What do you do during the sermon?
Some people catch a few zzzz's. Others concentrate on fidgety
children. Some deliver the sermon.
Sermons are often easier to conceive than to deliver. The moment
of utterance, in many ways, is the moment of truth, since this is
the time when all the hard conceptual labor spent on the sermon
must be brought to life in a credible manner. The challenge is
how to be good news while preaching the Good News.
It is always good, for even the most-seasoned preacher, to take a
fresh look at his or her preaching.
Goals of delivery:
- Be authentic. This is the ultimate goal for communicating the
gospel in our time. Preaching is self-offering. To ring true
while preaching, preachers will want their manner and
mannerisms to be true to themselves and true to life.
- Use natural delivery. This comes from dwelling intently on
the material and letting the delivery flow from that. Your
thought should be in the message and your eyes on your
listeners as you seek to bring the two together.
- Be appropriate. Every congregation will have a set of
expectations for what constitutes effective expression from
their preachers. You need to remember this when you preach.
Be sensitive to the comfort level of your people even as you
expose them to alternative styles of preaching.
- Project your voice. Speak to the person in the back row. Ask
for feedback from those in the congregation to make sure the
sound system is working for you, not against you. Clearly
enunciate all your words.
- Learn to breathe. Deep breathing, instead of shallow
breathing, will support your whole statement. Guard against
dropping your voice at the end of sentences. Make a
commitment to eliminate "uh" and "uhm" from your daily and
preaching vocabulary. Video tape a service and see for
yourself.
- Prepare the sanctuary. Allow adequate time before the service
begins to attend to any of the technical details that will
affect the message. Check that scripture lessons are properly
marked. Confirm that the sound equipment is on, make sure
there is a glass of water in the pulpit. Rule out all
problems in advance. Even if this is the responsibility of
someone else, remember it will be you who is embarrassed.
Double check.
- Remember to take time to pray before the service. Good
preaching is both an artistic and a spiritual discipline.
Find the way to give yourself - and your message - over to
Christ. A certain amount of creative tension is essential to
preach at your best, yet remember that God gives grace for
the moment.
- Be yourself. Don't imitate other preachers.
- Avoid excessive nonverbal behavior. Little behaviors that you
don't even notice are very noticeable - and often annoying -
to a congregation. Ask for a critique of your voice, hand
movements, footwork, etc. See what is worth eliminating.
- Try not to get distracted. Be prepared for all contingencies
- from sirens outside the church to crying babies, coughing
parishioners, and equipment failures. It takes a great deal
of poise, concentration, and adaptability to anything when
things go contrary to expectations.
From Best Advice for Preaching edited by John S.
McClure. Copyright (c) 1998 by Augsburg Fortress
Press, Minneapolis, Minn., 1-800-328-4648. Used by
permission.