience of those in front of me during the sung worship times. Ironic that when we get into the biggest crowd ever, we presume our voices will be perfected and able to hit the right notes every time!
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion | Tagged Keswick Convention | 3 Comments »
August 16, 2010 by Peter Mead
I enjoyed a passing point made by Derek Tidball recently at Keswick. Here’s the text:
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” (2Cor.4:1)
Derek pointed out that we live in a culture saturated by meritocratic thinking. You have to have a certificate to be able to everything. The same is often true in church world. People expect you to be able to do this and do that like the best of names. The pressure is on if you are involved in ministry, and the pressure is to live up to the standards of expectation imposed by the church. All too easily we can fall into the trap of thinking that we are in ministry because of our merit – our education, our training, our skills, our abilities, etc.
But when we realize that we are in ministry through God’s mercy, that changes everything. Suddenly ministry becomes about response. It becomes about our wonder at His mercy toward us. It becomes a real sense of privilege, rather than pure pressure and evangelical purgatory (as some church situations can feel for some in so-called “service”).
Response. Wonder. Privilege. Hard to think of three better words to describe the experience of ministry. As long as we look to our own merit, we are living out an anti-gospel ministry. When our gaze is on Him and His mercy, suddenly it all looks very different.
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion | Tagged Derek Tidball | 4 Comments »
August 14, 2010 by Peter Mead
Somehow I think the shorter the better for this post. Let me quote Paul Mallard who I heard recently at Keswick. “Do not preach because you love preaching. Preach because you love Jesus.”
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preacher's Personal Life, Preaching, Religion | Tagged Paul Mallard | 2 Comments »
August 13, 2010 by Peter Mead
Yesterday I shared about the contrast between the attention of the crowd one night and the significant distraction the next night – same venue, same weather, same chairs, different speaker. Perhaps something here might be helpful to you. Why were they distracted?
1. It felt like a commentary with added anecdotes. It was like a commentary explanation of a text, but with the added anecdotes of the speaker’s illustrations, and with a little something of his personality.
2. It felt like a written document was being preached. There is a massive difference between spoken speech and written language. We must learn to write in “spoken” English if we are to be preachers that prepare with literary approaches (which is only one approach).
3. The message moved between the text and third-party illustrations and back again. I felt untouched. It seems like it should be obvious that preaching should land in the lives of the listeners, which is not the same thing as sharing personal experiences, or saying things in contemporary language. In fact, when personal experiences seem aloof or “I’m an important person” they really don’t help the connection at all. Where, specifically, does your next message touch the lives of those present?
4. It was hard to tell if the speaker was passionate about the passage and message or not. Something believed but not really owned will probably be offered in an “at arms length” manner which will leave the listeners holding it “at arms length.”
5. I wondered what would happen if we all left, would the speaker just carry on anyway? It kind of felt like it tonight. Which leads to a nice closing question. What if the speaker sensed that we’d all left mentally? What if you sense that? Then what?
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion, Stage 7 - Message Outline, Stage 8 - Message Detail | 2 Comments »
August 12, 2010 by Peter Mead
As a speaker you should be able to sense the level of focus of your listeners. Before you say they always listen well, I would encourage you to follow this advice. Try being in the crowd and listening, observing, sensing what is going on around you among the listeners. If you have the privilege of attending a conference or large Christian event, you should have the privilege of experiencing the crowd from within the crowd with different speakers.
Large crowd events are helpful because the large numbers both multiply and muffle. That is, in a small group there may be an individual who never listens – proportionately they are more of a small group than they’d be in a big group. Equally, it is quite the effect to sense distraction spread through a large crowd. What happens?
Fidget levels increase. It’s amazing how still listeners can be when the preacher captures the crowd. But when he hasn’t, fidgeting is rife. Chairs move, people change position, people check their watches, the clock, the window, the people in peripheral vision, etc.
Infectious coughing spreads. I sat in a large crowd tonight (I wrote this a few weeks before it was put on the site), and I listened as the coughing spread across the crowd. Like dogs barking in a neighborhood, like children crying in a nursery, like coughs among a crowd ready to be done already. Last night I sat in the same crowd. You could hear a pin drop. Did a mass distribution of cough drops make the coughs drop last night? No, different speaker.
At the first appropriate moment, people flee to the exits. It can be painful to feel trapped in a meeting too long. How long is too long? After all, these folks knew when the service would last until. It was too long when the preacher didn’t connect for too long.
Experience the distraction of the crowd, experience the impressive focus possible. Then go back to your own preaching. Try to be accurately aware of the level of attention you hold, and then try to improve it. Tomorrow I’ll share some reflections on why the distraction levels were so high among the listeners in the meeting I sat in tonight.
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion | 1 Comment »
August 11, 2010 by Peter Mead
Someone has said that you know it was a good sermon when you find yourself asking how the preacher knew all about you. That’s a nice sentiment that points to the importance of applicational relevance in preaching.
Now allow me to give you my statement. This is not a complete statement, or a forever statement. It’s a today statement. I heard a great sermon this morning. (This post was written a couple of weeks back at Keswick, in case you’re wondering!) So I heard a great sermon. Here’s my statement, “you know it was a good sermon when twelve hours later you find yourself still pondering the powerful but simple take home truth, reminiscing over the clear images used to drive home the main points, reflecting on how engaged you felt by the message and the messenger, how excited you were, and still are, to look at the text, to pray through all that hit home, to take stock of your life in light of the text, to respond and be transformed by the message.”
That’s my sentiment tonight that points to the importance of so knowing your text that you can take listeners by the hand and enter into it fully, of so thinking through your presentation that you have clear and concise main thoughts, an overwhelming master idea, an engaging manner of delivery, a contagious energy in presentation, a reliance on the Lord to move in peoples’ lives, and a targeted relevance to the listeners before you.
Simple really, pull those things together and you’ll probably preach a decent message!
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Preaching, Religion, Stage 4 - Passage Idea, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 6 - Message Idea, Stage 7 - Message Outline, Stage 8 - Message Detail | Tagged Keswick Convention | 2 Comments »
August 10, 2010 by Peter Mead
I suspect somewhere in more than a thousand posts on here, I have mentioned once or twice about the importance of unity in a message. Order is often present, if only by virtue of the progression of the text. Progress is sort of present, inasmuch as the number of verses are running out, as is the available time. But all too often, in preaching in some circles, the sense of unity is negligible or just plain vague.
Too many messages are essentially a series of points united by a common textual source and a title. This is not the inherent unity that is there in the text. Often messages are essentially a vague-subject completed. Three things about our title. Four aspects of such and such. This is not really reflecting the unity that is present in a unit of thought. Sometimes I wonder if we might be forcing texts into sermonic structures, rather than structuring sermons in such a way as to effectively communicate the texts.
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion, Stage 6 - Message Idea, Stage 7 - Message Outline | Tagged Unity Order Progress | 1 Comment »
August 9, 2010 by Peter Mead
So I started into Spurgeon’s Lectures and got about, well, more or less, about a page in before I was “arrested” by his helpful thinking. Here’s a taster
…
We are, in a certain sense, our own tools, and therefore must keep ourselves in order. If I want to preach the gospel, I can only use my own voice; therefore I must train my vocal powers. I can only think with my own brains, and feel with my own heart, and therefore I must educate my intellectual and emotional faculties. I can only weep and agonise for souls in my own renewed nature, therefore must I watchfully maintain the tenderness which was in Christ Jesus. It will be in vain for me to stock my library, or organise societies, or project schemes, if I neglect the culture of myself; for books, and agencies, and systems, are only remotely the instruments of my holy calling; my own spirit, soul, and body, are my nearest machinery for sacred service; my spiritual faculties, and my inner life, are my battle axe and weapons of war.
Your library, your laptop, your office, your desk, your starbucks tab are all secondary. The real tools of the trade for a preacher are their heart and their head, their own inner life and spiritual walk.
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preacher's Personal Life, Preaching, Religion | Tagged Charles Haddon Spurgeon | 2 Comments »
August 6, 2010 by Peter Mead
Yesterday I wrote about how narratives do engage us through identification and disassociation. We can’t avoid that reality – it drives the popularity of movies, of bedtime stories, of Sunday School stories, of family fireside reminiscences, etc. But biblical narrative always offers something more. Our challenge as preachers is to be sure to always go there.
What if the passage is easy to understand and ready to be preached. You’ve built a message based on the natural connection with a central character, or a minor character, or the original recipients. Your time is filled, the message will preach, that bird will fly. You aren’t done. You’re not ready.
Biblical narratives either overtly or implicitly urge us to engage with the central characer in the canon – with God himself. Was it really David’s courage, or was it something about his faith in God and his instruction? Was it really about Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, or was there something going on in terms of her loyalty to a God who had so far not seemed very “effective”? Was it really about Joseph’s moral convictions, or was there something deeper going on in respect to his living by faith in a God who was with him when every circumstance screamed that he’d been long forgotten by such a God?
How does the narrative point us to the ongoing tension of faith or flight as creatures live in God’s world? How does the narrative enable us to engage with the progressive revelation of the trinitarian self-revelation of Scripture?
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 2 - Passage Study, Stage 3 - Passage Purpose, Stage 5 - Message Purpose | 1 Comment »
August 5, 2010 by Peter Mead
One of the secrets of the success of narrative writing and storytelling (whether that is historical narrative, fiction, fantasy, film or whatever) is the power of identification. When you read, hear or see a story, you naturally find yourself either identifying with or disassociating from characters in the story. If you are left cold, it is usually a sign that the story isn’t being told well, or you are in some sort of disconnected state.
So, if this is a central function of narratives, then it is a factor to consider in preaching biblical narratives. Some might try to make a hard and fast rule here, but again I would urge wisdom and consideration of the options.
Identifying with the Central Character. This is the most obvious and typically the most natural. As we see the faith or failure of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Ruth, etc., we naturally find ourselves identifying or disassociating. Actually, I read a reference to a small study recently that suggested preachers are more likely to associate with the hero of the story than non-preachers are. Interesting. There is a danger here. We can easily turn a God-centred biblical narrative into a moralistic tale of “so let’s try hard to be like Benaiah.” The other danger is that we are theologically informed of the danger and then fail to engage with narratives in the way they naturally function.
Identify with Non-Central Characters. This is where the non-preachers apparently will naturally identify – with the disciples, the fearful soldiers of Saul’s army, the guilty brothers of Joseph, etc. This changes things from a preaching perspective. Suddenly the temptation to moralise is diminished somewhat, though not entirely. The preaching of the narrative is suddenly fresh instead of predictable, for one thing.
Identify with the original recipients. From an applicational perspective, this is probably the best place to start. Moses wasn’t telling Israel to all try to be like him, but rather to see afresh the heritage of God at work amongst them. Samuel wanted Israel to celebrate David and the God of his faith, rather than try to generate a new generation of Davids. While not narrative texts, Paul’s letters all had applicational intent, specifically related to the recipients of each letter (whom we can identify with by the ongoing characteristics of church life and struggle).
Identification is a primary feature of narratives. Engage with this truth wisely.
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, How to . . . ?, Old Testament, Preaching, Religion, Stage 5 - Message Purpose, Stage 8 - Message Detail | Tagged Biblical Narrative, Preaching Biblical Narrative | 1 Comment »
August 4, 2010 by Peter Mead
Yesterday we addressed the uncomfortable issue of verbal pauses. Uncomfortable for us when we discover we use them. More uncomfortable for listeners when they can’t avoid the fact that we use them! So what to do? Diligently stop ourselves from using them every time they start to spring forth? Perhaps. Maybe electric shock treatment would help. But actually, there are other ways to cut down on such imprecision. For a few examples:
Pre-Script your message. When you’ve worked on the wording of something, it will usually come out more effectively even though you aren’t reading it at the time of delivery. You may choose to read your script, of course, but I’ve yet to see that done well. It is often the wording that took some attention that comes out the most effectively when preaching.
Practice preach. What you’ve heard yourself say well will often come out better when under pressure. I don’t see anything wrong with orally running through a message before preaching it. Some people think it somehow unspiritual to do this, but I don’t see the logic. How is working on paper spiritual, but working out loud not? It’s funny how we put so much time into written work for a spoken form of ministry. Running through a message can work wonders in unclogging our thinking, sifting out poor or impossible transitions, and undermining the grip of the verbal pause.
Overcome nervousness. The silly old suggestions you sometimes hear about imagining people naked are silly and out of date. Don’t imagine people naked. It won’t help anything. Nervousness in front of a crowd will affect us all at various times. It is good to know how it influences our delivery (limited vocal range, frozen body movement, facial fixedness, dry mouth, verbal pauses, etc.) Some of these things can be overcome with work. At the same time I think it is very important to pray about preaching so that when you preach your gaze is firmly fixed on the Lord, even as you lovingly concern yourself with the listeners.
Develop your vocabulary. A poor vocabulary will always lean into filler words for assistance. Read widely, learn new words (but be careful not to fall for the ostentatious displays of obscure vocabulary). Precise and accurate speech does not necessitate the use of jargon or technical terminology that is out of the reach of those listening.
What have you found to be helpful in increasing precision?
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion | 2 Comments »
August 3, 2010 by Peter Mead
It’s been a while since I mentioned verbal pauses, so why not? A verbal pause is a space filler. It isn’t a productive and healthy pause – that requires space and silence. It is a filler. It keeps anyone from hearing the silence that scares some public speakers and threatens some domineering monological conversationalists (i.e. the type that don’t want to give you the chance to participate, lest they have to be quiet). In preaching the verbal pause is typically prompted by nervousness or habit. It can be controlled, or even eliminated.
The Noise Verbal Pause. This may feel less common, but equally it may be that we are tuning out the disfluencies more. Gaps are filled with an elongated letter, sometimes determined by the national origin or local accent of the speaker. Most speakers have moved beyond the child-like “ummmm” but may still deploy the odd “uhhhhhh” or extended “eyyyyy.”
The Out of Context Word Verbal Pause. The big one in recent years has been the “like” used in place of emphasis, introduction of quoted speech, description of emotional reaction, etc. Some people string together “and” after “and.” “So” can easily become a bridge word overcoming all full stops in spoken English. “I mean” can punctuate many a spoken paragraph. And you don’t have to choose a common one, you may have a unique one that is just you (ask someone honest and you’ll soon find out which word has a disproportionate usage in your vocabulary).
The Under-Vocab’ed Over-Emphasis Verbal Pause. This is where no adjective quite manages to describe and emphasise what is about to be said enough, so the speaker (or pray-er) resorts to repeating with emphasis such bland words as “Just” and “Really” and sometimes, again in prayer, “just really” or even sometimes “just really just” . . . focus and intensity. Oh, and verbal pausing in a certain respect.
The Connecting With Listener Annoyingly Verbal Pause. In full this might look like a “you know what I mean?” but often will get shortened to a “y’know” punctuating the presentation of propositional statements. Other variations include “you with me?” or “got it?” or “does that make sense?”
Verbal pauses are distracting in spoken communication. They often make you sound less intelligent or clear. They typically will muddle the message you’re trying to convey. Verbal pauses are really noise, not communication. As speakers committed to handling a very important message well, we must seek to reduce them and be as effective as possible.
Posted in Christianity, Delivery, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion | Tagged Verbal Pause, Sermon Delivery | 1 Comment »
August 2, 2010 by Peter Mead
Today we are moving two hours west to a new home, new town, new church. We value your prayers as we make this adjustment after almost six years in our last church situation. I’ve typed and pre-loaded this message on here to suggest that you take a look at the new post over on the Cor Deo blog. We’d be blessed if you were willing to offer a brief comment too. (I suspect some lurkers might be motivated to join in if you would take the lead in offering a thought or two!) Here’s the link, and hopefully it should work (but if not, please go to www.cordeo.org.uk) Thanks.
Posted in Christianity, Homiletics, Preaching, Religion | Leave a Comment »
July 30, 2010 by Peter Mead
Honestly, I’m at Keswick this week, moving on Monday, and a little overwhelmed, so I am resorting to an easy source for quality thought-provoking material. Spurgeon. Following on from yesterday and thinking about preaching to save souls, here’s a blast worth receiving:
If we ourselves doubt the power of the gospel, how can we preach it with authority? Feel that you are a favored man in being allowed to proclaim the good news, and rejoice that your mission is fraught with eternal benefit to those before you. Let the people see how glad and confident the gospel has made you, and it will go far to make them long to partake in its blessed influences.
Preach very solemnly, for it is a weighty business, but let your matter be lively and pleasing, for this will prevent solemnity from souring into dreariness. Be so thoroughly solemn that all your faculties are aroused and consecrated, and then a dash of humor will only add intenser gravity to the discourse, even as a flash of lightning makes midnight darkness all the more impressive. Preach to one point, concentrating all your energies upon the object aimed at. There must be no riding of hobbies, no introduction of elegancies of speech, no suspicion of personal display, or you will fail. Sinners are quick-witted people, and soon detect even the smallest effort to glorify self. Forego everything for the sake of those you long to save. Be a fool for Christ’s sake if this will win them, or be a scholar, if that will be more likely to impress them. Spare neither labor in the study, prayer in the closet, nor zeal in the pulpit. If men do not judge their souls to be worth a thought, compel them to see that their minister is of a very different opinion.
Some things have changed ever so slightly, but the bulk of this quote is well worth pondering in respect to our preaching today. Perhaps it would be worth spending a season in prayer, asking God to make the souls of those around as important to us as they are to Him. That might prompt prayer, and preaching, as never before.
(Quote from Thielicke’s Encounter with Spurgeon, pp58-9.)
Posted in Audience Analysis, Christianity, Homiletics, Preacher's Personal Life, Preaching, Religion, Stage 5 - Message Purpose | Tagged Spurgeon, evangelistic preaching, Gospel Preaching, Thielicke | Leave a Comment »
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