*Editor’s Note: With the demands of ministry and Sunday morning around the corner, it can be tempting to cut important corners in sermon preparation. Sometimes, it’s easy to emphasize what “will preach” and not pay much attention to what the text actually teaches. I recently caught up with a preacher/professor of preaching who aims for and achieves both creativity and carefulness in his preaching. In this conversation, Dr. Jason Poznich, Professor of Biblical Communication and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, gives us some very helpful advice about preaching with consistency.
Q. With Sunday morning fast approaching, preachers can get pragmatic. What are some unfortunate ways preachers accidentally cut corners in their sermon preparation?
Several years ago, Haddon Robinson suggested that preachers must live in four worlds: the world of the text, the contemporary world, the world of the listeners, and the preacher’s own world. I see preachers accidentally cut corners in all of these worlds.
We cut corners in the “world of the text” when we rush toward application or illustration without taking the necessary time to sit with the text, or more importantly with the God of the text.
We cut corners in the “contemporary world” when we fail to become connoisseurs of culture. Do we understand how people speak and think? Do we know their hobbies and interests?
We cut corners in the “world of the listeners” when we fail to apply biblical truth to the specifics of our listeners’ lives. Some of us never feel like we are ready to leave the “hard chair” (world of the text) and move to the “soft chair” of creativity and sermon development. As a result, our listeners fail to see how the text directly speaks into their daily lives.
Finally, we cut corners in the “preacher’s own world” when we procrastinate on our message and end up delivering a “Saturday Night Special” that never really had time to marinate in the homiletical fridge or slow roast in the sermonic oven.
“I see preachers accidentally cut corners in all of these worlds.”
Q. You’ve done a lot of study in the area of “hermeneutical consistency.” Before we go there, what are some examples of hermeneutical inconsistency you’ve seen in preaching?
Most of my work in this area is with Luke-Acts, so I’ll try to provide an example from the writings of Luke.
Let me first say, I think our preachers today do a much better job of hermeneutical consistency than we may have done a century ago. When I was doing my doctoral work, I read a lot of our (Stone-Campbell Movement) early writings, particularly those dealing with the book of Acts. I noticed that our interpretive conclusions were sometimes based on theological alignment. When I say “theological alignment” I mean seeing something in the text that aligns with what we already believe; therefore, this text teaches and supports what we believe theologically.
For example, it’s been our tradition in Restoration Movement churches to celebrate the Lord’s Supper each week as we gather. Personally, I cherish this practice. Some of the earliest support for this weekly practice came from our interpretation of Acts 20:7-12. The text begins by saying that they got together on the first day of the week to break bread. The practices we see in Acts became a blueprint for how we operate today. As a result, the Lord’s Supper must be practiced weekly.
Yet, that hermeneutic was applied inconsistently. Paul also preached for six hours until Eutychus fell out of the window. And that was just part one of his sermon! He resumed, and he preached for six more hours until sunlight! So, why not twelve-hour sermons? And what about the other details of the text—why are they not blueprints? In reality, we chose to zero in on the Lord’s Supper because weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper aligned with our theology.
“When I say ‘theological alignment’ I mean seeing something in the text that aligns with what we already believe; therefore, this text teaches and supports what we believe theologically.”
Q. So, what is hermeneutical consistency, and why is it important to pursue in our preaching?
Nobody has asked me to define hermeneutical consistency, so this is a good exercise for me. I’ll also add this caveat: this is my working definition/explanation of hermeneutical consistency. Hermeneutical consistency is adopting a philosophy of interpreting biblical texts that carefully engage with the content and intent of the human and divine authors in order to faithfully apply the timelessness of the biblical text in our contemporary setting. I know; it’s a mouthful.
I think preaching with hermeneutical consistency is important for a few reasons. First, consistency builds credibility. When our listeners see the consistent care with which we interpret and apply the scriptures, our preaching and pastoral credibility rises with time. The opposite is also true. When a preacher misuses a text to make the point he wants to make, the preacher loses credibility.
Second, consistency validates integrity. When we apply our hermeneutic consistently, we surrender to the content and intent of the text, even if it forces us to reach conclusions that don’t align with our previously held views. It proves that the truth of the text matters more to us than the innovativeness of our ideas.
Q. In preaching, how do you aim for both carefulness with the text and creativity? My guess is that one could see them as in competition with each other.
I’m sure there are some people sitting in our churches who might see textual carefulness and sermonic creativity as competitors, but I don’t see it that way. My aim has always been to let the text win when I preach or teach.
Early on, I assumed that meant paying careful attention to the text and making sure the content of my message closely mirrored the content of the text(s) being preached. While it’s true that letting the text win requires that our sermonic content reflects the textual content, letting the text win is more than that. Letting the text win involves helping our listeners experience the text the way the first readers experienced it, helping our listeners feel the emotional push and pull of the text, reflecting the literary artistry of the text, and imaging the God of the text for your people.
So, when I am studying a text in preparation to preach, I begin with the goal of letting the text win. Everything else is subordinate to that aim. That means creativity is a tool in the hands of preachers to help ensure the text wins in the message.
“When I am studying a text in preparation to preach, I begin with the goal of letting the text win.”
Q. As I’ve heard you preach, I’ve been impressed with your creativity. What are some of your tips for helping preachers pursue creativity in their craft?
If I were to offer a few quick tips to help a preacher pursue creativity, the first tip would be to recognize that God is the ultimate creative. As we open the pages of Scripture, his first activity is creativity, and his creativity is all over the pages of Scripture.
Much of my creativity comes right from the creativity of the text. If I’m preaching on Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world, why not utilize darkness in the auditorium for a portion of the sermon and then have the lights come on when Jesus declares himself the light of the world?
Second, I think of preaching as multi-sensory. Are there sound effects that could create the right ambience? Could a prop or some other visual display better engage their sense of sight? Are there ways we can engage one of the other senses? If you’re preaching one of the table scenes in Luke’s Gospel, could you have freshly baked goods people could smell?
Third, I would encourage preachers to be willing to take risks. Try something creative, and be okay if it doesn’t work. And if it doesn’t work, there’s always next Sunday (assuming the Lord tarries).
