A Speaker's Distractions

Thinking on this topic, I think my biggest annoyance is the preacher that feels the need to have you repeat one of his phrases periodically. Such as "And Christ was crucified for your sins & my sins--" slight pause, & then "-- turn to your neighbor and say 'mine & your sins' ".

A real close second is the preacher thinks everybody is deaf and speaks accordingly.

It's real hard for me to get past either of these and concentrate on the message

 

What if the preacher was signing as he preached?

Cheers,

Jim

 

Shufflitus. Constant movement of the speakers feet. Not just moving away from the pulpit.
Hip shots. Never lifting one's hands above the waist.
Hands in pockets.
"Um...."

 

I very much dislike sweet talk just to please people. I like listening to a preacher who knows God and knows that he has the most important responsibility at that moment.

 

Charismatic preachers and teachers do this all the time, mainly because they believe that the words you speak have power, and "you can have what you say."

For them, and anybody else who pulls this trick, it's manipulation pure and simple. Same thing for preachers who beg for "amens."

This is irritating once you recognize it for what it is, and sometimes a spirit of rebellion rises within me which says "I'll go to the hot place before I'll amen any preacher who demands an amen."

And one of the worst distractions is something like this: "Open your bibles to John 3:16, amen? The Bible says for God so loved the world, amen?, that he gave his only begotten Son, amen?, that whosover should believe in him, amen?, should not perish but have ever lasting life, amen?"

 

If you analyze the average 45 minute sermon you will learn that it could have been preached in 15 minutes!

Cheers,

Jim

 

That is a sad commentary on the average sermon but I agree. A preacher once told me that preaching from the KJV will lengthen a sermon to almost double the time.

 

It amazes me how may churches and preachers try to emulate businesses. What they do not realize is that about 80% of the businesses fail within two years and most businesses are not very old.

 

On average------mine are 45 minutes in length, Jim w/the KJV

You mean to tell me if I switched brands of Bibles-----I can "get 'er done" in 15 or better???????

Nice laugh, Brother:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

If my average sermon were a horse running at the Kentucky Derby----he'd be eatin' a lot of dust!!!!! But at least I'd know I'm on the same track as the "Big Boys!!!"

 

I will have to admit that I can't stand it when a preacher puts a "huh" at the end of every phrase as if that's some kind of sign that his preaching is anointed. Quite honestly I start focusing on the "huh's" rather than the substance of the sermon.

 

I remember a preacher, I think his name was Harvey Springer, from the south-western USA, preaching in the very formal Jarvis Street Baptist Church. He was preaching on Jonah. At one point, he grabbed the rear of his trousers and his shoulder and threw himself over the platform railing onto the floor to demonstrate Jonah being thrown overboard. That is all I remember of that sermon. It was a tad dramatic for me and for most of the church members. He was never invited back.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Is it possible that he is taking a breath?

 

I do all the above, I jingle my keys and change. I pace the isles of the Church and have been known to sit in pews while preaching. I have a lot of mannerisms like rubbing my head, wiping my face with my handkerchief and I constantly button and unbutton my coat.

I yell, I scream, I spit and like to say, "AMEN lights" or "AMEN walls" when the Church gets quite.

 

Particularly if he has asthma... I know of a preacher with asthma who does that hacking noise...

 

I'm not talking about taking a breath. I am talking about a deliberate "huh." It's one thing to be so into the preaching that one has to catch his breath. In such cases I would suggest exercise and perhaps breathing treatments. On the other hand, some believe the "huh" indicates the presence of the Holy Spirit speaking through the preacher. No "huh," and no Holy Spirit.

 

That's why I said I do not want to video or pictures of me in the Pulpit. My youngest always had a nickname for the preachers. He had 'Inhaler Man', and 'Chicken Walker'. I told him to never tell me what he calls me.

 

What about guys who blow their nose-----------preachin' along---with that hankerchief wadded up in the palm of their hand----and then---out of the blue----they blow their frizzlin' nose-----repeatedly during the whole sermon!!!!!!:BangHead: --------mercy---they make it sound like the space shuttle lifting off from Cape Canaveral!!!!!!!!!!

THAT drives this Cajun preacher insane!!!

 

Just remember, my dear brother, you also shake hands with that preacher after the service.....imagine if he didn't have that handkerchief!

There's your next topic in the homiletics book you should write.

A.a.a.a. choo!

Cheers,

Jim

 

(Maybe you meant 'singing' but in case you didn't...)

Well, it isn't your 'cup of tea' but I pastor a deaf congregation and one of the greatest sins that a deaf pastor can commit is staying in one place. I rarely stand behind my pulpit because probably 60% of communication with the deaf is not on the hands only but rather involves the whole body.