Without a Net: Preaching in the Paperless Pulpit

Rating:
Summary: A high-wire act for preachers
Review: This book is written for preachers who need the control that writing a sermon manuscript provides, yet sense that simply reading the written words to the congregation will not do. It presents a concise and workable method for the preparation and delivery of sermons without written reminders. It works by beginning with delivery in mind, which casts the entire sermon preparation process, including both study and composition, in a completely new light. Sermons will become easy to preach without notes, because they were meant to be preached in the paperless pulpit.

The method reaches back to the ancient rhetoric of Cicero and Augustine, who taught that memory was a key component in delivering a speech. This does not mean merely memorizing a written essay, but instead creating something memorable, easy to learn, and easy to hear. The best way for a preacher to preach without notes is to prepare a sermon that lends itself to memory-with the added benefit that it will stay that much longer in the minds of the congregation!

The book gives a step-by-step procedure for creating such memorable sermons, written with both beginning and experienced preachers in mind. You can read from start to finish, or check the outline to skip to the parts you need to work on. Each chapter is summed up in a concise "nutshell," and there are boxes with hints and tints scattered throughout. There is also one-page summary, "The Secret to Preaching Without a Net." Sample sermon manuscripts and an annotated reading list conclude the book.

As the author of this book (of course I gave it five stars, I wouldn't have bothered writing it otherwise!), I can testify that the method works. In fact, I wrote it because the question I was most often asked was, "How do you do it?" That is, "How do you get up there without any notes and preach those word-perfect, extemporaneous sermons, as if it were the most natural thing in the world?" The answer is that I don't; behind the seemingly spontaneous style is a lot of work, the secret of which is in this book. My hope is that with a little practice, the method will work for you too, and you will be the one they are asking, "How do you do that?"

Here's what a reviewer had to say: "If you read this volume-and especially if you digest it-your preaching is bound to become more effective.... Highly recommended for all who seek a new burst of enthusiasm in their preaching"-Marshall D. Johnson, author of "Making Sense of the Bible."