Growing Edge
July 1, 1995
Why do some sermons with solid biblical content fail to connect with the listener? According to Calvin Miller, the problem boils down to a language barrier: Although Scripture is communicated in friendly street language, the church through the centuries has picked up a distinct "worship language." Even sermons that ooze with Scripture lose vitality when preached in a worship language unfamiliar to today's listeners. I recently visited with Calvin Miller, professor of communication and ministry studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, about his "Marketplace Preaching" (Baker; 188 pages, $12.99). HOW CAN PREACHERS MOVE FROM "WORSHIP LANGUAGE" TO "STREET LANGUAGE"? Miller: Spend time with people in their marketplace. Join them for lunch. Watch how they greet people and relate to them. Preachers who don't do this fall into a church lingo unlike the friendly street language the gospel of Christ was written in. HOW CAN WE SPEAK ABOUT OUR INTERESTS, HOBBIES, AND EXPERIENCES WITHOUT ALIENATING THOSE FROM A DIFFERENT GENERATION OR THE OPPOSITE SEX? Even people with a different habitat will respect you if you're authentic. Some women may not relate to a story about fly fishing, but they will listen if it's authentic. When a woman in our church uses an illustration from motherhood, I can still relate because of the reality of the experience. Don't try to bend your habitat to fit your listeners; they'll appreciate yours. Nor should you say, "I know many of you won't relate to this." HOW DOES THE PHYSICAL SETTING--THE PULPIT, FOR EXAMPLE--AFFECT HOW PEOPLE HEAR THE SERMON? I encourage preachers to minimize the furniture of authority. This is a nice way of saying you may want to throw out the pulpit. As a pastor, ...
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