You might just cringe at the thought. Most Christians have heard sermons that sounded as if the preacher were trying to perform—maybe really bad regional theater. But, on the other hand, we've also heard sermons when we wished the preacher at least had an inkling of a performer's delivery.
Clayton Schmit, professor of preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., makes an eloquent case for preaching as performance art on the Christianity Today website.
The tagline to the article's title reveals Schmit's thesis: "The way it's delivered is part of the message."
Effective preaching incarnates God's word into words—and gestures, inflection, volume and silence—when it is well-delivered, Schmit explains. And rather than activity intended to draw attention to the speaker, an effective preacher-performer focuses attention on Jesus.
Submission—to Scripture and to "the practice required to bring these words to life"—and humility are the keys to powerful preaching performance, he insists.
This is a helpful, thought-provoking article, not only for preachers, but for worshippers who listen to them.
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