Where is the Sermon Going?

When I was young my parents forced me to sit in church with them and listen to the preacher. It was agonizing, until he began providing his sermon notes for the whole congregation. With these in hand I always knew how close he was to finishing, which made the pain a tad more bearable.

Ultimately his notes ruined any measure of intrigue or surprise. Everyone knew all of his alliterated points – including what letter they began with – from the start.

This would be like sitting down to watch a film that opened with a monologue from the director. He would explain where the story was located, who the characters were, and outline the plot, conflict and resolution. He would then conclude by saying, “Thanks for listening, now enjoy the film.”

You may be thinking, “That would ruin the whole thing.” Yes, in fact it would. But have you ever given much thought as to why?

It’s because a good narrative leads us forward not by giving us information, but by withholding it. We have to remain engaged in the story to see what will happen next. The best films do this brilliantly. They allow us to know where we are in the story, but enough is hidden to hold our attention.

Pastors must learn from this. Many preachers begin their sermons with an introduction of some sort, which are often a summary of the teaching itself. Communication theory would call this “sign posting.”

It’s telling people where the teaching is going (almost point-by-point), and constantly reminding them of where you have been. While this can help people locate themselves in the midst of a lecture, it also creates barriers and boundaries.

With "sign posting" the listener is not free to think outside the framework that has been constructed. Their minds and hearts are not invited to go anywhere because they have already been told where the lecture is going. If they desire to actively participate, they have to move with the speaker to the next predictable point.

By contrast, narratives invite us into a world of exploration and discovery (read my last post for more on this). When you are caught up in a magnificent story do you really want someone reminding you of where you have been or where you are going? Of course not.

You want to be free to think, imagine and consider new possibilities. “Signposts” get in the way of that.

In an age of information overload we don’t need more lectures; we need sermons that stir our collective imagination. The difference between the two can be found at the beginning by simply listening. Are congregations being told where they are going or being invited to listen and engage in a story?