SERIAL
MANDY BRIGGS
Levels of concentration in our
society are getting worse, so we are
told. Social media, smartphones,
instant messages – all of these
innovations mean that we are more
easily distracted than we used to be.
Therefore it could well be the case that
‘it’s not me – it’s you!’ (Although it’s
unfair to allege that no one was bored
by a sermon before the internet was
invented!)
You are right to reflect that preaching
is different to entertaining. Whilst
some well-placed humour is usually
appreciated, random jokes which have
no apparent connection to the topic of
the sermon can be distracting and offputting. Choose your wisecracks well.
If you have been preaching for many
years, have you always used the same
format and approach? We know now
that people take in information in
different ways – visually, aurally, and
also through talking and doing.
SOMETIMES A WELL-TOLD
STORY OR A SIMPLE IMAGE CAN
REALLY ADD POWER TO WHAT
YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY
– AND MAY ALSO HELP
PEOPLE TO FOCUS IN A
BETTER WAY
DAVID BRACEWELL
I remember when I was at theological
college that we were visited one day
by the principal of the College of
Preachers who lectured us for two
hours on the art of preaching. It was
riveting. At one point he said ‘The
unpardonable sin in preaching is to
bore people’. The sentence stuck in my
mind and has never been dislodged.
So the fear you have is a good
one and the fact that you have it
is encouraging. The really boring
preachers are those who don’t know –
or worse, don’t care – that they are not
carrying people with them.
It is interesting that you juxtapose
faithful delivery and entertainment. If
by entertainment you mean cheap and
shallow attempts to be trendy then I
would agree. However, if people are to
‘listen to simple words without images,
music and jokes’ those words need to
be delivered with as much skill and
imagination as we can muster. This
may involve humour and verbal image
(think of the OT prophets) and will
certainly include illustrations which
naturally illuminate the argument of
the sermon. In this sense preaching is
an art and, dare I say it, being faithful
is not enough.
The key issue is the desire
we have to make connection,
THE KEY ISSUE IS THE DESIRE WE
HAVE TO MAKE CONNECTION, TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE FAITHFUL
WORD BECOMES THE RECEIVED
WORD AND THEREFORE THE
TRANSFORMING WORD.
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For me, the preachers who have
inspired me most over the years have
never ‘dumbed down’ what they want
to say, but they have used stories,
poetry, pictures of artworks, even
video to complement their theme,
not swamp it. Sometimes a well-told
story or a simple image can really add
power to what you are trying to say –
and may also help people to focus in a
better way.
It’s not about creating a ‘worship
circus’ but using resources
intelligently and well so that people
really do hear the good news.
Mandy Briggs
Mandy Briggs is a Methodist minister based in Bristol.
As Education Officer at the New Room/John Wesley’s
Chapel, she is exploring how to share the Methodist
story with all ages (newroombristol.org.uk). She can
also be found on Twitter: @mandbristol.
to make sure that the faithful word
becomes the received word and
therefore the transforming word.
How you and I do that is a skill we
can acquire. The desire to connect is a
spiritual passion we must continually
ask God to keep alive in us.
David Bracewell
David Bracewell was Rector of St Saviour’s Church,
Guildford for more than 20 years. Now officially
retired, he continues to travel the country, training
and encouraging local church leaders. He is
passionate about the role of the local church and
believes the greatest mistake a preacher can make
is to be boring.
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