Can You Write a Sermon Down?
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OK, let's get into some sermon philosophy. The question for today, "Can you write a sermon down?" You may think so, but I am not talking about whether to use a manuscript in preaching. No, this question gets at a fundamental idea that I hope can help your preaching. That idea is that preachers do not write down a sermon. They write down ideas and thoughts to help them in the sermon moment. Some preachers write down everything they will say, but that is still not a sermon until you are in the preached moment when the sermon is delivered. Read more inside...
Can You Write a Sermon Down?Elder Sherman Cox
OK, let's get into some sermon philosophy. The question for today, "Can you write a sermon down?"
You may think so, but I am not talking about whether to use a manuscript in preaching.
No, this question gets at a fundamental idea that I hope can help your preaching. That idea is that preachers do not write down a sermon. They write down ideas and thoughts to help them in the sermon moment. Some preachers write down everything they will say, but that is still not a sermon until you are in the preached moment when the sermon is delivered.
SERMON MORE THAN WORDS
We must remember that the sermon encompasses everything we say, but it also includes things that we do not say. It also includes things that we imply. It includes the head movement or smile at just the correct time. It includes the all of the mannerisms of the preacher. It includes the shout of the preacher as the preacher gets excited about the point.
So even if the preacher writes down everything that the preacher will say with her or his mouth, that preacher is still not writing down everything the people will experience during the sermon.
PEOPLE ARE SERON HELPERS
But it ain't just the preacher who is involved in the sermon moment. The people are also helpers in the preaching moment. Now I always talk about how the people should help us in preparation, but this is different, I am talking about the people helping us in the preached moment.
Some preachers ignore the people, while others probably give undue influence to the people in attempts to extract a "shout." But be that as it may, the people help craft the sermon during the sermon event.
A congregational look of not understanding the point can cause the preacher to veer into more explanation of a point than the preacher planned. The death of a mother in the church might change the orientation of the preacher to the text under consideration. If not that, it might at least change the illustrations the preacher planned. Maybe you were going to use death as a metahpor and now you use a different metaphor, or maybe you apply the metaphor differently, or maybe you just slightly change it. Even if the meathpor is unchanged from the plan, the people may hear it differently because of the experience that has just happened this week.
Yes the people are invovled in the preaching event. Whether it is in shouting, crying, or even silently contemplating (and then living during the week) the point of the sermon.
YOU NEED SUPERNATURAL HELP AS WELL
The Holy Spirit also changes us up as well. How many of you have been preaching and then a point that you never considered comes to mind? The point fits better than what you planned to say. The Holy Ghost is talking to you. Always be open to what the Holy Ghost is saying to you.
Now I can hear someone saying that this could lead to preaching foolishness in the pulpit. And that is true. A preacher must have prepared adequately before the preacher can hear that voice and know that it is in line with the text under consideration. But if you have prepared then you should be able to know if the thought is in line with the text and the sermon and the event.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Well we must recognize that our sermon is a living thing that happens at the intersection of the preacher, people, and Holy Ghost. It is a partnership between the three.
As we put our sermons together, let us remember that we must still be open to the leadings of the Spirit. We should also remember to be open to receiving the help of the congregation. The sermon is not something you write out, it is something that is experienced with and through the people of God as enlightened by God's Spirit.
And when God shows up, or the people help you in a special way, remember to capture that in your notes before filing the sermon notes away. So the next time you preach the sermon, you can be enlightened by what happened on this day.
Copyright 2012 Sherman Cox, II www. SoulPreaching.com Used with Permission. All Rights Reserved
About the Author
Sherman Haywood Cox II is the director of SoulPreaching.Com If you enjoyed this article, you will love his website as it celebrates the Black Preaching Tradition.
