The Homiletical Beat: Why All Sermons Are Narrative by Eugene L. Lowry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Based on Lowry's Beecher and Self Lectures, this small book contends that all preaching is narrative preaching because "a sermon is an ordered form of moving time." Telling stories is only one form of narrative preaching, but not the only form. Preaching has long moved away from a structured argument (at least the best views of it have), and Lowry was one of the leaders of that movement. My own preaching was affected by reading Fred Craddock who teaches that the true point of the sermon should only come out at near the end, keeping people in anticipation throughout. I've corrected people before when they've used the old high school idea of how to write an essay, "Say what you're going to say, say it, remind people of what you've said." Because that is the worst sermon form in the world.

Lowry writes that the audience shouldn't be able to complete the sermon for you, but need to listen to see where you are going. I hope I'm good at that, because it is what I aim to do. And my own particular technique is leaving the end of the sermon somewhat open and not using a gimmick for closure.

Lowry says a sermon should follow a plot of oops, ugh, aha, whee, and yeah. Or, put less eloquently, upsetting the equlibirum, escalating the discrepancy, disclosing the clue to resolution, experiencing the gospel, and the unfolding.

Lowry also contends that sermon preparation should remained focused on practices of orality. He is not against a manuscript, but that we should not move to quickly to closure or the finished product and that the writing should be with a oral experience in view. I believe I do that. I always rehearse my sermons, which often greatly changes what is written or how it is structured. When an Associate Pastor, I rehearsed sermons in the sanctuary and even practiced gestures, but I don't do that anymore. My delivery of the sermon is never exactly what is in my manuscript.

So, a good refresher with some interesting new ideas I will incorporate into my practice.

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