by Christine G.

Created on: July 18, 2008

A formal sermon in a church service is a mixture of teaching, motivational speaking, rhetoric and prayer. Its purpose is to instruct, guide, and motivate the members of the assembled congregation. The biggest challenge is to keep them awake and focused.

In our literate society, people are not used to retaining the spoken word. The average worshipper may like a sermon very much, and yet be able to recall nothing about it when s/he is complimenting the minister on a job well done. Preaching is a cultural tradition from illiterate societies. Perhaps we need to re-think its usefulness. At the very least, we must consider sprucing up our methodology.

If you feel called to preach, or if someone has suckered you into making the attempt, pray. Then pray some more. Then review everything you ever learned about public speaking, write your presentation as best you can, and start practising.

Content should be accurate, Biblically-based, and from the heart. The challenge of trying to reach others at the spiritual level is enormous, and cannot be be achieved simply by giving a flawless performance. The preacher must give him or herself, and be guided by love.

Sometimes, preachers find themselves flying on the wings of the Spirit, moving effortlessly from point to point without even a glance at their notes. Other times, they limp along painfully, wondering whether they are making any sense at all. They cannot take divine inspiration for granted, so they prepare. The process of preparing a sermon can be just as transformative as listening to it. Sometimes the person who is most affected by the message is the preacher. God works in mysterious ways.

The aspiring preacher should practise the basics, such as voice projection (just beyond the last row), posture, eye contact, gestures, verbal pacing, and clarity of enunciation. S/he should ask for feedback and watch video recordings of him/herself. Ultimately, the delivery skills become second nature, allowing the preacher to focus on the meaning of what s/he is saying.

Moving around the congregation (if the sound system permits) can make contact between preacher and listener more direct and personal, eliminating the performer/spectator mindset. It also helps to be introduce some interactive elements, such as asking people to answer a question, look up Bible passages, read something in unison, or act something out. Sharing the limelight with others introduces a new element into the presentation. Collaborative moments can be previously rehearsed, or impromptu. If something unexpected happens, people will be much more likely to remember.

Because of the difficulties of retaining orally presented material, a sermon generally should have no more than three basic ideas, repeated several times in different ways. If the material is more complex than that, it will help to distribute hand-outs or use visual aids. A power point presentation can be very helpful, just as long as it does not become the main event. What matters is the relationship between God, the preacher, and the listeners.

A sermon should have a strong beginning and a compelling conclusion. The two should not be too far apart. Some of us have acquired so much wisdom and insight in our lives that it seems a pity not to share it all, but if we overdo, the principle of diminishing returns sets in. It is better to hold something back for a follow-up sermon, just in case.

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