When I post on the Cor Deo blog, I link to it on this site. Today’s post is relevant for us all as believers, and as we consider the effect of our preaching on others. Please take a look, and if you wouldn’t mind, please leave a comment too – that would be really helpful!
Author: Peter Mead
Preview for Clarity
Some people like to take the complexity and intricacy of preaching and turn it into a one-size fits all template. This is unfortunate because preaching has so many variables to be enjoyed and utilized. Take, for instance, the preview. As part of the introduction to a message, the preacher may choose to give an outline of what is to follow, thus giving a sense of direction, of structure, of purpose, of intent. Here are some preview options:
1. Specifically outline all the points. This would be a deductive preaching approach for the purist. What it loses in intrigue and interest, it adds in clarity and precision. It helps the listener know what is coming, how many points, how they relate to one another and to the text. But recognize that clarity isn’t the only strength to pursue in a message. Remember that interest and intrigue are also important. A strongly deductive outline for the whole message will be helped by an inductive approach within each point. While the whole may be clearly previewed, the points will be helped by offering only part of the package, leaving something to be developed for the interest of the listener.
2. Structurally outline the passage’s flow of thought. Instead of giving your whole outline at the start, sometimes it is very effective to simply overview the chunks. I heard a very effective message recently that used this approach. By no means an exact quote: “In the first ten verses Paul shows it does mean to stick with Christ, then in the last six verses what it doesn’t mean to stick with Christ.” Simple. Clear. Listener’s familiarised with the terrain and ready to press into the details. Sometimes this kind of simplified preview prepares listeners for more detail without overwhelming them in advance.
3. Outline within the points. In a more inductive sermon, the preview by necessity is more restricted. Instead of giving the full idea (subject and complement) and outline of the message, a message preview might give just the subject and maybe a super-simplified sense of the text’s shape or purposein order to assure the listener that the full idea will be achieved in the course of the message. In such cases it may work well to use previewing during the message as a new point or movement is introduced. While not giving away the whole, it does satisfy the listener’s desire for direction. So perhaps the solution to the stated problem is still to come, but in the first movement of the message a false solution will be presented and found wanting – this could be clearly previewed without undermining the inductive nature of the message.
There are other approaches to previewing a message too. The important thing is to deliberately include a preview that will most help the listeners as they receive this particular message. No one size fits all, but custom made previews crafted for a unique combination of text and listeners.
The Preacher’s Space
We have just returned from a two-month “home assignment/furlough” and are planning to move house in a month. Consequently the desk is overloaded, the to-do list is growing like a newborn and things will probably only get worse. Which leads me to today’s post . . . the preacher needs space.
Desk Space – When peripheral vision is taking in eight piles, lots of post-it notes, growing inbox notifications and unopened mail . . . it’s hard to concentrate. At this time I suppose I can be excused for taking my Bible, a notepad and pen, and going to a Starbucks, or a park bench, or just another room in order to prepare for Sunday. But when we move, I need to implement (for the first time, or again) a system that will keep a clear desk.
Schedule Space – When the time flies by and there is more and more to do, this is a problem for the preacher. Even if you’re not moving or trying to find your desk after a two-month absence, the realities of ministry and family life are always there. Which means we need to plan ahead and schedule buffer appointments – spare hours, spare afternoons, spare days, potentially even “spare” weeks. Make appointments with family so they don’t miss out, make appointments with God so He doesn’t get squeezed, and make appointments with an old friend that you haven’t seen lately – Mr Buffer Time.
Mental Space – I don’t mean space between the ears, but space to think, to pray, to meditate. Pressure cooker sermons can turn out. In fact, they can be positively dynamite. They can also be negatively dynamite. Too many of them can undermine your spiritual integrity, overwhelm your listeners with perceived tension, and ultimately lead to low-level personal meltdowns. If you are a weekly preacher, ask for a week off before you are desperate for it. Be humble, admit your need of help. As it says in Psalm 127, if we are part of what God is building, then He continues to give (and build), even while we, his beloved, sleep.
Other Space – There are other types of space we need too. Space to release tension physically through exercise, to interact socially (who wants to hear a preacher that never has time to be with people?), to enjoy time with the Lord – i.e. not a business appointment in prayer, we’re all good at those.
Suggestion – So much could be added, and please do add suggestions, both in terms of resources, books, but also ideas, etc. Let me suggest one book. Getting Things Done by David Allen.
How Many Sites?
How many sites is too many sites? Two. On the same day. Today the new version of cordeo.org.uk went live and I’ve been putting a few posts on there. From next week I will be writing a post on the Cor Deo Blog every other week. When I do, I won’t write on here, but will link to that post (since it will usually be relevant to this site anyway).
So, why not take a look at the other site, look around, comment on posts, share posts and pages on facebook or twitter, stumbleupon, digg, etc. Test that it all works. Then when I link to a specific post in the future, you’ll know where you’re heading with one mouse click – click here and have a look around . . .
Thanks!
What Adjectives?
When you preach, what adjectives best describe your manner, tone and style? Perhaps you tend to preach in a relaxed manner, or intense, or aggressive, or rushed, or tense, or lighthearted, or calm, or nervous. Some adjectives are probably to be preferred over others – is there really a place for a preacher to come across as silly, or nervous, or rude, probably not. But here are a couple of adjectival questions to ponder:
1. Would the adjective vary from sermon to sermon? People drawn to your humour, or passion, or aggression, or confidence, or hesitancy, or gentleness, or whatever, may find that same aspect of your preaching to be off-putting eventually if every sermon experience is the same. Consider whether your preaching is overly influenced by your personal style, rather than responding to the text, the audience and the situation as it should in good communication.
2. Would a different adjective describe the same feature from another listener’s perspective? While one person may find your preaching engaging and humourous, another might offer the descriptive couplet of offensive and trivial. Be careful not to fool yourself into thinking your style is pleasing to all, appropriate in every situation and thoroughly effective. Gentle and calm? Or tedious and soporific? Passionate? Or rude? Orderly? Or monotonous and predictable? This should keep us on our toes, and on our knees, if that be possible (since prayer should saturate our delivery and reception of the message as well as the content of the message).
How would you describe your preaching? How would your listeners? When did you last ask one or two? Were they free to answer honestly?
Pre-Sermon Review – A Strange Idea?
I don’t know of many churches that require it, but I do see many that should consider it. Too often we leave the preacher in a very lonely spot as far as preaching is concerned. The sermon is prepared and delivered, and then everyone gets to think and evaluate and critique and respond and so on. But it is too late if something is omitted that is vital, or included that is misleading, or misspoken that is heretical.
I know of one church that requires whichever staff member is preaching to present their sermon outline and content at a breakfast meeting a couple of days before delivery. It allows for interaction, input, critique, and all that before it does any damage, or misses an opportunity, with the gathered folks on the Sunday.
If your church has a “staff” that are paid to work together during the week, this should be a no-brainer. But for the many more churches where the workers work elsewhere during the week, the decision to bring a few together ahead of the Sunday is a big decision. But if we believe in the importance of preaching the Word, then surely it is a decision worth considering seriously.
Preaching is about relationship. It is about communication. God’s Word to humanity presented by a human in the power of the Spirit that collectively and individually we might have the opportunity to respond to Him, both for salvation and for spiritual growth. Preaching involves relationship between speaker and listeners (a good speaker knows it is not mere monologue, irrespective of whether they choose to have verbal participation from the listeners). Preaching is relational, but we so easily make preaching a solo exercise. Doesn’t really make sense.
Bible Reading Advice
I didn’t get to write a post today as we were travelling back from the US. But I thought I’d offer a link to my friend’s blog as his latest post is well worth reading for all preachers. Here’s the link to SpreadingGoodness.org.
Dare to Blank Sheet
When it comes to church change, status quo is the easiest place to be. Whether you are thinking about the weekly schedule, or the leadership structure, or the format of services, or the approach to the pulpit ministry of the church (schedule, planning, training, preacher selection, etc.), whatever area of church life you are thinking about, status quo is the comfort zone extraordinaire.
In many cases we won’t try to think creatively until a crisis occurs. People start leaving. The church splits. “Terminal decline” becomes a whispered term. Arresting the downward trend of a church is much, much harder than taking the time (and sometimes having the courage) to strategically think things through while the present doesn’t scream for it to be fixed.
So why not blank sheet sooner? As an individual, as a leadership team, and perhaps even as a church (tread very sensitively, the most immature will typically cling the tightest to certain local traditions, scream the loudest and dominate any attempted discussions if you are not very careful in how you handle this). What is church? What is the purpose? Why do we meet? What should be included? How should it be organized?
Just because something would be better, doesn’t mean it is wise to instantly implement every possible change. Managing change is a complex process that will keep us on our knees and sometimes be heart-breakingly frustrating. But there is value to taking a blank sheet and prayerfully dreaming about what could be and perhaps what should be. How to get there from here is for another post, but there is value in evaluating strategically.
They Can’t Concentrate That Long!
I’d like to return to something that has been addressed on here before. The idea that people now have a reduced attention span of fifteen to twenty minutes (insert similar number of your choice). This is a myth. Urban legend. Fallacy.
People have never had a concentration span that long. Good speakers know that people will stay with you for a few minutes. Then if you engage them as listeners in some way, for another few minutes. Then if you engage them again, for another few minutes. 3-5 minutes is probably the attention span of listeners today, as it was yesterday and fifty years before that. Good speakers can hold (or regain) attention, bad speakers never could.
People can concentrate as well as ever. I was chatting with a good friend this morning and he mentioned how young people will focus 100% for five hours without a break on a video game. Movies are actually getting longer. Some of the popular speakers today speak with good meaty content for 40 minutes to an hour (and the younger generation flock to hear them). If something is worth hearing, and if the presentation is engaging, then length of presentation is not the issue many make it out to be.
So what to do about it? In simple terms, preach well. Better content and better delivery will have people listening better. Gimmicks won’t. Using visual multimedia won’t improve concentration. Dividing a forty minute message into two twenty minute sections won’t improve concentration. Giving people a pen and paper won’t improve concentration. There may be a place for all of these ideas and many more, but they won’t fix the problem of inattentive listeners. That will be fixed by better messages and better presentation.
Homiletics – Just a Practical Subject?
I recently heard a comment I’ve heard at various times and in various forms. Essentially it was a reference to homiletics as if it were a subject of tips for public speaking, a merely practical subject that may or may not be very important in the curriculum of a training institution. Tips for speaking, suggestions on sermon construction, it is really just a fringe subject.
While acknowledging that my perspective may be a bit biased as someone who teaches homiletics, I would beg to differ. In my own experience of seminary training, it was in homiletics that everything converged.
Bible study methods, exegetical training and biblical theology training converged in homiletics. Finally I discovered how the various elements of fine training coalesced into a coherent whole, with a purposeful goal. Instead of feeling like Bible study would always be both a joyful privilege and an endless task – with the various potential avenues of study never adequately traveled – I saw the personal and corporate fruit of biblical studies as a whole.
The bar is raised on all subjects by homiletics. We have probably all heard the old adage that to learn something well you should teach it. It’s true, having to communicate something verbally to others does stimulate us to learn it at a higher level. So while we may feel blessed to learn about church history and theology and so on, it is when we seek to bring these things to bear in the lives of others that we ourselves learn at a whole new level.
Spiritual formation and Christian devotion feeds into homiletics, which lies at the heart of church ministry, the focus of God’s work in the world. The privilege of the preacher is to shepherd souls, it is soul care – both evangelistically and in edification. This is not mere information transfer, but pastoral ministry in focused form. There are numerous other fields of pastoral ministry, all of which matter and should be taught, but in some way or other, each feeds something into homiletics.
In a sense all subjects converge in homiletics. While some like to say systematic theology is the queen of the sciences, perhaps it is worth considering homiletics as the pinnacle of pastoral and theological education?
Too often homiletics is taught as a little addendum, an almost token seminar in public speaking tacked onto a robust theological education. Let’s think again about the importance of homiletics – for the sake of the institutions, but much more importantly, for the sake of the church.
Biblical Preaching 