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Laughter In The Pews – Part 2

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A couple more thoughts on the use of humor in preaching:

Beware of the temptation to stir response by using cheap-shots.  While effective humor is either natural or difficult to pull off, cheap-shot humor is actually quite easy.  It is easy to take cheap-shots at a culture or gender or certain occupations.  It is easy to get a reaction with such humor.  But think very carefully.  Just because people may laugh now, that comment could linger longer than you intended and ultimately become a significant distraction.  I recall one sermon I heard a few months ago.  In the space of two minutes the speaker managed to throw out two quick cheap-shots.  Both got a reaction.  One was at the expense of the president of a nation.  The other was at the expense of the main broadcasting company in another nation.  Both comments were ill-informed.  Both were borderline offensive to the two nationalities targeted.  Both left a bitter taste in the mouth.  Unfortunately for the speaker, those two nationalities formed 90% of his congregation.  Why is it that six months later I remember those one-liners so clearly, but can’t recall the “important” elements of the sermon?

Laugh at yourself rather than at others.  In the example just described, the cheap-shots at other nationalities were only made worse by an apparent unwillingness to laugh at himself or his own culture.  Without making yourself out to be a fool, don’t take yourself so seriously that you elevate yourself over your listeners.  

Where there is no humor, smile appropriately.  A sermon or occasion may not be conducive to the use of humor.  You may be personally challenged in the area of humor.  Or you may be in tough preaching situation, such as preaching through a translator in a foreign culture.  Don’t despair.  Look for opportunities to express joy and delight through well-placed and natural smiles.  God gave us smiles to communicate warmth, affection, connection and life.  Laughter often seasons a sermon effectively, but a natural smile should be a staple element in almost any message.

Laughter In The Pews – Part 1

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There are differing views on the place of humor in the pulpit.  For some, the somber reality of the occasion precludes any place for humor.  For others, humor is considered one of the most effective tools in the preacher’s toolbox.  I naturally find many reasons to laugh throughout the day.  So naturally there will be some humor in some of my messages.  Filter these comments through your own theology of humor and laughter in the preaching event:

Joke-telling is a very complex skill, assume you don’t have it.  Hershael York would go so far as to instruct his students not to tell jokes.  I tend to agree with him.  Most people are not effective joke-tellers.  The necessary combination of clarity, timing, demeanor and so on require very fine tuning.  Often a joke will be placed at the start of a message, which is actually a risky moment for something that needs such precision.  I am not a joke teller.  I’m thankful that I know that.  If you think you are, then it is probably worth getting the honest opinion of several others (preferably those gifted in bluntness  and tactlessness) before you exhibit your skill from the pulpit! 

Humor does not have to come from jokes.  Often the most effective humor relates to subtle comments, passing observations, sometime bizarre comparisons.  If an element of a passage is funny, simply recognize that and help others to see it (most Christians need help not to read the Bible with a stained-glass voice!)  An attitude of delight in a passage, a message and a group of people will often result in quite natural and appropriate humor during delivery.

World Three

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After mentioning the world of the Bible and the world of the contemporary culture, Robinson mentions the third of four worlds – the world of the specific local congregation.

His observation that the local church congregation has a very specific culture of its own that only partially reflects the broader culture around is spot on. What is true of this particular congregation? Rural, suburban or urban? Established or new? Educational level? Socio-economic strata? Past crises and present struggles? Interpersonal dynamics? Sin-stained baggage? The two “worlds” of culture and congregation do overlap, but it is helpful to distinguish them so that the preacher doesn’t think that a message will work without change anywhere in a culture. As preachers we must do everything we can to know the specific people we are preaching to. If you are the pastor, be a continual student of your people. If you are a visiting speaker, you may only have fifteen minutes to familiarize yourself, but use those fifteen minutes to the max by asking questions without ceasing. You’re building a bridge, know where it has to land.

World Two

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John Stott’s classic book on preaching was entitled Between Two Worlds. His metaphor for preaching has been quoted by a generation of preaching writers. The preacher must inhabit both the world of the Bible and the world of the contemporary listener in order to build the bridge between these two worlds. Haddon Robinson suggests there are four worlds with which the preacher must be very familiar. The world of the Bible comes first. Of course, if preaching is to be expository this world must be present and must be first in the list. Second, he lists the world of contemporary culture. How are we to familiarize ourselves with the culture in which our people are immersed every day?

A preacher cannot hope to communicate effectively if their life is lived in a cultural vacuum, secluded in solitude from the people to whom they preach or the culture in which they live. It is important to have our eyes open. Observe society. Don’t just drink in societies messages without discernment. But use the same skills we use for sermon preparation on the messages all around us. What is the main idea of that advert? What was the big idea in that movie? What is the intended purpose of that song? Without conforming to the culture around us, we should be familiar with the movies that define the thought of our culture, the books people read, the music that forms the background noise of life. Let your specific congregation (world three), determine which aspects of culture you pay most attention to. A rural aging congregation may be relatively untouched by movies, music and sports. So with the limited time you have, select carefully where you can best get your finger on the pulse. Book reviews? Specific magazines and newspapers from all sides of the political spectrum? News or culture watching websites? Certain blogs? Your people live in this world all week, and if you hope to communicate to those still outside the church, this becomes even more critical, because the world of the local congregation has not become theirs yet.

The Holy Spirit and Your Preaching – Part 1

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When it comes to preaching, it is easy to refer to the Holy Spirit by way of excuse. How simple to bring in the Holy Spirit as an excuse not to do some difficult aspect of preparation, or to cover for a lack of attention to some aspect of the preparation process. This is very unfair. Preaching is a spiritual work, and so the Holy Spirit must be given His rightful place. Here are some thoughts that will probably stimulate other thoughts:

Preaching is our work and God’s work, not one or the other. Our responsibility for the mechanics of sermon preparation in no way negates the Holy Spirit’s role in the dynamics of sermon preparation. Likewise, the Spirit’s role in bringing fruit from the preaching event does not remove our responsibility to participate fully.

The foundational concern is the spiritual walk of the preacher. Everything that the Bible teaches in relation to the spiritual walk of a believer is also, and especially, true of the preacher. This relates to character, to life choices, to prayerful preparation for ministry and so on. This means walking in step with the Spirit, not grieving the Spirit, fanning into flame the gift of the Spirit, and living a life controlled by the Spirit.

The preparation process involves the Spirit at every step. Every stage of the process could be prefixed with the term, “Prayerfully. . .” We must prayerfully select the passage, prayerfully study the passage, prayerfully determine the author’s idea and so on. We should not work in a personal vacuum and then merely ask for God’s stamp of approval just prior to delivery.

(Ramesh Richard has a helpful appendix on the Holy Spirit and preaching in Preparing Expository Sermons which influenced this post.)

Is Paper PC?

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I teach people to use a series of sheets of paper when preparing a sermon, just as I learned from my first preaching professor, John Wecks.  The sheets allow you to catalogue thought in appropriate compartments.  They allow you to write a thought and put it aside until it is time to consider that element of the sermon.  Let me list the sheets I would suggest.  Then I’ll suggest reasons to use real paper or virtual paper on the PC.

The Sheets – The first one to be used is the “Questions of the Text.”  Use this on your first read through and list everything that is not clear.  This sheet will be very helpful as you finish your sermon and prepare to preach it.  See previous post on this subject – August 14th.   Then I’d suggest sheets for exegetical notes (multiple sheets may be required), author’s idea, author’s purpose / sermon purpose, notes on congregation, sermon idea, sermon structure, possible illustrations, areas of application/pictured relevance, introduction, conclusion and then the manuscript (multiple sheets required).

Why go with paper? – No matter how much our computers improve, there is still something special about a desk covered in open books and paper.  So much sentimentality for one so young!  Some people may find the paper approach helpful, others may find it necessary.  It works.  In fact, I would suggest working on paper until it becomes a familiar process.  Then, if you like the reasons given below, shift over to the PC.

Why use a PC? – I suppose some comment about saving the rainforests would be a pc comment about use of a PC.  To be honest, my motivations are more selfish.  If it is on PC then I have a lasting record (as long as I back-up my files).  I have the ability to cut, paste, edit, etc. I can actually read what I have written!  I can cut and paste the Bible text from Bible software, quickly study the original languages and paste in helpful comments from commentaries and lexicons.  I sometimes have a list of unused potential illustrations that can be mined when preparing future sermons.

The PC is a helpful tool, but a Bible, some paper and a pen work amazingly well too!

TIM in the Preacher’s Life

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Does TQM mean anything to you? These three letters were indelibly marked on my brain in university. I studied business theory when TQM was a big deal. Total Quality Management. The letters are stuck in my head even though the theory is not. However, I’d like us to consider something that matters to us as preachers – TIM. Nothing to do with Paul’s apostolic representative in Ephesus. Total Integrity Management. As preachers we must manage our lives and ministries for total integrity. This reaches far:

1. Personal life. We must be people who are above reproach, living lives that bear the scrutiny of watching eyes. This relates to relationships, fidelity, private interests, hobbies, tax payments, internet use, everything.

2. Preparation for preaching. We should do the study and preparation that people believe we do, and that we suggest we do. There may be short-cuts, and some may be legitimate at times, but watch your integrity. It is legitimate to learn from other preachers, perhaps even to use their wording of an idea, or illustration. But when you take, give credit where appropriate. If you short-circuit your ministry by lifting entire sermons off the internet, at least be honest about it and don’t give the impression you’ve been poring over the text for yourself.

3. The sermon’s connection to the text. We must have the integrity to be sure that our message is legitimately derived from the text we use. There is no excuse for springboard preaching, where the text is a launching point for our own thinking.

4. Illustrational material requires honesty too. It is fine to make up a story, Jesus did it. But be careful not to be dishonest in doing so. You know how to convey a story so people know it is fictional. If you didn’t experience it, don’t act as if you did. If our integrity is compromised in a small story, it is compromised. Even if a story is true, but is very bizarre, be careful. No matter how much you affirm its veracity, if people doubt it, then your integrity is undermined. Is it worth it for that story?

5. Emotional manipulation is not our trade. If the text is genuinely moving, let it do its work. But we are not charlatans who play with emotions to manipulate responses from our listeners. You know if this is a temptation or not.

We need to go for TIM. Ultimately, your integrity is your responsibility. Besides you, only God knows what’s really going on. Ask Him to convict you by His Spirit and keep your TIM on track.

The Multi-Preacher Church

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Many churches have one preacher and the pulpit is a protected zone.  Other churches have a pulpit that is shared between several speakers.  Some churches have to give their pulpit to visiting speakers in order to function.  Following on from the two posts on multi-speaker series, here are a few more thoughts:

1. Protected pulpits can be shared more.  If you’re a pastor who always does all the preaching, perhaps it’s time to loosen your grip.  Is there another pastor in town you could switch with periodically?  Who are the gifted individuals in the church that you could encourage and train to preach now and then?  It’s ironic that some pastors feel threatened by this, but in reality they could be saving their own future.  A protected pulpit will need filling if you are out of commission through illness or family crisis.  If there are two or three men in the church that you’ve trained, then they could keep things ticking over for you.  If there aren’t, then the church will have to look outside, which could mean calling a new pastor.  Having said that, if you’re trying to protect your office by your own effort, perhaps it’s time to move on anyway?

2. Develop the preachers within.  It is healthy for the church to have individuals developing and using the gifts they have.  So seek out those who have potential to preach and then develop them.  If they aren’t ready for your pulpit yet, is there a struggling church nearby they could be a blessing to in the meantime through semi-regular visits?  As well as in-house training, why not use church money to send them on a formal preaching course at a local seminary, or a one-off event (see “Preaching Course” tab at the top if you live in the UK).

3. Use once a year speakers carefully.  If you have individuals that can preach, but do so very infrequently, be careful which Sunday you give them.   It may be tempting to give them a stand alone service like Easter Sunday, Christmas or Mother’s Day.  After all, they can prepare for months, the material is not complicated and they aren’t bound to the constraints of a series.  However, remember that those are days when visitors will be in church.  It would make more sense to give visitors a taste of the more regular preachers. 

4. Use outsiders carefully.  Some churches have no choice but to use outside speakers.  But I am surprised by some churches that choose to use outside speakers more than necessary.  Be careful to select wisely.  Be careful to promote wisely.  I’ve seen it more than once where an outsider is coming in to “preach evangelistically” and the church has been encouraged to “bring friends” – only to have a very uncomfortable or disappointing experience.  If you do use an outsider for an evangelistic event, communicate repeatedly and in detail with both the speaker and the congregation.  A contact with a neighbor may take months or years to nurture, so to have that work wasted by an uncomfortable evangelistic service is very painful . . . and that church member won’t be rushing to bring outsiders in the future.

Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Mondays?

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Donald Sunukjian suggests that for men, preaching is the closest we ever come to giving birth (ladies reading this – you’re right, we have no idea!) He talks about this thing growing inside and then finally coming out in an intense delivery, followed the next day by the post-partum blues.

Maybe some preachers always feel refreshed and revitalized after preaching. Maybe some can’t wait to get stuck in to work the next day. But for those of us that are sometimes spent after preaching, what should we do with our Mondays?

Many pastors traditionally take Monday off, partially for this reason. Sunday is the busiest day, but also preaching is a uniquely draining experience. So that’s a place to start. Consider rest after the emotional and spiritual exertion of preaching. While rest may re-energize, there are times when it merely exacerbates the lack of motivation. So rest, but also be active. Physical activity, exercise, has a definite effect on our emotional, mental and spiritual reserves.

Consider reading things that are “just for me” on Mondays. Spiritually uplifting, devotional, relaxing, unrelated to present sermon series kind of reading (my wife would probably suggest reading a novel).

Be extra wary of activity with a raised level of temptation. Internet surfing, movie watching, time alone, travel, etc. All are risky, especially when internally depleted. Some of these may be unavoidable (travel), or even helpful (a safe movie), but always be wary. Sin crouches and often pounces when we’re extra vulnerable.

Select your company carefully. Some people energize and motivate, while others drain and discourage. Watch who you’re with on a day that starts with depleted reserves.

Mondays matter, so plan them carefully. Then on Tuesday? You’re pregnant again.

Making a Multi-Speaker Series Work – Part 2

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A group of preachers, one Bible book, and a series of Sundays. Consider the following suggestions.

3. In a longer series, have a mid-series evaluation. It is wise to avoid a series that goes so long it starts to drag. So by longer series, I mean 8-12 Sundays rather than 4-6. A time of evaluation would provide an opportunity to get together and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the series. An opportunity to highlight areas that could be strengthened by the group as the series continues. Perhaps a re-evaluation of the later sections in light of further study, or just a good chance to pray for each other and the messages that lie ahead.

4. Encourage the preachers to be a “team” for the series. It is so easy to preach as separate individuals, having no interaction between the speakers in a series. This is a great opportunity for a team camaraderie to develop. The speakers know what each other is putting into the series. They understand the goals, the emotions, the struggles. Perhaps encourage email and phone conversations between the speakers. Pray for one another. Really seek to stand together in the mission.

5. As a team, select one individual to wrap-up the series. In light of the team interaction, there may be one preacher especially suited to wrapping up the series. Perhaps the one with the best grasp of the whole book. Instead of fizzling to the finish, finish strong with a message reviewing the book in its entirety – a big picture finish.

6. Have a post-series evaluation. Share lessons learned and make suggestions for future series. Also, at the end of the series, or at the end of the year, put closure on the teamwork with some kind of thanksgiving and celebration.