Preaching Without Notes

"For no one may benefit another with that which he does not have himself." St. Augustine, On Christian Doctrine.

"...the speaker('s)...character must almost be called the most effective means of persuasion he possesses." Aristotle, Rhetoric.

"I am convinced that no one can be an orator who is not a good man, and even if anyone could, I should be unwilling that he should be." Quintilian (35-100 AD), Institutes of Oratory.

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice" (John 10:4, NIV).

To all preachers and Bible teachers: Beware, people have built-in baloney detectors.

Preach in the moment. (My review of an excellent book: Preaching By Ear.) Preaching by ear is speaking from personally held deep convictions in a way that enables our words to unfold in the heat of the moment by considering the actual people present with us. We are well-prepared, but we're not certain exactly how it will come out of our mouths. Instead of expecting passive receivers or recipients of the sermon, it allows people to feel a participation in the sermon.

Ultimately you preach yourself. The content of preaching should be the message of Scripture communicated through the person that you truly are--with honesty and without the pretense that can arise out of practice and performance, for it can hide our true selves. You cannot really preach something that you are not, or teach anything authentically where you have not been (Jn 10:4).

Preach on honesty, or simply be honest. Imagine a preacher exhorting the need for honesty with passion and with many quotations and citations from Scripture. Or another preacher who says very little about honesty, yet discloses a fault about himself, say his tendency toward laziness, or a lack of discipline, or a temptation to pornography. In the first case, the subject is honesty. In the second case, the sermon itself is honest. The first preacher will be perceived as stating the obvious. The second preacher will be more readily welcomed by the audience.

Orality in the OT:

• Creation began or starts with sound not sight (Gen 1:3; Ps 33:6).

• God spoke the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:1, 22; Dt 5:5), which Moses delivered orally. Later "Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord (Ex 24:4). The written came afterwards to preserve. [There are only a few times in the entire Bible when God wrote (Ex 31:18); Belshazzar's feast in Daniel; Jesus writing in the sand. This is consistent with the role of literacy in the ancient world where writing was used primarily to document speech.]

• The Shema of Israel (Dt 6:4-9) is a a call from orality: "Hear," not "Read, O Israel!"

Orality in Jesus:

• Jesus didn't write anything. Jesus' authored words were captured in text some 30 years later.

• Mt 22:33; Lk 4:22; Jn 7:46 portray the spoken words of Jesus as significantly central to his entire ministry. Jesus quotes Mt 5:18 easily shows a high value for oral fluency without dependence on an actual scroll. The priority of the spoken word is shown in Mt 4:4, which quotes Dt 8:3. Nine times Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear..." (Mt 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mk 4:9, 23; 7:16; 8:18; Lk 8:8; 14:35).

• In Jn 10:2-5, the sheep do not watch the shepherd and follow his example or scrutinize his appearance. Four times the listening process is described as crucial to correctly identifying the good shepherd. There is recognition of tone and texture of voice. Gk phōnē in Jn 10:3,4,5 means literally "sound" or "noise." We may misidentify a friend in darkness or disguise but almost never mistake their voice.
  

Orality for centuries:

• The Bible was received orally for centuries before it was textually common. For ~ 90% of the history of God's people, there were no personal Bibles feasibly owned by common people. They had to get along in the faith without the benefit of a personal Bible or any sustained and systematic obligation to read it for themselves. Their faith was activated in the world using only the oral/aural reception of the Word of God that they heard articulated from the synagogue or parish lecture/sermon.
  

Let Me Experience You (Psalm 143)

Psalm 143:1-12; 6-8

"...my soul thirsts for you like a parched land" (Ps 143:6, ESV). "Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me, or I will die" (Ps 143:7, NLT). "Let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go because I long for You" (Ps 143:8, HCSB).

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 143 - The End.

2. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 143 - My Soul Thirsts for You (6):
    
1. Hear me and do not put me on trial (1-2).
2. I am faint because the enemy pursues me (3-4).
3. I reach out to you in trust (5-6).
4. Answer me quickly! (7-8)
5. Deliver me, and teach me to do your will (9-12). 
3. Zemek, George. Road Maps for the Psalms: Inductive Preaching Outlines Based on the Hebrew Text. Valencia, CA: The Master's Academy International, 2006. Psalm 143.
4. Psalm 143 Outline.
1. David prayed for God to hear his prayer for mercy (1-2).
2. David was tired of being pursued by the enemies (3-4).
3. David remembered that he used to follow God's commandments (5-6).
4. David prayed for God to quickly send salvation (7-10).
5. David prayed that God preserve his life (11-12).
5. 
   

My Soul Waits for the Lord (Psalm 130)

Psalm 130:1-8; 6, 7

"My soul waits for the Lord, more than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning" (Ps 130:6, NASB). "Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with Him is redemption in abundance" (Ps 130:7, HCSB).

Psalm 130 is an individual lament, expressing penitence and trust in God's mercy. (The other six psalms with prominent penitential themes are Psalms 6, 32, 51, 102, 143).

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 130 - Forgiveness.
   
2. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 130 - My Soul Waits for the Lord (6):
   
1. O Lord, hear my cry for mercy (1-2).
2. With you there is forgiveness (3-4).
3. I earnestly wait for the Lord to hear me (5-8).
   
3. Zemek, George. Road Maps for the Psalms: Inductive Preaching Outlines Based on the Hebrew Text. Valencia, CA: The Master's Academy International, 2006. Psalm 130. The psalmist wrestles with the realities of human sin and divine salvation in two areas:
1. Personal (1-6).
2. Corporate (7-8).
   
4. The MacArthur Study Bible. Psalm 130 - Hope in the Lord's Forgiving Love:
   
1. Urgent prayer of the psalmist (1-2).
2. Magnified forgiveness of God (3-4).
3. Waiting patience of the psalmist (5-6).
4. Unique hope of Israel (7-8).
   
5. PSALM 130 - HOPE AND PATIENCE IN GOD.
1. Our nature contrasted with God's nature (1-4).
2. Waiting for God to answer (5-6).
3. Encouraging hope and patience in others (7-8).
   
6. Psalm 130: Out of the Depths.
1. Out of the depths of guilt and despair, you can cry out to God for mercy (1-2).
2. God's forgiveness leads to fear, because without it you are doomed (3-4).
3. Experiencing God's forgiveness makes you wait and hope for God Himself (5-6).
4. Experiencing God's forgiveness makes you desire that others would also experience his abundant redemption (7-8).
   
7. 
   

Do Not Hide Your Face From Me (Psalm 102)

Psalm 102:1-28; 2

"Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly" (Ps 102:2, NIV).

1. Pray for immediate divine help (1-11): Sickness in an ephemeral life.
2. Be assured of God's eternal compassion (12-22): Security in an eternal Lord.
3. Rely on God's unchanging eternity (23-28): Servants for an enduring Lord.
   

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 102 - Request Refused, Prayer Answered.
   
2. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 102 - Do Not Hide Your Face from Me (2):
   
1. O Lord, hear me when I call (1-2).
2. I am in distress as my enemies taunt ee (3-11).
3. O Lord, you will have pity on Zion (12-17).
4. Let them always remember this in Zion (18-22).
   
5. O Lord, do not shorten my life (23-24).
   
6. The Lord is eternal and his faithfulness outlasts the world (25-28).
   
3. Zemek, George. Road Maps for the Psalms: Inductive Preaching Outlines Based on the Hebrew Text. Valencia, CA: The Master's Academy International, 2006. Psalm 102: As the psalmist contemplates a great crisis, there are his three developing outlooks:
   
1. Quite pessimistic (1-11).
2. Very optimistic (12-22).
3. More realistic (23-28).
   
4. The MacArthur Study Bible. 
1. A plea for immediate divine help (1-11).
2. A perspective of God's sovereignty and eternality (12-22).
3. A prayer for longer life (23-28).
   
5. A Prayer of the Afflicted, Reassuring Himself in Yahweh' s Eternal Compassion for Zion. In Psalm 102, consider the psalmist's:
   
1. Prayer for the Lord's quick response (1-2).
2. Crushing malaise (3-11).
3. Assurance of the Lord's eternal compassion for Zion (12-22).
4. Reliance on God's unchanging eternity (23-28).
6. Psalm 102 — Ashes, Tears, and Owls.
   

Create In Me a Clean Heart, O God (Psalm 51)

Psalm 51:1-19; 10 (Read 2 Samuel 11-12)

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Ps 51:10, NASB).

This is the fourth, and surely the greatest and best known, of the seven "penitential psalms." It comes from David's blackest moment of self-knowledge; it explores the depths of his guilt and the broken contriteness of his repentance. According to the title, David composed this psalm as a result of Nathan the prophet convicting him of his sins, both in committing adultery with Bathsheba and in arranging for the murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam 12:1-14). This is also more than David's personal prayer. Its instructional elements (Ps 51:16-19) show that, though the situation that led to the psalm was intensely personal, the psalm in its current form is well-suited to be a hymn by which the members of the worshiping congregation confess their own sins.

Why is David called "A Man After God's Own Heart"? It is not his terrible sins but his confession, his repentance, and his prayers that justly entitled him to such an accolade.

References:

1. Kidner, Derek. Psalms 1 - 72: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973. Psalm 51 - Whiter Than Snow:
   
1. Appeal (1-2).
2. Confession (3-5).
3. Restoration (6-9).
4. Inward Renewal (10-13).
5. Humble Worship (14-17).
6. A People's Prayer (18-19).
   
2. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 51 - The Marvel of Repentance:
   
1. God and the Individual: Repentance and Forgiveness (1-6).
2. The Dimensions of True Repentance (7-15).
3. God and the Community: What Pleases the Lord (16-19).
   
3. Psalm 51 - The Penitent's Prayer:
   
1. David's Plea (1-12).
2. David's Promise (13-17). A. To teach others (13). B. To offer praise (14-17).
   
3. David's Prayer (18-19).
   
4. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 51 - Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God:
   
1. Have Mercy on Me (1-2).
2. I Own Up to My Sin (3-5).
3. I Seek Restoration and Renewal (6-13).
4. Then I Will Worship Truly (14-17).
5. Do Good To Zion (18-19).
   
5. The Penitential of Penitentials. (James Burton Coffman Commentaries on the Bible.)
   

I Wait For You, O Lord (Psalm 38)

Psalm 38:1-22; 15

"For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God" (Ps 38:15, NLT).

This is the third of the seven "penitential psalms" (Psalm 6, 32, 51, 102, 130, 143). It is a prayer for deliverance from God's chastening of his sins. The psalm describes anguish of body and mind, desertion by friends, and how the psalmist's folly has made him vulnerable to enemies ready to pounce on him. Psalm 38 may be divided into two parts:

1. Too hard to wait on God (1-12).
2. Yet I wait for the Lord (13-22).
   

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 38 - Divine Anger, Divine Salvation:
   
1. The Way Down (1-12).
2. The Way Up (13-22).
   
2. Kidner, Derek. Psalms 1 - 72: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973. Psalm 38 - The Outcast:
   
1. The Loathsome Burden (1-8).
2. The Lonely Victim (9-14).
3. The Single Hope (15-22).
   
3. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 38 - Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord:
1. The Tumult of My Heart (1-8).
   
2. I Am a Lonely Victim (9-14).
3. You Alone Are My Hope (15-22).
   
4. Psalm 38 - The Penitent Plea Of A Sick Man.

The Happiness of Forgiveness (Psalm 32) [Penitential Psalms]

Psalm 32:1-11

This is the second of the seven "penitential psalms" (Psalm 6, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143).

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 32 - Groaning or praying?: It may belong to the time of David's adultery with Bathsheba. If it does, Ps 32:3-4 reveal David burdened by a guilty conscience and Ps 32:5 corresponds to 2 Sa 12:13. What this psalm affirms is that a prayer of confession brings instantaneous forgiveness.
   
   1. The blessedness of sin forgiven (1-2).
   2. Groaning replaced by confession (3-5).
   3. Prayer is the answer for everyone (6-9).
   4. Unfailing love surrounds the trustful (10-11).
2. Kidner, Derek. Psalms 1 - 72: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973. Psalm 32 - Joy of Forgiveness: To be in close accord with God is true happiness: This is the constant theme of the psalm.
   
   1. Sin forgiven (1-2).
   2. The deadlock broken (3-5).
   3. The only haven (6-7).
   4. The lesson to be learned (8-9).
   5. The only happiness (10-11).
3. Psalm 32 - The Blessedness Of Confessing Sin.
1. The joy of forgiveness (1-2).
2. The curse of silence (3-4).
3. The benefit of confession (5-7).
4. The value of trust (8-11).
   
4. Zemek, George. Road Maps for the Psalms: Inductive Preaching Outlines Based on the Hebrew Text. Valencia, CA: The Master's Academy International, 2006. Psalm 32: 
   1. Lessons are remembered (1-5)
   2. Lessons are relayed (6-11)
5. ESV Study Bible:
1. The Doctrine: Only the Forgiven Are Truly Happy (1-5).
2. Application: Confess Our Sins Freely (6-11).
   
6. Titles from the Catholic Study Bible of each Psalm (cf. WL sermon titles) [ESV]:
1. The Happiness in God's Law. (The Secret of Happiness.) [The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked.]
   
2. A Psalm for a Royal Coronation. (God's King Reigns.) [The Reign of the Lord's Anointed.]
   
3. Threatened but Trusting. (Confident Before Many Foes.) [Save Me, O My God.]
   
4. Trust in God. (Peace Under Pressure.) [Answer Me When I Call.]
   
5. Prayer for Divine Help. (Joy Amid Liars.) [Lead Me in Your Righteousness.]
   
6. Prayer in Distress. (Barely Able To Pray.) [O Lord, Deliver My Life.]
   
7. God the Vindicator. [In You Do I Take Refuge.]
   
8. Divine Majesty and Human Dignity. [How Majestic Is Your Name.]
   
9. -10. Thanksgiving for Victory and Prayer for Justice. [I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds; Why Do You Hide Yourself?]

The seven Penitential Psalms:

• 6: Prayer in Distress. (Barely Able To Pray.) [O Lord, Deliver My Life.]
• 32: Remission of Sin. [Blessed Are the Forgiven.]
  
• 38: Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner. [Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord.]
  
• 51: The Miserere: Prayer of Repentance. [Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God.]
  
• 102: Prayer in Time of Distress. [Do Not Hide Your Face from Me.]
  
• 130: Prayer for Pardon and Mercy. [My Soul Waits for the Lord.]
  
• 143: A Prayer in Distress. [My Soul Thirsts for You.]
  

What Might A Joyful Mind Be?

The Naked Now, Richard Rohr, 2009. Appendix 8: Walking Meditation. A Joyful Mind

What might a joyful mind be?

• When your mind does not need to be right.
• When you no longer need to compare yourself with others.
  
• When you no longer need to compete -- not even in your own head.
• When your mind can be creative, but without needing anyone to know.
• When you can live in contentment with whatever the moment offers. [Snow piled on the roads after a snowstorm resulting in horrible traffic on Feb 3, 2015, such that I could not get to my home for an hour.]
• When you do not need to analyze or judge things in or out, positive or negative.
• When your mind does not need to be in charge, but can serve the moment with gracious and affirming information.
• When your mind follows the intelligent lead of your heart.
• When your mind is curious and interested, not suspicious and interrogating.
• When your mind does not "brood over injuries."
• When you do not need to humiliate, critique, or defeat those who have hurt you -- not even in your mind.
• When your mind does not need to create self-justifying story lines.
• When your mind does not need the future to be better than today.
• When your mind can let go of obsessive or negative thoughts.
• When your mind can think well of itself, but without needing to.
• When your mind can accept yourself as you are, warts and all.
• When your mind can surrender to what is.
• When your mind does not divide and always condemn one side or group.
• When your mind can find truth on both sides.
• When your mind fills in the gaps with "the benefit of the doubt" for both friend and enemy.
• When your mind can critique and also detach from the critique.
• When your mind can wait, listen, and learn.
• When your mind can live satisfied without resolution or closure.
• When your mind can forgive and actually "forget."
• When your mind can admit it was wrong and change.
• When your mind can stop judging and critiquing itself.
• When you don't need to complain or worry or get motivated.
• When you can observe your mind contracting into self-preservation or self-validation, and then laugh or weep over it.
• When you can actually love with your mind.
• When your mind can find God in all things.
  

What Every Good Leader Knows

The Naked Now, Richard Rohr, 2009. Chap. 29

Here are some insights into what every good, nondual leader knows and practices, whether in the workplace, at home, or in the classroom. Good leaders:

• See alternatives.

• Influence and inspire people more than by ordering or demanding.

• Know ahead of time that every one-sided solution is doomed to failure. It is never a final solution but only a postponement of the problem.

• Learn to study, discern and search together with their people for solutions.

• Know that total dilemmas are very few. We create many dilemmas because we are internally stuck, attached, fearful, overidentified with our position, needy of winning the case, or unable to entertain even the partial truth that the otheer opinion might be offering.

• Work for win/win situations by searching for a middle ground where the most people can find meaning. (This is hard to do if you assume you are the higher, the more responsible, the in-charge, the senior, the more competent -- or once you have made a harsh judgment about the other.)

• Know that there is no perfect solution. This is the lie and false promise of the dualistic mind, polarity, and all-or-nothing thinking.

• Know that seeking exclusive or overly rapid recourse to the law is an easy way out, and often just a sign of laziness or fear of taking responsibility.

• Know that the rule of law and obedience can inform you only about what is illegal or immoral; it cannot of itself lead you to God, truth, goodness, or beauty (Rom 3:20; 7:7).

• Know that rapid recourse to the law might be seeking the will of God, but it might also be seeking to avoid the responsibility, the necessary self-doubt, the darkness, and the prayer required to live in faith, hope, and love.

• Know that when done well, compromise and consensus-seeking is not a way of abdicating essential values, but very often a way of seeking -- and finding -- other values, especially community-building, along with giving more people a personal investment in the outcome.

• Know that wisdom is "the art of the possible." The key question is no longer "How can I problem-solve now, and get this off my plate?" It is "How can this situation achieve good for the largest number and for the next generations?"

• Keep prayerfully offering new data, until they can work toward some consensus from all sides.

• Want to increase both freedom and ownership among the groups -- not just subservience, which will ultimately sabotage the work anyway.

• Let people know the why of a decision, and show how that is consistent with the group's values.

In short, good leaders must have a certain capacity for non-polarity thinking and full-access knowing (prayer), a tolerance for ambiguity (faith), an ability to hold creative tensions (hope), and an ability to care (love) beyond their own personal advantage.

Meditate on this list from time to time.