2009
Rhoda S. Montgomery
Goldilocks in the Pulpit: Avoiding Preaching that is Too Hard Or Too Soft—Finding Just the Right Voice
Preaching is a journey for both the preacher and the congregation. For the journey to have meaning, the preacher must know when to push, when to soothe, when to teach and when to cheer. How does the preacher know what time it is? How does the congregation engage the preacher’s message…or not? For the sermon to live outside the minutes in the pulpit and to help shape the community, the preacher must find her own authentic voice. Sermons that call a congregation to action or breathe new life into old Scriptures, or sermons that offer a glimmer of hope in a time of darkness cannot be heard beyond the basic mechanics of auditory response if the preacher is disconnected from her material or her congregation, or if the preacher is unapproachable, or if she is experienced merely as entertaining. The best preaching comes when the preacher knows herself and finds ways to connect her own struggles and triumphs with her congregation’s struggles and triumphs. Ultimately she must preach to connect all those struggles and triumphs with the sacred story which unites us all.