Preach Magazine Issue 1 - Creativity and innovation in preaching | Page 22

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SERIAL

In your mind there is a brilliant message, ready and waiting to transform the
world. It is profound, insightful and cleverly structured. You might even go as
far as to say you felt a touch of divine inspiration as you worked on it.

S

unday arrives. You walk to the
front, grip the podium like a
lifebuoy and try to remember not
to do that thing where you jab
your finger like the war recruitment
poster. It seems to be going well. But
at the door at the end of the service,
you wonder why people are trying to
sidle past you without shaking your
hand. One lady seems to flinch when
you catch her eye. There is a muscle
complaining in your right shoulder.
The truth is, while your words
conveyed grace and compassion, your
body was shouting judgement. You
looked angry, and your congregation
now feels jumpy around you.
Research indicates that body
language accounts for 50–70% of
communication. Robert Phipps, one
of the UK’s best known body language
experts, says ‘Whether we like it or
not, we all respond to non-verbal
messages. Sometimes we think about
them consciously, sometimes we don’t.
And just because we aren’t consciously
aware of them doesn’t mean that they
don’t have an effect on us!’

LWPT8173 - Preach Magazine - Issue 1 v3.indd 22

As preachers, it is vital that we are
aware of what our bodies are saying
to our listeners, and do our utmost
to make sure we aren’t contradicting
our own words. To aid us, here’s a
concise dictionary of body language
commonly used in the pulpit:

CROSSED ARMS – says you are
defensive, closed off, or selfprotective. Or maybe you are just
cold and tired

CLASPING HANDS BEHIND THE
BACK – says you are bored, anxious
or even angry

FINGER POINTING – dictatorial
and aggressive

It also might be where you naturally
keep your hands to stop them fiddling,
but since most of the connotations of
this stance are negative, perhaps a
new anti-fiddling strategy would be
preferable.
CLENCHED FIST – anger, solidarity or
resolve
I have seen the fist-pound on the
lectern used to great effect (it woke me
and several others from a light doze).
Fists are not always negative, but best
used in moderation and accompanied
by a rousing call to some worthy
response: ‘The church tower is falling
down. We must dig deep!’ BAM.

Either way, there are probably
better things to do with your arms
in the preaching context.

Preaching often involves a degree
of exhortation, and it may be
tempting to embellish your delivery
with the occasional jab of the index
finger. No one likes being pointed
at; children don’t like it and adults
particularly don’t like it. If this is a
habit you have, consider painting
the nail of the offending digit a
garish green as a reminder.
FINGER TIPS AND THUMBS
TOUCHING (STEEPLING) – Clever
people do this. It indicates
connective or complex thinking
You can now fake being clever.

17/10/2014 12:53:49