What The Blues Teaches Us About Preaching
Over the last couple of months I have added a number of sites to my links section. I wish to highlight a few that I visit often and may be helpful to you.
The next pattern is Bipolar preaching. This is a pattern that derives from the work of the 19th century preacher from England named F. W. Robinson. In this method you seek to find truth in the dialectic between two opposing ideas. You don’t try to harmonize them but you create an interplay between them.
Bipolar Preaching in the Creation of Sermons Read MoreOur Preaching Patterns series continues with a look at Frank Thomas’ approach. His approach takes Henry Mitchell’s insight of celebration and weds it to another structure.
Problem to Assurance to Celebration in Preaching Read MoreThe next pattern used for creation of sermons provided in Allen’s book Patterns of Preaching is the Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis pattern.
Preaching Based in Hagel’s Dialectical Movement Read MoreEugene Peterson, in his book Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, refers to Deuteronomy and Moses’ final sermon by saying:
Moses the Model Preacher Read MoreThe Biblical Preaching blog has a post up on Preaching an epistle as a story. I think this is a very effective way to help the people understand these components of the Bible story.
When one does adequate exegesis of the text for preaching, one should have a good idea of the story behind the text. Why not look at that story as a possibility to preach?
Preaching a Bible Letter as a Story Read MoreRon Allen in his book Patterns of Preaching next discusses the pattern of Preaching Verse by Verse. Here the preacher goes step by step through a text or series of text and explains each part. In some traditions this is one of the most prominent ways of preaching a text of scripture.
Preaching a Sermon Verse by Verse Read MoreThe next pattern in Ronald Allen’s book, Preaching Patterns is what has been called “3 Points and a Poem.” This is an old deductive form where you begin by stating the major claim of the sermon. You then identify some key points that you will discuss. Then you end by helping the people reflect on the points in their daily living. Many times you close with a poem.
Sermons that Make Points Read MorePeter Mead over at the Biblical Preaching blog presents another very helpful thought on how to Make Your Sermon Sizzle.
How do you do it? Simply use vivid and concrete descriptions.
Mead notes:
Vivid Description the Key to Making a Sermon Sizzle Read MoreWhen you describe a Biblical scene, or an applicational situation, or an illustration, be as specific as possible. When you are specific, then listeners will be able to see, feel and experience. Do it well and your sermon will sizzle.
I am a Preacher’s kid and have often been in church leadership myself. Let’s face it. Church work can be stressful for ministry leaders and their families. Someone is writing a book on this phenomenon and is calling it “Mad Church Disease.” I would encourage ministers to go on over there and take the survey to help the development of this book
Mad Church Disease Read MoreLamey answers “Yes” and I agree with him. He also hastens to add that we must be careful not to have applications in our sermons that are “contrived, forced or ‘moralistic.'”
Should we have Personal Application in Preaching? Read MoreThe next pattern in the book Preaching Patterns by Ronald Allen is the Sermon as Journey to Celebration.
Sermon as Journey to Celebration Read MoreThe first style of preaching talked about in the Patterns of Preaching book is the Puritan Plain Style. Allen notes: “As the term ‘plain’ implies, this approach is simple to the point.”
There are six sections in the structure of this style of sermon
Thanks to the Jazz Theologian for finding this. Pastor Wintley Phipps teaches the origins of the song Amazing Grace in the Negro Spirituals even though it was written by a white slave ship captain. Then Pastor Phipps sings the song.