I returned this afternoon from a ?think-tank' gathering with forty other pastors in my denomination. A senior pastor who preaches to 2100 people every weekend made the following comment: "You have to figure out how to be peoples' friends from the pulpit." That comment resonates with me. Preaching, I believe, is relationship-dependent. On one hand, this requires the building of relationships away from the pulpit. Paul said to the Thessalonians: "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well" (1 Thessalonians 4:8). But pastors must also build relationships from the pulpit.
This may seem like a ?nut and bolts' issue which is simply part of the mechanics of preaching. But the more I reflect on it, the more I view it as an integral element of preaching the Scriptures. After all, God transforms lives through relationships. The incarnation serves as the ultimate expression of this idea. So how do we build relationships from the pulpit? Here are two brief suggestions.
First, invest a minute or so connecting with people before you begin the introduction to your sermon. This is especially critical if your congregation is large enough to prevent you from knowing everyone's name. It's critical, too, if you are a guest preacher. But even if you have served a congregation for years, launching immediately into an introduction or Scripture reading may come across as too abrupt, too impersonal. Typically, I take a moment to comment on the words of a song we sang or on something in our church's life which excites me. Sometimes, I'll report on a vacation or a trip I took, and I may thank people for praying for me. I work hard to avoid cliches, trite statements, or self-promoting tidbits of information. But I want to establish a personal connection before I proclaim the Word of God. At times, I can establish this connection earlier in a service through a word of welcome or a pastoral prayer. But wherever they surface, my pre-sermon introduction comments are always intentional. I use them to reach out to listeners.
Second, I try to reach out to people and build relationships as I preach. I do this by sharing the issues and struggles I face as I try to live out the text I'm preaching. This must not diminish the "thus says the Lord" dimension of preaching Scripture. But I want people to know that I face the same issues and struggles they do. I want them to know that I sympathize with them, understand them, and care about them. If preaching is "truth through personality" as Phillips Brooks claimed, then people need to relate to us personally at some level whenever we get up to preach.
Posted by Steve Mathewson at 5:57 PM on February 28, 2007
Comments
I once heard a speaker talk about the magic bullet of communication - likeability. People listen to people they like. Most listeners will decide in the first 2-3 minutes if the speaker is someone they want to spend the next 30 minutes with. Like Steve, I look for ways to make a personal connection with the congregation in those first couple of minutes. I like to hook people with my first sentence - something provocative or intriguing or a story - so I don't often begin with relational comments. But before the introduction is over I'll try to make a personal reference to the service, or the season of the year, a current event, etc. Whenever possible, I try to keep it in the content flow of the message.
Occasionally I will "step aside" before I begin the message and share something personal. We had a great Sunday morning recently - creative, vibrant worship services. That afternoon my sons and I enjoyed a picture-perfect New England afternoon playing pick-up hockey on the local pond. That evening, as I worshipped and prepared to deliver my message for the fourth time that day, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude to God for the life He had called us to. Before I began the message that night, I simply shared that joy and gratitude with the congregation, telling them how happy I was to be their pastor. It was a powerful connecting moment that caught me and them by surprise.
We also form a friendship with the congregation by letting them get to know us - our hobbies, family background, etc. I'm a Yankee fan in Red Sox territory, which allows for all kinds of razzing to go on between me and the congregation. When the Yankees are in town for a series, the people are counting on me to rub it in or eat crow, depending how the season is going. We have to be careful, of course, that we don't become the main attraction, or that we share our lives in every message, but over time, it's easy and natural to build a relationship by giving people a glimpse into our lives.
Posted by: bryan wilkerson on March 1, 2007
I'm not a pastor, but I am a Life-group leader and occasional preacher before the church. I was told by a public speaker that the audience want to hear and enjoy what you have to say, so don't be afraid to speak. Take care in your preparation though.
As I have taken increased responsibility in the church I have become known and liked by those I've worked with. It has made it less intimidating to speak in front of church and I have become more able to be 'intimate' with them when I do. By the grace of God Preaching has become more like teaching, in such a way that I can better tell whether or not the message is connecting or bettter still, taking root in the heart of the listener(s). Just sometimes it impacts the non-listener too!
Posted by: Paul Woods on March 2, 2007