This past month
I had the great joy of going to West Texas to see my family for a week. It was
a delightful trip which allowed me to spend some significant time with my
Mother and Father, who I do not see nearly often enough. I also spent some time
with their collection of amazing friends and family of choice - folks who play,
eat, worship, travel together, and look out for each other since many of them do
not have children who live in the local area.
One of the fun
parts of the trip was doing some teaching for my Mom (Dad did not ask soon
enough). I taught her Sunday school class and her Women's Bible Study group.
The Sunday school class was part of their lives when my son, Shelby, was
adopted from Russia. And when we came home with him, they threw a "Papaw Finally
Has a Grandson Baby Shower” (he had 3 daughters and 4 granddaughters at that
point). Up until a few years ago, my son still used the red Radio Flyer wagon
to play with and to haul things around the yard. It was literally used until
the wheels fell off.
The Women's
Bible Study group that my Mom teaches has been meeting weekly to study together
for 43 years (my Mom is the youngest one in the group). One of the original
members was present for that lesson on Tuesday and she remembered Shelby
running around the house when we were in Texas visiting some 13 or 14 years
ago. It was all fun and I got to relive some great memories.
But one of the
things I wanted to do while I was there was to talk about the task of preaching
and the lessons we can learn from listeners. In the SS class, the average age
is about 75. These folks have been listening to sermons for decades. Like many
of us, they have heard a variety of preachers, seen several different preaching
styles, and had many varying reactions to those preaching moments -- some good
and some not so good. So after doing my preaching "spiel" I asked
them this question:
"If you
could tell new or practicing preachers one thing about preaching from a
listener’s perspective, what would it be?"
I got some
great answers that I want to share with you. These are the words of wisdom from
folks who listen.
First, “don't
talk down to us.” Just because you went to seminary does not mean you know
everything. We read and study, too. Don't assume we are not as smart as you
are.
Second, “use
good grammar.” You did go to seminary so you should be able to speak properly.
If you are using some kind of notes - make sure they are grammatically correct.
If not, practice your sermon with good grammar.
Third, “if you
are going to use humor - make sure it’s appropriate.” Don't make fun of people
or use off color jokes. And don't tell "funny" stories if they are
not appropriate to your context or very appropriate to the sermon.
Fourth, “tell
us stories.” We remember them better - especially if they are tied to the text
and help us connect better to God, the world, and to each other. If your story
teaches us a lesson and is engaging, we will remember it even more.
Fifth, “bring
us good news.” There is so much bad news right now and we need a word of grace
and hope. We need to hear about love and what's possible. We need to be
challenged and engaged, too. But don't be negative or judgmental every week.
Lastly, “know
that we want you to do well.” We want to listen and take a lesson, image,
story, phrase, etc. with us when we leave. Help us get that from your message.
Listening to
these listeners was fun and exciting. Learning from them is something we can
all gain much from. Are you
listening to your listeners?
