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What I ’ ve learnt THE WISDOM OF A SEASONED PREACHER
In my late teens , when training to be a Methodist local preacher , I had never been let loose on a larger congregation . But the day eventually arrived and as I anxiously approached the significant congregation to lead worship with the steward at my side , I indicated to him I was very nervous , to which came his reply ‘ You , nervous ? It ’ s we , young man , who should be nervous of you !’
So , seriously , what have I learnt about preaching in the subsequent fifty years ?
Preparation
It is said of one academically gifted vicar that once out of his curacy , he wrote a sermon for each week of the three-year lectionary and simply repeated them every three years for the rest of his ministry ! For me they need to be fresh each time . May I continue to develop and interpret the Scriptures with greater clarity to further simulate and challenge the congregation in my preaching .
I have also heard of a minister who bought his sermons from an American website . I could never do that for my message has to be from me . I need to be stimulated through my prayers and study , in order that the gospel I share is real and alive in me and this allows for me to communicate that personal gospel to my hearers .
One of my tutors at theological college told me to read aloud my exegeses before submission . It was a great idea , as it resulted in fewer errors and higher marks ! But seriously I still read aloud my sermons at my PC and amend to avoid unnecessary duplication , to give impact , clarity and to ensure a logical progression of the construction .
Presentation
If you can stand it , why not switch on the BBC Parliament channel and listen to a full debate ? If you do you will see those MPs who give a logical and developed argument , those that give inadequate justification for their contribution , and those who drone on and on until their arguments are lost ! Food for thought for our preaching ?
Our means of presentation is critical . Whether we hold an iPad or paper notes , a full sermon or bullet points , if our head is directed at the text and not at the congregation , it will look like what it is , that we are reading it ! Let us look regularly at the congregation , directing our gaze each time to a different area of that congregation , even if reading from an autocue .
The introduction : if applied it needs to arrest attention , be it humour , an illustration , a challenge or a story , yet it needs to be brief .
The setting : if there is one , it needs to be explained clearly , so the congregation may grasp that setting . Let us be careful with modern-day comparisons .
The exegesis : this is the meat of the sermon . Sufficient to relish , but not so much to stuff ! May we make it meaningful , understandable , with progressive logic , and if possible limited to three arching points .
The application : Some , like my mentor , may feel they could never put forward an application to those listening . If we do , and I usually do , may we speak always in the inclusive , ‘ we ’ and never as ‘ you ’, so we may be recognised as including ourselves as well as our hearers to heed , to be challenged or apply to our lives ? And above all may we engage and smile where appropriate ! After all , we are of the congregation !
Having said all this , following my retirement from parish ministry , Christine and I arrived at a neighbouring church with the intention of ‘ being in the pews ’ to discover the priest had not turned up , and I was requested to immediately preside . I agreed reluctantly , for there was no time for preparation for any part of the service , including the sermon . Following my peroration some members of the congregation said it was the best sermon they had ever heard . Thanks be to God !
Revd Priestly Brook
Revd Priestly Brook , an Anglican priest , retired in August 2012 from the Colne and Villages Team Ministry in East Lancashire . His bishop granted him a licence of Permission to Officiate . He is married to Christine , with six grown-up children . He is a well- known preacher and after-dinner speaker in the north of England .