Sermon Condiments
Here is another excerpt from Sermon Salt: How to Spice Up Your Sermons.
So how do we salt our sermons?
There are a thousand ways to spice things up, but here are some secret ingredients.
Add Object Lessons
Jesus set a precedent in his parables. He used everything from mustard seeds to Roman coins to little children to drive home his point. He even did illustrated sermons. Putting a towel around his waist and washing the disciples' feet was probably his most memorable message. And he didn't have to say a word! Think of objects as condiments. They help people remember the point you are making.
Over the years I've used everything from nails to silly putty to pop rocks to help people digest what I'm trying to communicate. A couple weeks ago, our Pastor of Media made a point with a $20 bill. He held it up and asked if anybody wanted it. Everybody raised their hand. Then he crumpled it and stomped on it, and asked if anybody still wanted it. Of course, everybody did. Why? Because it was still worth $20. In the same sense, nothing that happens to us makes us any less valuable to God. That simple object lesson was the most memorable part of the message. Why? Because it added some spice.
It's amazing the way a little salt and pepper can make a sermon so much more memorable and enjoyable.
Add Video Illustrations
According to neurological research, the brain is able to process print on a page at a rate of approximately one hundred bits per second. But the brain can process a picture at approximately one billion bits per second. The old aphorism is wrong. A picture is not worth a thousand words. Mathematically speaking, a picture is worth ten million words.
We try to shoot on location video illustrations as much as possible. There is something about seeing images set to music that leaves an indelible impression on the cerebral cortex. Multi-media doesn't just demand attention. It is more memorable than the spoken word because it engages more senses. At National Community Church, we think of the movie theater screen as postmodern stained glass. That is why we shoot so many video illustrations and sermon series trailers. The medieval church used stained glass to communicate the gospel in pictures to an illiterate culture. We're using moving pictures to communicate the gospel to a post literate culture.
I also see an undercurrent of creativity within the church-at-large. Last month, National Community Church hosted its first National Conference for pastors called The Buzz Conference. As part of the conference, we hosted a Buzz Film Festival. I was absolutely blown away by the level of creativity! Some of the scripting and cinematography rivals Hollywood and Madison Avenue.
Add Stories
Another way to spice up your sermons is via stories.
Soren Kierkegaard made a distinction between two kinds of communication: direct and indirect. Direct communication is a straightforward presentation of the truth. And there is certainly a time and place for direct communication. Jesus employed direct communication when he was talking to the Pharisees. But direct communication has a downside. It often puts listeners in a defensive posture because it can feel like a frontal attack.
That is where indirect communication comes into play. Indirect communication is sneaking in the side door. It is helping people discover the truth for themselves. Kierkegaard also referred to it as wounding from behind. The most effective form of indirect communication is storytelling.
Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish filmmaker, said, "Facts go straight to the head; stories go straight to the heart." Sermons need to be both/and. They need facts that inform the left-brain. But they also need stories that capture the imagination of the right-brain. Jesus was the quintessential right-brain preacher. He certainly employed left-brain logic. In fact, he is the Logos. But he never preached without using a parable that would make sense to the right-brain of listeners! Matthew 13:34 says, "Jesus always used stories and illustrations."
Madeline L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, said, "Jesus was not a theologian, but a God who told stories." Stories not only help people digest complex truths. They help them taste truth. So the next time you craft a sermon, why not experiment with a new recipe. And don't forget to sprinkle some salt and melt some cheese on top.
Bon appetit.
So how do we salt our sermons?
There are a thousand ways to spice things up, but here are some secret ingredients.
Add Object Lessons
Jesus set a precedent in his parables. He used everything from mustard seeds to Roman coins to little children to drive home his point. He even did illustrated sermons. Putting a towel around his waist and washing the disciples' feet was probably his most memorable message. And he didn't have to say a word! Think of objects as condiments. They help people remember the point you are making.
Over the years I've used everything from nails to silly putty to pop rocks to help people digest what I'm trying to communicate. A couple weeks ago, our Pastor of Media made a point with a $20 bill. He held it up and asked if anybody wanted it. Everybody raised their hand. Then he crumpled it and stomped on it, and asked if anybody still wanted it. Of course, everybody did. Why? Because it was still worth $20. In the same sense, nothing that happens to us makes us any less valuable to God. That simple object lesson was the most memorable part of the message. Why? Because it added some spice.
It's amazing the way a little salt and pepper can make a sermon so much more memorable and enjoyable.
Add Video Illustrations
According to neurological research, the brain is able to process print on a page at a rate of approximately one hundred bits per second. But the brain can process a picture at approximately one billion bits per second. The old aphorism is wrong. A picture is not worth a thousand words. Mathematically speaking, a picture is worth ten million words.
We try to shoot on location video illustrations as much as possible. There is something about seeing images set to music that leaves an indelible impression on the cerebral cortex. Multi-media doesn't just demand attention. It is more memorable than the spoken word because it engages more senses. At National Community Church, we think of the movie theater screen as postmodern stained glass. That is why we shoot so many video illustrations and sermon series trailers. The medieval church used stained glass to communicate the gospel in pictures to an illiterate culture. We're using moving pictures to communicate the gospel to a post literate culture.
I also see an undercurrent of creativity within the church-at-large. Last month, National Community Church hosted its first National Conference for pastors called The Buzz Conference. As part of the conference, we hosted a Buzz Film Festival. I was absolutely blown away by the level of creativity! Some of the scripting and cinematography rivals Hollywood and Madison Avenue.
Add Stories
Another way to spice up your sermons is via stories.
Soren Kierkegaard made a distinction between two kinds of communication: direct and indirect. Direct communication is a straightforward presentation of the truth. And there is certainly a time and place for direct communication. Jesus employed direct communication when he was talking to the Pharisees. But direct communication has a downside. It often puts listeners in a defensive posture because it can feel like a frontal attack.
That is where indirect communication comes into play. Indirect communication is sneaking in the side door. It is helping people discover the truth for themselves. Kierkegaard also referred to it as wounding from behind. The most effective form of indirect communication is storytelling.
Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish filmmaker, said, "Facts go straight to the head; stories go straight to the heart." Sermons need to be both/and. They need facts that inform the left-brain. But they also need stories that capture the imagination of the right-brain. Jesus was the quintessential right-brain preacher. He certainly employed left-brain logic. In fact, he is the Logos. But he never preached without using a parable that would make sense to the right-brain of listeners! Matthew 13:34 says, "Jesus always used stories and illustrations."
Madeline L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, said, "Jesus was not a theologian, but a God who told stories." Stories not only help people digest complex truths. They help them taste truth. So the next time you craft a sermon, why not experiment with a new recipe. And don't forget to sprinkle some salt and melt some cheese on top.
Bon appetit.
1 Comments:
I absolutely love this! I do a small version of this in our student ministry workshop, but I will admit to stealing this version giving you full credit-as well as Jesus....but just so you know...this may really wind up ol' Ingred and the Blog-Police! I think you are already moving up their 10 most wanted list too!
Thanks for your words and writing.
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