\u201cI\u2019m tired of my own preaching. Any tips for spicing things up?\u201d joked Jeremy as he sat down with his coffee in front of Andrew, his \u201cdrinking buddy.\u201d Then Jeremy added a loud \u201cBAM!\u201d just like Emeril Lagasse would, while adding Tabasco to his scrambled eggs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just might have some flavors you could add,\u201d Andrew replied, as he grabbed the bottle of hot sauce like this was some sort of cooking competition and splashed the hot sauce lavishly as well. \u201cI\u2019ve \u2018kicked it up a notch\u2019 over at our church by adding multi-sensory elements like video clips, poetry, visual aids, songs from pop culture, and other creative expressions that add \u2018heat\u2019 to my sermons. Implementing these necessitates employing a different development process than many sermon \u2018chefs\u2019 are willing to practice, not to mention a mindset toward risk in order to feed your congregation something they\u2019re not used to chewing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMind sharing your recipe secrets?\u201d Jeremy asked. \u201cMy preaching is tasting a bit bland.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure you\u2019re up for it? Not everyone in your congregation will like it HOT. You\u2019re opening yourself up to criticism,\u201d his friend said with snarky sarcasm.<\/p>\n
Though both just passed the age of 40, Jeremy is a newcomer to ministry life. He made a career shift in his mid-30s, attending seminary and serving a denominational internship before accepting his current call as the senior pastor of Heartland Church, situated on a busy street in a suburban neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Andrew, on the other hand, is a ministry veteran. He pastors New Community Church, a congregation located near the heart of the city. Before becoming the lead pastor of New Community, Andrew served as the adult education pastor for that same congregation. His Christian education major from an \u201cIvy League\u201d evangelical college was useful in developing a robust curriculum of adult discipleship for the grateful New Community congregation. When the previous pastor died unexpectedly eight years ago, Andrew began the difficult process of transitioning from adult education pastor to his current role as lead pastor.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, his learning curve was high, and because he came into the role late, he looked to best practices wherever he could find them, especially from Christian education theory and practice. Andrew began employing principles into preaching practice from educational philosophy and methodology he had used in the church\u2019s Sunday and midweek discipleship with encouraging results. This included insisting on getting a team involved in the same way he had done with discipleship curriculum in his former role.<\/p>\n
Everyone learns differently, so it made sense to Andrew that a team of unique individuals would be able to develop a more encompassing delivery style for the weekly message. Andrew suggested four ideas for Jeremy\u2019s consideration to spice up his bland preaching.<\/p>\n
Plan the Menu Early <\/p>\n
One essential step for implementing creative elements as a part of sermon delivery is for the preacher to create a synopsis, documenting the content of the sermons months in advance of when the sermon or sermon series will be preached. Working ahead allows sufficient time for other team members to consider how the sermon\u2019s content can best be delivered more deliciously while maintaining the nutritional value to feed the appetites of hungry sermon hearers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way I\u2019m doing it,\u201d said Andrew, \u201cis to get away for a personal retreat several times a year. I leave on Sunday afternoon and come back on Wednesday afternoon. I spend Sunday relaxing and getting settled. I prefer to take my spouse or another same-sex staff member with me as long as they will respect my space. I typically fast the day on Monday and Tuesday. I spend Monday morning in prayer and personal preparation. And by the afternoon, I\u2019m ready to turn my attention toward the upcoming series of messages.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow far in advance are you working?\u201d asked Jeremy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdeally, if the series of messages begins in January, I\u2019m taking a retreat in November. If it is summer and early fall that I\u2019m preparing for, I\u2019ll work to have that synopsis ready mid-April. I can usually do four months at a time, especially if you consider Sundays planned for guest speakers and special events,\u201d Andrew explained. \u201cAlso, I\u2019ve been keeping a file of Scriptures and topics that I want to deal with. I prayerfully consider what books of the Bible I want to cover. I solicit input from our lay board and the staff, and invite suggestions from the congregation. I usually take a box full of books, tapes and journal articles that I\u2019ve been collecting in a corner of my office. Obviously, I\u2019ve been thinking about the upcoming quarter already. Then I prayerfully decide which sermons and series we\u2019ll be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jeremy interrupted, \u201cWhat do you include in the synopsis? I\u2019m assuming you don\u2019t work up an outline at that point, do you?\u201d
\u201cNo, of course not. My goal is to get my mind around the subject. I\u2019m asking myself, \u2018What is the question that I\u2019m seeking to shed light on?\u2019 I have to do enough work with the text to insure that I\u2019m being faithful to biblical preaching principles, but I don\u2019t have to nail down the conclusions just yet,\u201d explained Andrew.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo answer your question, I include a rough draft of the series and message titles, related Scripture passages, a description of the subject that we\u2019ll be talking about, and why I think it matters to the listeners. Finally, I include any creative thoughts I have about songs, video clips, poetry, and anything from pop culture that may be helpful for the team I will be sharing the synopsis with, to make clear what I\u2019m intending with each message. More on that later, just hang with me. What I produce on the retreat may not be ready for the team\u2019s eyes yet, but with a few hours of editing upon return, I\u2019m ready to release it for the next level of input.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the job of the team?\u201d Jeremy asked.<\/p>\n
A Preaching Team as Sous Chefs <\/p>\n
\u201cRecruiting a team may be the biggest challenge for preachers wanting to implement these culinary techniques into their homiletical practice,\u201d answered Andrew. \u201cI\u2019m proposing that it\u2019s rare these days for a pastor to go into the study alone during the week preceding the sermon and return with a manuscript ready for delivery. Instead, I\u2019m saying that preaching to an emerging generation of sermon hearers should include a kitchen staff!<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the synopsis is complete, team members receive a copy with a date set for a daylong work session. The purpose of the work session is to break down into moves the subjects the preacher has identified. These moves, once outlined, allow the team members to work on how they can contribute to the delivery of the sermon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe preparation of the sermon\u2019s central truth and main ideas gives ample time for the members of the team to work on their art. Though the core of the message will not be developed until the week preceding the sermon, supporting materials will be ready in advance for the preacher to choose from. Invited sous chefs make various contributions to the creative preaching process,\u201d concluded Andrew.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, who gets to help in the kitchen? How do you decide who is a sous chef?\u201d Jeremy asked curiously.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition to the preacher, one of the team members should be a leader in the art community of the church. Usually this person is the music pastor; however for less-assumptive fare, their interests and responsibilities must extend beyond hymns and praise choruses. This person needs to have an \u2018ear\u2019 for the culture and a feel for the language of the arts community at large. Congregations are made of a generation used to iTunes instead of hymnals, YouTube and flash mobs in place of choirs. You must find team members in touch with this aspect of society.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother team member of the preaching kitchen should be a research assistant. This individual is one who loves to read, study and search the internet for relevant support material to add to the sermon. They will provide the pastor with statistics, contemporary illustrations and sermonic materials related to the passage and subject being preached.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is also helpful for the team to include a scribe. While the other team members are busy discussing great concepts and potential creative teaching methods, the scribe is responsible for writing it down for future reference. This person sends a copy of the notes to the other team members. Ideally, within days the scribe has some training in rhetorical skills that help enhance the clarity of what\u2019s \u2018plated\u2019 on Sunday. The scribe helps the speaker organize his or her thoughts and and edit accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInteresting,\u201d said Jeremy. \u201cAnyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo other planning team members may include an image-preferred learner and a target group representative. This may be the same person, though not necessarily. The image-preferred learner thinks in analogies or word pictures by default. Ideally, this person has expertise in the field of photography and\/or videography, and can support the sermons with interviews, creative clips produced in-house and various moving images on screen. At the very least, they love movies and YouTube, and are knowledgeable about what makes a good story.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe target group representative can verify objections the team thinks the congregation will have to the proposed messages and represents the attitudes of the learners experiencing the sermon.<\/p>\n
\u201cMembers of this team, especially the preacher, the arts leader and the research assistant will meet weekly to evaluate the effectiveness of the previous sermon and to decide which elements will be implemented for the upcoming sermon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt should go without saying that some of these sous chefs might have their own teams who are essential for producing these creative elements. You have additional staff to assist your worship pastor, don\u2019t you Jeremy? Of course you do, but don\u2019t forget about non-paid staff\/volunteers as well. Music, video and drama teams are examples,\u201d Andrew finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re saying I need to go on a personal retreat and recruit a team,\u201d said Jeremy. \u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d<\/p>\n
Think Like Emeril <\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it seems safe to observe that most church communicators are word-preference learners. Their appreciation and understanding for the art culture is typically low. Their thinking is linear, rational and highly objective. This is good and essential for faithful exposition of revelation. However, spicy preaching demands more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuccessful implementation of multi-sensory methods into the delivery of sermons also depends on the creative thinking of the preacher during the sermon preparation process. Though supplemented, the majority of the sermon is still made up of the preacher\u2019s words. It is incumbent on the preacher to continue to work hard at biblical preaching with an edge for the creative. In other words, you have to enlarge your own palate.\u201d Andrew paused long enough for Jeremy to chime in.
\u201cHow do you recommend I do that?\u201d Jeremy asked on cue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad you asked,\u201d said Andrew smiling. \u201cOne of the things a preacher can do is simply to observe art. Take a cooking class. Attend art fairs and art exhibitions. Observe, ask questions. Entering into an artist\u2019s world can stretch preachers in their own appreciation of art and more fully tap into their own \u2018creative juices.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother option is to take classes in a variety of creative activities. Participation in a pottery class, watercolor painting, art appreciation or tutoring in film forms and processes are all examples of opportunities of which preachers may avail themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, the easiest creative activity for most preachers to do is to read books on the subject. The book Preaching that Connects by Galli and Larson is a must-read for the preacher wanting to grow in creative process. This book suggests journalism techniques that preachers can employ to create a manuscript or an outline that captures the heart as well as the mind. Chapters include suggestions on effective storytelling techniques, choosing the best words to communicate the message, ideas for producing fitting conclusions and other helpful suggestions for preaching clear and relevant sermons. And, Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts by Steve Turner is a \u2018Betty Crocker\u2019 of sorts for preachers wanting to grapple with the role of art in proposition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew continued, \u201cDoing these kinds of activities and others suggested in the resources should enhance the preacher\u2019s competency in creative thinking. It is hoped that the result of enhanced creative thinking during sermon development is a manuscript\/outline that more effectively captures the attention of the hearers and engages their learning needs. It\u2019s delicious to more palates. It\u2019s spicy!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d said Jeremy. \u201cThree steps down, one to go, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d said Andrew. \u201cThe last is you have to prep for the meal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prep for the Meal <\/p>\n
\u201cThe final necessary step to integrating creative elements into a sermon is to practice necessary transitions prior to the service,\u201d continued Andrew. \u201cWhen multiple people are involved in the sermon\u2019s delivery, cues from the sermon outline or manuscript must be noted, and transitions from one element to another should be practiced. Something as simple as when to roll a table holding an object lesson onto the platform needs to be practiced to avoid being distracting.<\/p>\n
\u201cA separate cue sheet from the sermon manuscript\/outline may be created as well. This will include any spicy elements in the weekend service(s). The cue sheet serves as a reminder to all involved as to the service order and the times when participants should be in their places ready to go!<\/p>\n
\u201cA service director may be recruited to coordinate the run-through and call the cues during the service itself. This individual orchestrates the total constellation of tech, music, preaching and other multi-sensory methods used during the service. They troubleshoot problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cRehearsing the transitions of creative elements used before, after and during the preaching may seem awkward to the preacher and participants doing it for the first time. However, it must be taken seriously in order to insure a quality dining experience. Sermon chefs prep the meal!\u201d Andrew mumbled something about no one appreciating what it took, before growing quiet.<\/p>\n
Jeremy waited while Andrew ended his short pity party and restated what he had heard his friend say. \u201cSo, you\u2019re saying that there are at least four essential steps for church leaders to \u2018spice up\u2019 their sermons and begin implementing multi-sensory methods into their sermons. The first one is the preacher producing a synopsis of the sermons months in advance. Is that right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNext,\u201d continued Jeremy, \u201cthe preacher assembles a team to assist in the deployment of new tools for their culinary homiletic. You also suggested that there are things preachers can do to grow in their own abilities as it relates to the creative process. You want me to take up finger-painting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid I say finger-painting?\u201d asked Andrew with a smile. \u201cI meant to say mitten-crocheting.\u201d<\/p>\n
They both laughed before Jeremy concluded, \u201cThe final step you suggested is the need to rehearse transitions. Do I have it all?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s pretty much it. Identifying the four steps just mentioned seems to minimize the work involved in creating and coordinating all the potential teaching tools we\u2019ve suggested. Many of these need tech equipment that can be expensive and that takes a financial investment on the part of the church to purchase. It\u2019s not the cheapest way to do ministry. A church will have to prioritize spicy preaching in its budget in order for it to become a reality,\u201d said Andrew.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot to mention, a commitment of this kind impacts the personnel budget of the church as well,\u201d he continued. \u201cMuch of this can be done with volunteers, but if the attendance and interest grows, as I think it will in a church that implements these principles, then the volunteers recruited and the props needed will demand additional staff to oversee.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm \u2026 I hadn\u2019t considered that,\u201d Jeremy said, as he finished his last cup of coffee and moved the Tabasco to the side. \u201cThese ideas need to be implemented systematically through careful planning. The consequences of their execution may be bigger than I first realized, but so is their potential for impact on an emerging generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, Andrew,\u201d Jeremy continued. \u201cI don\u2019t know how to thank you for your time. Today has stretched my thinking and given me a renewed interest in preaching. I\u2019m anxious to get back into the kitchen and have my way with some gourmet seasonings in my sermons. Will you be my Iron Chef? Let\u2019s meet up again next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFunny you should ask, because I was going to suggest that very thing,\u201d Andrew responded. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine what I\u2019d do next Wednesday morning if I had to sit in this diner alone. Besides, there is still Tabasco sauce left in this bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m tired of my own preaching. Any tips for spicing things up?\u201d joked Jeremy as he sat down with his coffee in front of Andrew, his \u201cdrinking buddy.\u201d Then Jeremy added a loud \u201cBAM!\u201d just like Emeril Lagasse would, while adding Tabasco to his scrambled eggs. \u201cI just might have some flavors you could add,\u201d … Continue reading “A Recipe for Spicy Preaching”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33373\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}