Preaching With Passion Involves Your Body

Preaching With Passion Involves Your Body

This will likely be the last post that I do on preaching with passion.  If you want to review what we considered in this journey, the first post is at this link.  In this post I want to examine how preaching with passion involves your body (or your whole self).

Consider This:

Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 Communication model says that 7% of the meaning of feelings and attitudes takes place through the words we use in spoken communications, while 38% takes place through tone and voice and the remaining 55% of communication of these factors take place through the body language we use (specifically our facial expressions).

Think about that.  I’ve shared before in this blog that my pastor from the time I was about 12 to 22 had a warped view of communication.  He felt that any gesture, or any change in position from behind the pulpit would distract from the inspired Word.  So, he stood behind the pulpit, held a Bible in his two hands, and never moved or used a gesture.  In Albert Mehrabian’s view, he wasn’t doing a very good job of communicating.

The main point is this: preaching with passion involves your body.

Learning to Use Your Body In Preaching

As I began this post, I thought back to my preaching class in seminary.  It was taught by two professors: one was a speech teacher brought over from the college associated with my seminary.  The other was a theologian.  The idea was a good one, I think.  From one we would be observed in our learning regarding our theology and Bible knowledge.  The other would give us good tips from the world of speech.

However, I don’t remember ever talking about using our voice and our body in our messages.

Methods of Presentation And Passion in Preaching

There are several ways to present your message:

• You could read your manuscript.  Many people do this, ostensibly to remain true to what they want to say.
• You can recite the message.  In other words, you memorize it, and recite it to your audience.  This allows eye connection with your congregation.
• Some preachers say it is best to speak in an impromptu message.  They claim that this allows the Spirit to speak through us.  Let me just say that it is the rare person who can do this well.
• Extemporaneous preaching.  This is what I would argue for as the most effective method for allowing passion in preaching and accuracy in preaching.  What do I mean by this?  Here is a definition of extemporaneous speech: An extemporaneous speech is a type of public speaking where the speaker presents a well-researched and organized speech on a given topic without extensive preparation or a fully written script¹². It may involve using notes or cards during the presentation².

It is easy to see that if you are going to engage your audience with your eyes, reading a manuscript will be least effective.   I found that the most effective means for me was the extemporaneous style.  I did write a manuscript most weeks, however.  That is another issue, but I found when I tried to use a message a second time in another church setting I couldn’t remember what my limited notes meant.  But when it came to presentation, I wanted to engage the audience.  That meant that I had to be free of the manuscript.  Preaching with passion involves your body so you have to set your body free.

Learning To Use Your Body for Passionate Preaching

This will take some courage on your part.  Practice your message until you can speak it without referring to notes.  Make a point of looking over your audience.

Once you get comfortable doing this, try stepping from behind your pulpit or lecture and lean in to your audience as you make a particular point.

If you practice this, you will find that people respond to your message to a much greater extent.  In fact, they will say that you seem to be more passionate in your preaching.  Remember, preaching with passion involves your body.

Here’s a further consideration: