Internal Chaos? Be Encouraged.

/ Mike Roth / 3 Comments

In R.E.C. Browne’s classic work on homiletics The Ministry of the Word, he writes, “Creative work always brings creative workers to the edge of an abyss. It is there that the most creative work is done and it is there that conditions exist which may be the undoing of the worker: passionate faith gives rise to profound doubt; love of truth dreads error, bringing one to the verge of falsehood; depth of love increases ability to hate in the name of love; zeal drives the zealous towards fanaticism; desire to influence others brings one into the danger of being enslaved by those whom he would free. Great preaching, like great art, cannot be the work of those who know no chaos within them and it cannot be the work of those who are unable to master the chaos within them (p. 17).”

For those who preach regularly, this place of chaos is known all too well – and it can be paralyzing. I pray the Lord strengthens you to continue His work proclaiming this Word that brings life. May the apostle Peter’s words be of encouragement to you today: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11).”

Mike and Peter have responded to a comment on this post.

This Piece of Paper is Different

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The stages of sermon preparation are not rigid.  They are not like the seven chapters of a book that must be covered in sequence.  They are like loose pieces of paper.  In fact, they can be loose pieces of paper.  Have a page entitled Passage Study, and one for Passage Idea.  Also a Purpose page, a message idea page, and one for message shape, etc.  For message details you probably want three – introduction, conclusion and illustrations.  You can write on any page at any time as you work through the seven stages.  But there’s one more piece of paper, one that has a specific place in the process, and yet should be ignored in certain other stages.  You might entitle it, “Questions of the Text.”

Do use this page in an initial reading of the passage.  Before you study in any detail, read through the text and write down questions of the text.  What needs explaining?  What is not clear?  Are there details, or names, or words that are begging further attention?  Anything that is not immediately clear, write it down.  This is now a valuable piece of paper.  You may study in detail, maybe in original languages, probably in commentaries.  For a period of time you will live in that text.  You will forget what it is like to be a newcomer to the text.  Just like having someone visit your country is fascinating as you watch them observing what to you is familiar, your list of questions is a clue to the experience of a non-native in that text.  Your listeners will be new to the text when you preach it.  Your questions may be similar to theirs, so the list has real value.

Do not use this page in stage 6 – sermon shape.  At this stage do not let that sheet drive your preparation.  If you do, you run the risk of preaching a list of answers to questions, a series of distinct ideas.  A string of disjointed explanations may be considered expository preaching by some, but not here.

Do use this page once you are finished.  Having crafted and written a draft of your sermon, then you can break out the list again.  Which questions are not answered in the course of the message?  If it’s a question a first-time reader is likely to have of that text, you should probably answer it at some point in the message.  You don’t want that to be an obstacle to hearing the main point.  So the first thing you wrote in the process of preparing the message can be a great tool as you run your final checks prior to delivery.

Multiply the Fruit of Your Study

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

To really study a text takes time and effort. It involves a lot of thinking, reading, original language work for those that can, note taking, diagramming, plot analysis, word studies and so on. If you’ve really studied a passage well, let the fruit be multiplied. Here are some ideas:

1. Preach more than one sermon. As a pastor it is possible to preach the sermon on Sunday morning, then come at the passage again in the evening. Perhaps the evening could focus less on explanation, and more on fleshing out the possible relevance and applications of the idea. If we’re honest, how much do people grasp on a “once-only” schedule? Why not double up the dose, more will stick!

2. Produce study notes. Perhaps for a home group study, but not just for that. Why not produce a sheet of notes that will help your listeners think through the passage again during the week? The fruit of your study can be a guide for them in exegeting the passage, arriving at the main idea and points of application.

3. Participate in a forum. Some preachers would run a mile from this idea, and some probably should. However, if you have the mind and the grace to handle this, consider offering a forum, a Q&A time on the passage. Let people ask questions and interact with the subject or passage, you be the resource to help people think clearly. This may be more appropriate on some subjects than others, but if a group of people would come and benefit from your study, why not?

4. Publish it in some way. Perhaps your study would yield a magazine article? Maybe this would just go in the church newssheet, a denominational publication or maybe one of the big Christian magazines. Perhaps your work has what it takes for a journal article, or for a one-page handout you can make available at the back for the next few weeks. Publishing doesn’t have to involve contracts and massive time commitments. If you’ve done the work, perhaps there are ways others can benefit. How about the recorded message? Then there’s the wild world of the internet. It is full of all sorts of stuff (who am I to talk?), so if you think your notes or article will help, then add them to the mix. However, remember your goal is to bless and help others, not drain away your own time for the benefit of none (easy to do with internet or self-publishing).

5. Preach it again. If the sermon is still fresh as you re-work it, preach it again. Perhaps to the same people after a significant delay. You’ll be both excited and disappointed by the fact they may not even notice! Or you could preach it somewhere else. Switch pulpits with a pastor friend and both preach an old message – less preparation, but possibly great blessing for the two churches.

The Message and the Text

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The relationship of a message to the Bible text is clear. We are to begin with the text, derive the message from the text and bring it to our people today. Van Harn emphasizes the importance of the “from” in the following quote:

“Preaching is from Bible texts. Not on Bible texts – although some sermons stay right there and never seem to leave the text. Not about Bible texts – although some sermons seem that distant and detached. Not around Bible texts – although some sermons seem to move in circles. Not above Bible texts – although some sermons travel in thin air. Not under Bible texts – although some sermons seem to be hiding. The word is from.”

Van Harn, Preacher, Can You Hear Us Listening, 61.

How Being a Preacher Can Kill Your Bible Study

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

The stages of sermon preparation are not a hard and fast series of steps. It is possible to have a useful thought for the introduction, conclusion, illustrations, and so on, very early in the process. Yet these are all stage 7 elements – message details. So even though it is possible to have thoughts at any time, it is usually better to note them and leave them until later. This is especially important in stage 2 – passage study. A commitment to expository preaching requires that we keep stage 2 unpolluted by stages 5-7.

1. As you are studying your passage you are not looking for a sermon. If you collapse stage 6 – sermon shape, into stage 2 – passage study, you will undermine the whole process. It is critical to study the passage first, to understand it, rather than to form it into a sermon.

2. If your mind creeps ahead, make a note and get back to stage 2. We’re all tempted to see our points as we study. Write them down and put them aside. That is not yet. We easily look for our sermon structure, will there be two points, or three? Inductive or deductive? Don’t. Write down any thoughts and then put that aside.

3. Be clear on your goal in studying a passage. What is the goal of studying the passage? It is not to find the sermon. It is not to determine the points of the sermon. It is not to utilize our Greek or Hebrew until we feel we have fulfilled some sense of duty. It is not to parse verbs endlessly, or do word study after word study. The goal of studying the passage is to find, with some degree of confidence, the passage idea. The goal of stage 2 is stage 3 (and part of stage 4). The goal of studying the passage is to know what the author’s idea was, and why he wrote it. Seems obvious, but we easily forget. In fact, many of us have never been told that. I don’t recall my seminary profs training me to exegete a passage so that I grasp the author’s main idea. But that is the goal. All the Bible study skills we have are there to work towards that.

Determine the main idea of the passage, with as much confidence as you can achieve in the time you have. Then you are ready to start considering the purpose of your sermon, your sermon idea and your sermon outline. Do these things too soon and you may abort your Bible study.

Review: Introduction to Biblical Preaching, by Donald Sunukjian

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Subtitle: Proclaiming Truth With Clarity and Relevance

sunukjian.jpg

Donald Sunukjian studied under Haddon Robinson at Dallas Seminary, then also taught there. He now teaches at Talbot Seminary in LA. Sunukjian has an ability to think through elements of preaching in minute detail, yet has a communication style that is clear and accessible – both in person and in his writing. These qualities have combined to make this a great book.

This is definitely another book in the Haddon Robinson school of thought. The process is similar, the emphasis on the main idea and the purpose are evident, delivery without notes is encouraged, etc. Incidentally, the reader should not be intimidated by the “zigzag” big idea – if Sunukjian came up with such effective preaching ideas regularly, surely more would be included in the book! He admits that you go with what you have, and only sometimes is the preaching idea a real humdinger.

He defines biblical preaching simply as “Look at what God is saying to us!” Throughout this 370 page book, numerous biblical examples are given to make clear the point being taught. Sunukjian has a large bank of example sermons that show up throughout the book so that the variety is not random and overwhelming, but reinforcing and familiar.

His ability to think through the details comes out in areas such as whether to use inductive or deductive approaches according to the material being covered, or how to preach a chiastic passage so contemporary listeners will understand it.

Sunukjian’s speciality is the subject of oral clarity – preaching so listeners can follow. His six elements of oral clarity are detailed in a chapter, but exemplified throughout the book. Sunukjian demonstrates a real awareness of what works for the listener, a concern sometimes missing in other “how to” preaching texts.

After the process is detailed, there are two sample sermons presented in the appendix. These are repeated with helpful explanatory notes to guide the reader through the process.

In a book of 370 pages, it seems strange to point to a section being too short, but the delivery chapter is very short. However, it is fair to say that if a preacher follows the teaching throughout the book, then delivery will be improved. If there were any other negatives, it would be a slight discomfort with one or two of the biblical examples. Again, this is a small point since most are handled very effectively.

Overall this is a very strong book, perhaps even a great book. As I read preaching books, I mark helpful points with post-its. Many books have only a handful sticking out, this one has a forest of post-its! As an introductory text for a preaching class, this would work well. As a supplemental book for those of us who’ve read other textbooks, this is definitely worth having. It has many definite strengths, is clearly organized and engagingly written. This definitely makes my list of top preaching books.

Getting Specific Sermon Feedback – Part 3

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Most preachers get too little sermon feedback that is any use to them.  However, it is possible to get too much.  Here are three more thoughts:

1. Most “feedback” is not very helpful.  After preaching, people feel obliged to make a comment if they speak to the preacher.  A simple thank you is always appreciated and usually appropriate.  Unfortunately for us as preachers, we will often get feedback that is of less value than that.  At one extreme we may get a comment like, “that was the best message I ever heard!”  At the other extreme we may get someone taking us to task over something we said, or something they thought we said.  Neither extreme is helpful.  After preaching we are usually vulnerable.  We tend to be emotionally drained and may struggle to handle high praise or strong criticism.

2. Process it all at the throne of grace.  I got into a healthy habit as a young preacher when I was serving on the OM ship (see www.omships.org).  After preaching I would head to my cabin, lock the door and boldly approach the heavenly throne.  I knew I couldn’t handle the extreme feedback.  I knew I didn’t want to let pride creep in from the exaggerated praise, or despair from the criticism.  So I would bring every comment I could remember and place it before the throne.  If there was criticism, I would need God’s grace to process it and discern what was fair and helpful.  If there was praise, it would really be His anyway.

3. You can get too much good feedback.  Even if you are appropriately handling the post-sermon comments and have in place a way to get genuine and constructive feedback, you can still get too much.  It is good to listen to yourself, or watch a video.  It is good to get input from others.  I would suggest you do this regularly, but not all the time.  Constantly processing genuine feedback can become a draining experience.  Constantly listening to yourself can be like going twelve rounds with a young Tyson.  It’s worse than that.  You can be your own harshest critic.  So get regular feedback, but give yourself a rest from it too.  Do your best, keep improving as a good steward, but rest in the Lord at the same time.

Preaching to the Heart: A Recipe

/ Peter Mead / 3 Comments

It is easy to preach a sermon to the mind, to the will, or even to the emotions of our listeners.  Information feeds the mind, pressure pounds on the will, vivid emotive illustrations can stir the emotions.  Yet what does it take to reach the heart?  How can we preach to the core of our people?

According to Tim Keller, there are two key ingredients, no three.

1. Imagination is critical.  On its own imagination in preaching will only hit the emotions.  Yet good preaching requires vivid imagination.

2. Reasoned logic is critical.  On its own reasoned logic in preaching will only hit the mind.  Yet good preaching requires reasonable logic and orderly thought.

Two exemplary preachers for Keller are Jonathan Edwards and C.S. Lewis.  Both preached sermons shot through with logic, but plunged in imagination.  No temperament will naturally do both, but by God’s grace we must.  And that leads to ingredient number three:

3. The gospel is critical.  On its own, the human heart will default to legalism and religion, or license and irreligion.  Keller is right when he warns us not to preach religion as opposed to irreligion, but the gospel as opposed to either of them.  Good preaching requires us to present the glorious gospel, so that hearts are drawn by the powerful attraction of Christ and the grace of God.  As it was stated centuries ago – “affection is only overcome by greater affection.”  Thus, the grace of God can stir the heart from its other loves.  Nothing else will do.

Our Goal is Transformation not Recollection

/ Peter Mead / 3 Comments

It seems obvious that we preach with a goal of transforming lives with God’s Word. Yet I see so much focus given to the very different issue of ensuring recollection. This is why people take notes or preachers produce fill-in-the-blank handouts (so listeners will have a record of the points); this is why some preachers would rather die than not alliterate or perfectly parallel or absolutely assonate the main points of a message; this is why outlines are publicly projected by powerpoint. All to achieve the goal of recollection. The logic is clear – if people don’t remember the points, then they will not be able to carefully apply what they have heard in the realities of life.

Three comments:

1. Is it right to assume that people with a record of the points (either written or memorized) will seek to apply the lessons learned in normal life? We hope so, but as preachers we must admit this is quite removed from the preaching event. We might be able to influence the thinking of our listeners, but what about their will? It is wrong to assume that information alone will later move the will.

2. A life is transformed at a deeper level than the mind or the will. Both the mind and the will are subject to the motive centre of the human being – the heart. It is the values of the heart that allow a mind to weigh information, and the values of the heart determine the decisions of the will. If people are not applying what we preach, the problem is probably not their memory. The problem is the heart. So instead of preaching so the mind can remember, we must preach so the heart is changed.

3. Much preaching targets primarily the mind (intellectual or informational preaching), or the will (exhortational or guilt-inducing preaching). Truly biblical preaching must target the heart. How terrible would it be to produce a fruit of right-thinking and right-living people whose hearts remain cold toward Christ?

D.M. Lloyd-Jones stated the following in reference to Jonathan Edwards:

“The first and primary object of preaching is not just to give information, it is, as Edwards says, to produce an impression. It is the impression at the time that matters, even more than what you can remember subsequently. In this respect, Edwards is, in a sense, critical of what was a prominent puritan custom and practice. The puritan father would catechize and question the children as to what the preacher had said. Edwards, in my opinion, has the true notion of preaching. It is not primarily to impart information, and while you are writing your notes you may be missing something of the impact of the Spirit.”

(Quoted by Tim Keller in lectures given at GCTS, 2006.)

Getting Specific Delivery Feedback – Part 2

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

It is a good idea to periodically ask a group of people to observe your preaching and give feedback in the areas mentioned in the previous post.  There is another way.  I do think it is good to involve others sometimes, but you cannot do that all the time.  One thing that is relatively easy to do (in many places), but is generally neglected, is to record the message on video.

Obviously in some churches there may be nobody with a camcorder of any kind, in which case this post is irrelevant.  But it is increasingly common for people to have camcorders of some kind.  Simply set up the camera in an inconspicuous location and record the message.  It can be at the back or in a pew (to get the perspective of a listener).

Record the message, then when you are on your own, watch it.  This way you can observe yourself.  It could be a painful experience, but it is truly no pain, no gain.  You may find that you have a repeated gesture or a verbal pause.  You may find that the feedback from others is actually true!

I am convinced that if some preachers would just see themselves once, they would make significant changes as a result.  A lack of movement will send you to sleep while watching, or too much movement may make you seasick.  Those elbows locked into your hips do make you look like a T-Rex.  That gesture does look like a werewolf in the Thriller video.  Who injected anaesthesia in your left arm?  Did you know your eyelids flutter when you’re making an important point?  Did you know your thumbs look so huge from the congregation’s perspective?  Did you know you said “umm” every four seconds for the first five minutes?  Did you know you often don’t complete the sentence?  Did you know . . . well, you will once you watch the video!