From 1995 until 2003, I was a preaching elder among a great group of people. I had the chance to preach almost every Sunday (certainly over the last few years of this service). It was a marvelous experience and I learned a lot about preaching.
Then, my family moved and I became a pew-sitter. For the first time in many years, it was my role to listen, not to talk, in a church service. I had the chance to experience both the joys and miseries of listening to sermons. I learned a lot about preaching.
What do I mean? Well, from preaching, I learned a lot about how congregations respond, or, at least, how it looks from a pulpit. I made many mistakes (people were very kind about this reality) and learned how complicated it can be to speak to a group of people. I became very comfortable preaching.
From sitting, I learned much more. I learned that I preached too long (because the people I listen to often preached too long). I learned that it is really hard to sit in a large room listening to one man speak, especially if I am sitting in the back, where he seems really small. I observed how few people seem really engaged in much of a sermon and how hard it is to really take much home from a sermon. Five and six points are far too many, one or two is about all you can get. I realized that a sermon is really measured by what people hear, not what the preacher says. I learned that a great sermon is rare, but even a very good sermon is well worth listening to.
Recently, I have had the chance to preach again more often. I have changed my preaching a great deal. I preach shorter and tighter. I have begun using PowerPoint creatively (to try to draw in people seated far back) and found that it was very well received. I have become less of an academic lecturer and more of a teacher.
Sometimes, in listening to preachers, I wonder if it would help them to sit and listen a little bit. I found my time out of pulpit to be invaluable to my work within the pulpit.
Then, my family moved and I became a pew-sitter. For the first time in many years, it was my role to listen, not to talk, in a church service. I had the chance to experience both the joys and miseries of listening to sermons. I learned a lot about preaching.
What do I mean? Well, from preaching, I learned a lot about how congregations respond, or, at least, how it looks from a pulpit. I made many mistakes (people were very kind about this reality) and learned how complicated it can be to speak to a group of people. I became very comfortable preaching.
From sitting, I learned much more. I learned that I preached too long (because the people I listen to often preached too long). I learned that it is really hard to sit in a large room listening to one man speak, especially if I am sitting in the back, where he seems really small. I observed how few people seem really engaged in much of a sermon and how hard it is to really take much home from a sermon. Five and six points are far too many, one or two is about all you can get. I realized that a sermon is really measured by what people hear, not what the preacher says. I learned that a great sermon is rare, but even a very good sermon is well worth listening to.
Recently, I have had the chance to preach again more often. I have changed my preaching a great deal. I preach shorter and tighter. I have begun using PowerPoint creatively (to try to draw in people seated far back) and found that it was very well received. I have become less of an academic lecturer and more of a teacher.
Sometimes, in listening to preachers, I wonder if it would help them to sit and listen a little bit. I found my time out of pulpit to be invaluable to my work within the pulpit.