There are those who argue that writing out your message in full is for novices and control freaks but many universally acknowledged masters of the craft work from a script and there is nothing wrong with careful deliberation over words.
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There are those who argue that writing out your message in full is for novices and control freaks but many universally acknowledged masters of the craft work from a script and there is nothing wrong with careful deliberation over words.
KNOW YOUR MATERIAL
It can be tempting to consider the job done when you’ ve written out your sermon, but if that’ s the last time you look at it before you preach it, you’ ll be tied to the page and forced to just read aloud instead of really speaking from your heart. I’ d advise delivering it to the wall or the mirror several times through so you are completely familiar with what you’ re going to say. Some people make the not inconsiderable effort to memorise the entire script, taking it along only as a backup. If this is your practice, good on you. But if you are wondering whether you need to do this, I’ d say it probably isn’ t worth the time. No one will mind you glancing down now and then, and sometimes when we recite from memory, we are so keyed up about whether or not we’ ll remember everything, it can all come out a bit wooden.
ALLOW FOR AD LIBS
You might want to consider places where it would be appropriate to go off-script. Sometimes a personal story sounds better if it isn’ t too crafted, or perhaps there’ s a point you could make more strongly if you were clearly and obviously putting aside your notes to make it. Just because you’ ve got a manuscript doesn’ t mean your manuscript is in charge.
WATCH YOUR TONE
One of the criticisms most often levelled at those who choose to preach from a manuscript is that their delivery is wooden and forced. There is no need for that to be the case, so we just need to pay attention to the rhythm of what we say, to guard against sounding monotonous and to be mindful that we are delivering a sermon and not reading a bedtime story.
Preaching from a manuscript can give freedom and confidence to those who suffer from stage-fright, who have the self-knowledge to know their tongue can run away from them, to those with poor memory or to preachers who love language and enjoy the poetry of a well-crafted sentence. If you are a manuscript preacher who has felt slightly ashamed of the fact, I hope you will now hold your head up high and continue to prepare in the manner that best serves the church.