Evotional.com - Mark Batterson

I just read a fascinating study that has huge implications for preaching. Psychologist Daniel Berlyne did a study on the impact of art. He found that what strikes us as good art is usually a slight derivation from our expectations. Art that is too large a deviation from what we already know is considered bizarre. Art that fits our expectations perfectly is considering boring. Good art is somewhere in between. We like "mild surprises" that fall somewhere between boring and bizarre. What most people consider to be great art is a modest change from the status quo. I think that has huge implications for the messages we preach. If I had to describe what I try to do with my sermons I'd probably put it this way: I try to say old things in new ways. I try to come at truth from slightly different angles--almost like turning a kaleidoscope. Great preaching is a slight derivation from expectation.