Letting the text speak to us over time
Rob Bell, as reported by Mike DeVries (HT: Michael Duduit and Preaching Now) offers insights on preaching with passion:
This idea of living with a text goes beyond simply setting aside "prep" time each week. It involves letting the text speak to us over time. The idea of letting our ideas fully develop before teaching them, by the way, goes along with some of Mike Russell's recent thoughts at Eternal Perspectives.
Weekly teaching can be destructive to creativity.
I don't teach something that has not been a part of me for six months to a year. You need to live the text... let it ferment in your soul. People will know whether you have lived with the text. Think about it, if I asked you to talk about your wedding or something else that has changed you, would you really need notes?
As a teacher, you need to live with a text - allow it to ferment in you, take up residence in you - then connections begin to be made.
This idea of living with a text goes beyond simply setting aside "prep" time each week. It involves letting the text speak to us over time. The idea of letting our ideas fully develop before teaching them, by the way, goes along with some of Mike Russell's recent thoughts at Eternal Perspectives.
posted by Milton Stanley at 10:32 AM
4 Comments:
I'm told that John Calvin did not use notes to preach. I think I would have to really know the text and have lived. Pray for me since I am preaching this Sunday.
I have been teaching 7th and 8th grade students Sunday School for eight years. I can honestly say that they have responded the most to lessons that were accompanied by my sharing my own struggles with something. They like to know their teacher is human. If I'm able to teach without much reference to my notes, I can say it was a pretty good lesson.
I'll certainly be praying for you, Terry. Please let me know how it goes. Peace.
Sounds good to me, Kim. Glad to hear you're willing to be human in your classes (and at The Upward Call). Peace.
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