Tackling the yawn factor!

WHY ARE WE OFTEN SO BORING?
Reflections on preaching
By Bob Fyall
Christian Focus. 101 pages. £9.99
ISBN 978 1 527 109 704

I wonder whether a writer becomes a hostage to fortune when using the words ‘boring’ and ‘preaching’ in a book title!

Bob Fyall, who has decades of experience teaching preaching at Cornhill Scotland and other places, says that the title came from a comment made by Dick Lucas about preaching. So why does preaching in the 21st century, that has so many excellent resources at its disposal, often come over as being boring?

Job half done?

The main thesis of this book is that the plethora of resources can make preachers so satisfied with competent exegesis that the assumption is made that the job is now done. Competent exegesis is vital for preparing a Biblical sermon, but it is not itself enough for creating a sermon that connects effectively with a congregation and delivers a message that will transform that congregation.

The author uses verses from the end of Ecclesiastes (The Preacher) to serve as the skeleton of this slim volume. The frame is filled out with numerous wise reflections on how to be a fully formed preacher.

How English works

I was interested to read that the author was in the past an English teacher, something he has in common with his fellow Cornhill colleague, David Jackman. The value of this is that they understand not only what language says but how language works. Understanding how language works helps the preacher preach in a way that engages all five senses in a lively, creative way. The author wants to hear preaching that grips the hearers with more than information to fill a notebook, but builds on that information to spark the imaginations and move the wills of the hearers.

It is worth noting that the author warns that seeking to be interesting as a preacher often fails. By contrast, seeking to be an attentive, deeper and more integrated person helps in the process of shaping sermons that promote delighted disciples rather than barely stifled yawns.