Language/Style

Was good, effective language employed in the delivery of the sermon? This is not to suggest that preachers should strive to impress hearers with their facility in language. Verbosity is not the goal in this regard, but clarity. What preachers want their listeners to bring to church is their Bibles, not their dictionaries. Language that is age-appropriate and crystal clear so that all readily understand is what the preacher wants to utilize.

I once heard a preacher intone, "As I soliloquy succinctly, the sanctity of . . . ." Even though the alliteration and choice of words captivated me, I couldn't help but wonder if simpler words would not have been as, if not more, compelling in conveying what the preacher was trying to say.

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In a true sense, the preacher is an artist, with words being the stuff with which he paints pictures. And yes, preachers, as writers, should aspire to be as creative and graphic as possible. Yet we must succeed at both without being overbearing, ever remembering that Jesus, our Savior, was compelling in His simplicity.

The beauty of English is that there is a rich array of words to convey the same thoughts, and the preacher who, through laziness or lack of learning, settles for the mundane and everyday to convey the sublime robs the listener. Figures of speech are there for us to utilize as we try to capture subtle nuances, and our listeners want to see, hear, feel, and smell what we are saying. Thus, we should use language that facilitates this longing on their part. To say, "when we got there it was fall and all the trees were red," instead of something like, "when we limped into camp it was fall and the forest had already exploded in color," is almost unforgivable.

Preparing a manuscript of the sermon has proven to be an invaluable practice in helping preachers use just the right word to express their thoughts. Writing out the sermon, even if one is not a manuscript preacher, also helps us crystallize and clarify our thinking. As they put their thoughts to paper, preachers ought never forget, though, that they will be heard, not read. Consequently, they should write with a listening, not a reading, audience in mind, except, of course, they are preparing a sermon for publication.

Delivery

Was listening to this sermon easy or difficult? Did the posture of the preacher get in the way? What about the preacher's gestures, pacing, and demeanor? Did they detract in any way? A sermon is something that is preached. Its delivery should be direct and dynamic, with little or no distractions. Many sermons which were exceptional on paper have turned out otherwise because of botched deliveries.

One practice that almost invariably detracts from a sermon's effectiveness is for the preacher to be married to his or her manuscript. It is a time-honored truism that speakers who maintain eye contact with their audiences are infinitely more effective than those who do not. To be sure, there are preachers who read their sermons and still succeed at remaining connected with their audiences. They are, however, more the exception that the rule.