Well, with Easter Sunday approaching, preaching is on the minds of a lot of us, well, preachers.
And through my years in seminary and then full time ministry, a number of books have shaped my understanding of what it means to preach. Namely: what is the purpose of a sermon and how do you design it and deliver it so that you get there?
So here are five that have influenced me the most:
6. John Stapleton, Preaching In The Demonstration Of The Spirit And Power. In spite of the book’s title — which sounds like it comes straight from a Pentecostal publishing house — Stapleton is a confirmed mainliner who stands a couple of feet (at least) my theological left. Yet this book remains resonant with its emphasis that the preacher should strive to give the congregation an experience of rather than merely a talk about the particular biblical truth. Almost every week, my preparation notes will include “give an experience of . . . .”
5. Ralph Lews, Inductive Preaching: Helping People Listen. If you went to Asbury Seminary in the 1970s or 80s, you have to include this one on your list. Lewis helped me realize that most people listen & learn from the particular to the general. In other words, you don’t start with the truth or proposition of the day, you identify with and carry the congregation on a journey that gets you there.
4. Stuart Briscoe, Fresh Air In The Pulpit . Briscoe had a marvelous, long-term ministry at Elmbrook Church in Wisconsin, and this book shows you why.
3. Frederick Buechner, Telling The Truth: The Gospel As Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale. Buechner’s influence on preachers and preaching far outweighs his actual output of sermons. He served as a pastor-chaplain for nine years at Phillips Exeter Academy and then settled down to write books at his mountainside home in Vermont. So he writes about preaching more than he actually preaches. Nevertheless, this one is a keeper. I hope to have a bit of each — tragedy, comedy, and fairy tale — in each message. Tragedy: the human situation. Comedy: the gospel goodness. Fairy Tale: what that goodness is like in your life “ever after.”
2. Fred Craddock, The Collected Sermons Of Frederick B. Craddock. Oh, what a treasure this is. Verbatim transcripts of more than 50 sermons from this homiletic genius who combines whimsy and pathos better than anyone I’ve heard. And speaking of hearing, you need to know the unique cadence and inflections of Craddock’s voice to appreciate fully these sermons you’ll read. For an example, click here.
1. Andy Stanley, Communicating For A Change. Andy Stanley is so much the best preacher I’ve ever heard that he’s at least a lap ahead of the rest of the field. Anyway, Communicating For A Change conveys the two-headed genius of a sermon design that has the following movement:
ME
WE
GOD
YOU
WE
and crystallizing the message of the day into one, memorable truth. Before I read this, the people of Good Shepherd had to endure four-point, fill-in-the-blank sermons. No one ever came up to me two weeks later and said, “Talbot, I love those four points you made!” and then recited them all. But many times these days people repeat the bottom line from messages given weeks or even months ago. This past Sunday, for example, a number of folks posted the sermon’s one point on social media: His perfect finish means your fresh start.
