SERMON PREP 49
LOOK
Before Jesus spoke over Jerusalem , it says ‘ he saw .’ When I am preparing , I like to know who my audience is , as this informs my style and mode of delivery . This is particularly relevant when I am invited to preach somewhere new . I look out for things like age , demographic , culture and tradition , and choose illustrations that build rapport .
As someone who is part of an ethnic minority in the UK , building rapport is key . On a couple of occasions , my ethnicity has been an obstacle for some to hear the sermon . This is where choosing illustrations that listeners are able to relate to , can help break down barriers and perceptions . Issues of ethnicity are not necessarily confined to predominately ‘ white ’ congregations either . Sadly , there are some minority congregations in this country ( and abroad ) who have grown to only associate sound biblical teaching with white-faced missionaries – a hangover from the colonial past . Accordingly , they may not be accustomed to hearing the word preached from someone who looks like themselves .
This is a mindset I am passionate about breaking and one of the reasons why I believe diversity and representation in the pulpit are crucial . Either way , taking the time to consider – and look – at the audience is an important step in my preparation .
WEEP
Before Jesus spoke over Jerusalem , he wept . He allowed his heart to break . If I ’ m honest , this is the one
ALLOWING GOD TO BREAK MY HEART BEFORE I PREACH ALSO HELPS ME SPEAK WITH MORE COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING . I WANT TO AVOID BEING THE TYPE OF PREACHER WHO DISPENSES BIBLICAL TEACHING OUT OF JUDGEMENT AND NOT LOVE
step I am most likely to neglect . Given the day-to-day demands of parish ministry , it is all too easy to jump straight into the writing process .
Another reason why I may be tempted to skip this vital step is that it is painful . Opening oneself up to the hurts and concerns of a community is costly . And yet when I consider the vows I made at my ordination to both pastor and preach – amongst other things – I am reminded to make time to listen to what is going on in people ’ s lives . Ultimately , this enriches my sermon preparation and enables me to not just preach to people ’ s heads , but also their hearts . If I am invited to speak someplace new , I will ask the leaders to share what is on their hearts .
Allowing God to break my heart before I preach also helps me speak with more compassion and understanding . I want to avoid being the type of preacher who dispenses biblical teaching out of judgement and not love .
SPEAK
Having approached , looked and wept , I finally get myself ready to speak . When preaching someplace new , I like to arrive early and familiarise myself with the venue . If it is a large platform , I will seek to utilise the stage and integrate movement into my talk . If I am in a cathedral or large hall , I will take into account the acoustics , which means speaking more slowly and possibly removing some words / sections to compensate for the lost time .
In terms of notes , I have them in front of me , but I try not to refer to them when I am preaching . Maintaining eye-contact with a congregation is important to me , and I don ’ t mean simply staring off into the middledistance . When I print out my sermon notes , I deliberately print them in a very faint font . Psychologically , I know my notes are there , but if I actually try to read them , I can ’ t . This has helped me avoid sticking too religiously to my notes , although it has bemused a number of people who have asked for my notes after the sermon .
Mark Nam
Rev Mark Nam is a Church of England Curate at St . Anne ’ s Church in Oldland Common and United Church in Longwell Green , Bristol .
He was born in Newport , South Wales but is originally of Chinese descent . Mark is a member of the College of Archbishop ’ s Evangelists and a Minority Ethnic Champion for Bristol Diocese . He is also an executive member of AMEN ( the Anglican Minority Ethnic Network ) and the founder of The Tearoom , a group that seeks to supports clergy and ministers with East-Asian Heritage . Before training for ordination Mark was a pastor at a large English-speaking church in Hong Kong . He is married to Kayi and they have three young children . He tweets as @ marknam .