Preaching Tips

Snap that photo! Today we live in an age of electronic media. People share what is most meaningful to them.  Although you don’t want constant “snapping” in the midst of your holy times, still, using cameras in the midst of worship at times can portray the beauty and wonder of…

“What did you say?”  “I couldn’t hear a word the preacher said!” Those are common complaints among elderly in the church.  Even if you have a voice that carries….even if you have a great phenomenal speaking voice, it’s a good idea to use a mic. It doesn’t matter if hand-held…

Tell the stories of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances.  These are witnesses that created Christianity as we know it. Without the resurrection of Jesus, Christianity doesn’t grow in the first century. How can you re-create that experience for your people? How can you bring home the power and shock of the resurrection…

When you are preaching, look alive!  Even if you’ve had a terrible week, even if you’ve been up all night, even if you feel terrible, if you are not alive in Jesus when you preach to others, you cannot possibly convey His resurrection joy!

Easter Sunday is a time of celebration, singing, dressing to the hilt. It’s especially challenging to make sure that in the midst of the celebration, people know what they are celebrating. Make your sermon on Easter something new and fresh that will capture attention by using resurrection metaphors that will…

Participation makes all the difference when celebrating a yearly event. The Procession of the Lambs was a participatory event in the lives of Jewish people at the time Jesus straddled a donkey and joined the procession, surprising all present, pleasing the crowds.  Make this Palm Sunday celebration as participatory as possible.  Bring…

Does your preaching light a candle of hope in another person’s heart?  That’s the question for this week in Lent. Some preaching can merely inform, instruct, or serve as moral guidance.  But does your preaching bring light into another person’s life, where formerly there had been none or little?  Preaching…

I recently watched a DVD of Adele. And during her concert, several times, she stopped singing, inviting her fans and audience to take over. The glee in their voices was palpable. And they sang their hearts out. Pop culture knows well that the best experience are participatory. This Lent, make…

Lent is a great time to hold weeknight short meditative services with brief meditations on Lenten scriptures or thoughts. Instead of your usual sermon, perhaps try telling one of Jesus’ final parables, updating it within a 21st century context.  Or try writing your own parable. You can choose a metaphor…

Don’t be afraid of sadness. Often, we as parishioners (and pastors too) love to celebrate the happy times in the body of Christ but edge away from the times of mourning, sadness, and heartbreak. But no one can possibly understand the impact of Easter and the resurrection without first experiencing…