A Little Handbook for Preachers

I'm not a preacher nor the son of a preacher, but I am a seminary graduate. I've taken a few preaching classes and sat through my share of sermons. Mary Hulst's A Little Handbook for Preachers: Ten Practical Ways to a Better Sermon by Sunday is great for preachers, but people in the pew will benefit as well. I know I can use some help to be a better listener to sermons.

Hulst's Little Handbook is not as simplistic and "check-list-y" as it sounds. The cover makes it look like she's offering quick fixes to touch up a sermon before delivery. But Hulst gets to the heart of sermon content and preparation. She makes a crucial distinction between "Christian speeches" and sermons. I have certainly heard a few Christian speeches on Sundays. She describes a Christian speech as "a spoken address on a particular topic that may or may not refer to Scripture." By contrast, "a sermon is an oral event in which the speaker humbles him- or herself before the grand narrative of Scripture and, after seeking to understand what God is up to in a particular passage, invites the hearers to know God more." Rather than using Scripture to prove our point, preachers should "read the text to hear what God has to say." Amen to that.

In that same vein, Hulst draws a distinction between Bible class and the sermon. "The difference between a Bible class and a sermon is that while a Bible class can impact what we know, a sermon needs to also impact how we live." The art of preaching is to "create in our hearers a deeper desire to know and love God more." To meet that goal, sermons should be "grace-full," talking less about "this is what you need to do" and more about "this is what we get to do" because of what God has done. We relate to our listeners by being compelling, contextual, relevant, and embodied. We should draw on the lives of our listeners, and not so much on our own lives, for illustrations of the message.

A Little Handbook is highly practical, and, properly applied, will give a preacher much to think about when preparing a sermon. For my part, sitting in the pew, Hulst gives me much to think about, not in a critical way but in a constructive way. I won't be preaching any time soon, but I will show more appreciation to my pastor and be sure to give him positive feedback.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

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Ten practical ways to a better sermon by Sunday. Ah, the allure of self-help books and “ten simple step” works. To be honest, the ten steps are not short or simple, but they are practical and beneficial. Look at a sermon as an illustrative speech filled with metaphors and lessons. This book helps fill in the rest of the dots: (i) biblical preaching, (ii) G-d focused preaching, (iii) grace-filled preaching, (iv) compelling preaching, (v) imaginative preaching, (vi) contextual preaching, (vii) relevant preaching, (viii) embodied preaching, (ix) selfless preaching, and (x) getting feedback about one’s preaching. The first nine points can help one either “preach at others” or be one that teaches others how to fish - your call how you apply the lessons, but only the latter is of any value and the former only keeps the church irrelevant. Make it teaching, not preaching, and engage relationally. The last step is one everyone should have known already - get feedback or you won’t be in sync with your congregation (duh!).
The author aims this book at those who are new to preaching or those who are worn out. It is a different style than seminary requires, but one that can be used with seminary teaching. That said, it is not the only style and one should “mix it up” to see what works best in every scenario. The book can help with learning practical improvements to preaching, but one that preaches should continually be learning how to improve and be a better teacher as well as discipler. Personally, this book is not for me. I’m not a preacher and I dislike the term preacher, instead looking for a way to foster spiritual conversations, relationships, and small group discipleship. For those that are like me, this book might be of little value (or some if you need these steps), but those who find themselves in a pulpit every Sunday might find a tidbit or two that is worth your while…

Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post.