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Preaching Easter (Pt1): Back to Basics

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

In some ways Easter is not like Christmas.  The Christmas story tends to remain largely unmentioned for eleven months of the year.  So when the advent season comes round again people expect to hear the basic Christmas story.  But the events of the first Easter get mentioned and preached on throughout the year.  So there is a temptation for us as preachers to try and get clever with our Easter messages – perhaps hyper-creative, or super-subtle, or whatever.

Our regular listeners need to hear the basic Easter story.  Jesus told his followers to share bread and wine, “in remembrance” of Him.  In a sense the Easter story never grows old for Christ’s followers – it means too much to us.  So as a preacher don’t feel pressure from somewhere to say something that is somehow clever or different.  There are plenty of biblical passages that can be used, and people will appreciate a clear preaching of any of them.

Remember that irregular listeners need to hear the basic Easter story.  At Easter time there is a higher likelihood of visitors.  Maybe they feel they should go to church at Christmas and again at Easter.  Maybe they are visiting family who go to your church and politely join their hosts.  These people don’t need some kind of creatively opaque and nuanced message.  They need the message of the text clearly presented and applied.

As a preacher you may be feeling the pressure to do something different this year.  I’m not suggesting we should be boring or predictable.  I’m not saying that creativity is inappropriate.  Let us be as effective as possible in our communication of the biblical message of Easter.  However, let’s remember that sometimes it is very effective to simply preach the basics – the story from the text, the implications for us today.

Saying the Text’s Something

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You have a text, maybe more, but certainly one.  You study it.  You determine what it’s purpose was and the author’s idea.  Then you consider your congregation and the purpose of preaching the sermon.  You shape the idea, then the sermon and preach.  Simple really.  But there are some traps we easily fall into.  Here are a couple to consider:

Don’t Overqualify.  Often the text will be saying something quite strong.  We want to make sure we’re not misunderstood or somehow imbalanced, so we qualify it.  This text says this.  But don’t forget that other text that says that, and the other that says something else.  Before we know it, we’ve overqualified the message and the force of the sermon has been dissipated like replacing a bullet with two dozen marshmallows.  There are times when we must communicate careful balancing of a potentially misunderstandable idea.  Generally though, don’t overqualify a message and end up saying nothing.  A lot of balancing can come through future preaching of other texts.

Don’t Overteach.  It’s easy to cram a perfectly good message with extra information that would be best suited in perfectly good other messages.  Either we can try to dump every scrap of exegetical inquiry into the message, or we can cram too many ideas into a one-idea time slot.  “Seven great lessons from the book of whatever” would generally be more effective as seven separate sermons.  Once the ideas start to pile up, people will either synthesize the message in their own way (over which you have no real influence), or they will take one “nugget” and ignore the rest (and that nugget may be a merely anecdotal illustration), or they will simply take away nothing.  Generally speaking, don’t overteach in a message so that in saying lots, people actually take home little to nothing.

Don’t try to say everything.  Don’t try to say lots of things.  Don’t risk the people getting nothing.  Say something.  Say the something the text pushes you towards.  Say the text’s something and try to say it well.

Banish Boredom from the Sermon

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

They say that people no longer want to sit through a boring traditional sermon.  I don’t agree.  I don’t think people ever wanted to sit through a boring sermon.  Fred Craddock suggests that boredom is a form of evil, and I agree with Haddon Robinson that it is a sin to bore people with the Bible.  Take a moment to self-evaluate – are your sermons ever boring?

Boredom is partly a contagious attitude.  Somehow we have to make sure that we don’t find the sermon or its content boring.  The danger is always present since we spend hours working on the passage and sermon before preaching it.  Actually, I think the danger is often the opposite: that we get distracted by other things and fail to spend the necessary time in preparation.  Generally, the more time I spend preparing in a passage, the more excited I get about it (unless I’m trying to force it into some sermon form).  Whatever the cause, make sure you are not bored with the passage, the ministry, the routine, even subconsciously, or else it will contagiously spread to your listeners!

Boredom can be overcome.  During preparation, scan your outline or manuscript with a boring meter.  Note the parts of the message that are somewhat boring.  At these points overcome the problem before it occurs.  Engage the imagination in description or illustration.  Consider contemporary ways to communicate the ancient truth.  Can a story be used that will drive the message forward?  Is it a moment to reveal something slightly personal?  How does the text affect me – can I let that show?  Would it be helpful and appropriate to season the sermon with a hint of humor?

Enthusiasm and imagination are keys to unlocking boredom from a sermon, but try to overcome the problem ahead of time.  Try to avoid discovering the sermon is boring by the facial feedback of a disconnecting congregation.  It’s far easier to fix in the study than in the service!

Preaching Like Parenting?

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We have been blessed with four wonderful children.  As a father I am very aware of my influence on my children.  Perhaps you’ve heard something along the lines of, “a child’s view of God is largely shaped by their experience with their Dad.”  If their Dad is cold and aloof, this will leave a mark on their spiritual perception.  If their Dad is harsh and legalistic, a different mark is left.  If this is true, and I believe it is, it places a huge burden of responsibility on parents.

I wonder whether this is also true of us as preachers?  Not only do we present God’s Word to people by way of explanation and application, but we also represent God to people.  I would suggest the parents of children leave a deeper mark in those early years than anyone, but still, as preachers we are marking our listeners.  What mark will we leave today?

As well as what we say, we need to think about how we say it.  What is our tone and attitude during preaching?  Just like a parent, we will do harm if we are always harsh and legalistic in our tone.  We don’t help if we constantly demonstrate fear that our charges might hurt themselves.  Equally, we do not help if we are always fun and light-hearted either.

Let’s pray that today, as we head to church, we will represent God well.  In the pulpit, and out of it.  Let’s make sure people get the subconscious impression that the God we know and represent is loving, gracious, inviting, and welcoming, as well as clear on what is right and wrong.  Perhaps preaching, like parenting, is something of a mystery when you consider how much influence God has entrusted to such fallible and weak creatures as you and I!

Don’t Preach Just ‘Cos

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

If you preach regularly, it is easy to get into an unhealthy mindset concerning the ministry. It’s the kind of mindset where you will preach next time because it’s what you do. You did it last week and will do it again this week. I’m sure most of us have experienced this at times. If you feel this Sunday approaching, but a numb feeling inside, take some time to thrash it out with the Lord.

The missing pieces might include a loss of several things: wonder at the person and power of God, sense of the privilege of speaking His Word to others, awareness of the very real and personal needs, or even the peril of the listeners, and the reality of the ongoing spiritual battle in which we currently live.

When I find motivation has faded, or there is a dryness inside, I remember men like David, Job, and Jeremiah. In the Bible we find people who were really honest before God, yet I know my tendency to be superficial and aloof. Perhaps the time will soon come, or maybe it is today, that some of us need to pour out our hearts to the Lord in total honesty. Perhaps we’ll find, like Jeremiah, that once all the emotion is spent, and the energy gone, that there is still a fire in the bones and we must speak for God!

Don’t preach just ‘cos it’s what you do, or you are on the schedule. Preach ‘cos there’s a very deep, God-given and God-captivated, need-motivated, battle-hardened, must-ness in your spirit.

The Added Challenges of Being a Visiting Speaker – Part 2

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More things to think about when you are a visiting speaker. The few minutes between arriving and the service starting can be quite busy!

Program awareness both pre and post message – What will go on before you step up to speak? It’s no good having an icebreaker moment of hilarity if they’ve had heart stirring worship for twenty minutes. However, sometimes you can tell that after what is coming before they will need some help to settle and focus. Also, what comes after you? Should you close in prayer, announce a song, simply sit down? It’s best to know! And there may be ways to make subtle connections to what comes before and after, thereby helping the whole service to sit together well.

Personal introduction, by whom? – Will they be introducing you so that people know who you are (and what will they say – see previous post Speaker Introductions!) Or do they expect a brief personal intro at the start of the message? (Or do they like an informal interview intro – I would not suggest this idea, but some places seem to choose it!)

Final audience analysis – As a visitor I always use the last few minutes before the service to get to know the people, either by observation or by probing a local about the kind of people present. It’s amazing what you can learn in just a couple of minutes that can help to tailor the message.

(If you didn’t see it then, also check out the post from December 9th – The Time Before You Speak)

The Added Challenges of Being a Visiting Speaker

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In my ministry I get to be a visiting speaker regularly.  This presents some additional challenges that have to be thought through.  I’d like to mention a handful, starting with two today.  If you get invited somewhere, try to get as many of these questions answered ahead of time as you can.  Otherwise you just have those few minutes after you arrive.  If you only ever preach in your own church, perhaps these posts will remind you of what you’re missing!

Dress code – What is the speaker expected to wear?  Is this a neck-tie congregation, or a jacket and tie, or would either be too formal?  Best to ask, but be careful, sometimes the person you speak to on the phone has a personal opinion that sways the answer.  So be sure to look around and generally dress one notch above the average.  (It’s not worth making an issue of this, let them fight it out in-house, you’re a guest!)

What version of the Bible is preferred? – If there is a mix and freedom to choose, great.  But typically there is a pew Bible in one version and most people will carry the same.  Don’t make an issue out of the version, just tolerate it and use it.  There are subtle ways to “improve” the reading or explanation without drawing attention to the Bible version issue.

Don’t Dress Up Non-Preaching In Bible Dress

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you have something to share that is not the normal biblical sermon.  Perhaps you have an announcement to make, a vision to cast, an update on the new building project, some other leadership issue to address.  Even though you are in church, don’t automatically attach a Bible text.

Typically, if not always, there will be a biblical basis for what is being communicated or done.  It is obviously fine to share that, but make it clear that is not an authoritative warrant for the action.  For example, you can present a biblical basis for fellowship, but don’t leverage that biblical content to add pressure for attending a church social event.  There are biblical examples of God’s people working together on a building project, but that is not divine pressure for your people to sign up to the current project.  It is fine to give some biblical support, but evaluate if it is really fair and helpful.

Don’t automatically attach a Bible text.  Just because you’re in church doesn’t mean every announcement has to be “sanctified” in this way.  Let people evaluate what they hear on its own merits, not with the unnecessary pressure of apparent biblical warrant.  This is not a hard and fast rule, it’s a judgment call.  If the church is following through on church discipline, I would strongly suggest you do give a biblical explanation for the procedure.  But for a social event, just take the pressure off and let them choose!

Who Put Them There?

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The first stage in preparing a biblical message is to select the passage.  This is incredibly easy if you take an arbitrary approach to the canon.  For example, maybe you plan to preach chapter-by-chapter through a book, or even verse-by-verse through a section.  Wait!  This sounds easy, but we must not take this approach.

The chapter divisions and the verse divisions are not there by author’s design.  These helpful little reference markers were added later to help us find our place, not to help preacher’s select their passage.  This is not new news for most of us.  But it is so easy to slip back into bad habits like this. After all, every time you open your Bible to read it you subconsciously take in a silent number every sentence or so.  Although not spoken, their voice is still heard, at least subconsciously.

Let me quote Richard Erickson’s helpful book, A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Exegesis, as he makes the same point:

If we desire to be as faithful as we can be to the text as its author first wrote it, then we should never set out to “preach through” a biblical book chapter by chapter (or worse, verse by verse).  We have no guarantee that the later editors of Scripture who added the familiar chapter and verse divisions did so in the way the original authors would have done it.  In fact, we have many reasons to suspect they did not!  As far as you are able, let the book itself tell you where to make appropriate divisions in the run of its “argument” or its “plot.”

As you prepare for your next sermon, take a few moments to evaluate the passage boundaries – are they what the book itself would tell you?  Ignore the numbers, the author didn’t put them there.

A Life’s Work

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As preachers we have the privilege of intensive Bible study. Most believers have the privilege of Bible study, but few have the added pressure of having to communicate it to others. However, it is easy to fall into the trap of simply meeting the next deadline and preparing the next sermon. This way of functioning can easily get us trapped in a “micro” approach to God’s Word. Instead, I’d like to encourage us all to be “macro” students of the Word.

Bible study requires both micro and macro views. My first professor of hermeneutics used to refer to the analysis-synthesis interchange. This speaks of the moving back and forth between analyzing the details and synthesizing the passage as a whole in its larger context. Details, like words, can only be truly understood in their context or setting.

Three things push us toward micro Bible study. The first thing is preaching itself. We tend to need details that “will preach” in order to make the sermon sound biblical and interesting. The second thing is personal preference. Some of us are more micro-inclined, while apparently fewer are more macro-inclined. Third, Bible school training has traditionally given more micro tools and approaches, leaving many students unsure how to pursue “bigger picture” study.

We need to master the Book, book by book. As we study a book in order to preach it (or for personal growth – imagine!), let’s try to be aware of the whole. How does the argument flow throughout, how do the pieces fit together? Keep a document that is all about the big picture of the book. As one writer puts it, “Begin to build up a living understanding of Colossians, or of Genesis, or of Mark’s Gospel – whatever – as a whole. Make it your life’s work, and take your time. Let yourself enjoy it.”

I agree. We can never truly master the Book, but let’s spend our lives trying, book-by-book.