Lately, I've been paying more attention to setting up the reading of the Scripture I'm about to preach. In some traditions, preachers will read the entire sermon text before giving any kind of introduction or explanation. But I wonder if our listeners listen better when we have prepared them for the reading?
Last Sunday, I preached Revelation 3:14-22. This letter from Christ to the church at Laodicea is loaded with imagery specific to their city. Christ plays off of their lukewarm water, their wealth (evidenced by refusing Roman funds to rebuild their city after an earthquake in 60 A.D.), their garment-making industry (enabled by sheep which produced soft, glossy black wool), their medical community (which developed an eye salve), and their struggle, at times, with Roman officials who requisitioned room and board from their wealthy citizens.
I could have explained these images as the appropriate details emerged from the text ? the cold/hot water reference (vv15-16), their spiritual poverty (vv17-18), the need for them to wear white clothes (v18), their need for Jesus' eye salve (v18), and Christ knocking at the door (v20). However, I decided to share the city-specific images before I read the letter. I said to my congregation: "If you're going to understand this letter, you've got to understand some things about this city. Christ is going to use the ?local color' of the community to make his point. So let me tell you a little bit about Laodicea. Christ is going to pick up on every one of the details I'm about to share with you."
After the sermon, I had more comments from listeners about how the background information helped them than I had after my previous sermons on the seven churches combined! I attribute this to the way I presented the background in relation to the text. Explaining the background before reading the text seemed to create a sense of anticipation before I read the letter and then a sense of discovery ("aha") as I read it. I'm not arguing that we should always provide the bulk of our historical-cultural backround before we preach. In previous sermons on these letters, I explained the background at the appropriate places in the text. Yet the response to the background material in this sermon was striking.
I wonder how often people fail to track with the Scripture reading because the details are not grabbing them. Although God's Word is powerful, there is still a critical need for someone to explain it (see Acts 8:30-31). Of course, the explanation can come before or after the reading of the biblical text. But in a preaching setting, isn't it possible that providing some guidance beforehand will help people listen more attentively?
Posted by Steve Mathewson at 11:02 AM on January 29, 2008
Comments
Interesting. I usually provide some introductory comments to the Scripture reading, just to set the context and to orient the listeners towards the sermon theme we will be exploring together. But I never thought of giving such detailed background information up front. It sounds like it worked great in this situation, and I will have to remember that as another option for the future. Thanks!
Posted by: Ray Fowler on January 29, 2008
I never read my text till I've attempted to get the audience's attention and then introduced what the test was about.
Posted by: Kevin Purcell on January 29, 2008
Through the years of preaching, I have come to find that story-telling the text before reading the text is helpful, as is a 'simple word picture bible study' of the text before actually getting to applications. Maybe a bit akward, but the mistake I think we often assume in preaching a text is that familiarity equals understanding. It doesn't always. As often as people have read a text or had it referenced, a sermon that contextualizes a text is a message that better instructs, applies and touches hearts.
Posted by: Robert Szoke on January 30, 2008
When you are with friends and you are reminded of a good story you always preface it and set it up so that everyone can catch the humor or the point of it. I feel the same way with the text. If I don't then people are asking, "What does that have to do with anything?" They should have to wait 20 minutes for me to integrate what I'm saying to them and what the text says.
I agree, it provides anticipation and immediately gets people into your frame of mind. Moreover, into the mind of God who reveals himself in the Scripture.
Posted by: Jason on February 1, 2008
Lately I've been contemplating the idea of preaching as a form of storytelling. The basic structure of a story begins with setting, and I think that's what you did. Knowing the setting prepares us for the rest of a story's elements, which are, in order, conflict, climax and resolution.
Posted by: Dan B. on February 1, 2008