How to Practice Preaching - Lessons From Trumpet Playing

I took private lessons in trumpet for a few yearsstated as "God is Good all the Time and All the
while growing up. I remember that I had toTime God Is Good!" "Practicing" the presentation
practice playing the trumpet between 30 min andof this would include practicing preaching the
1 hour everyday. Then sometimes I would addconcept in different ways. Think about preaching
another 30 min of composition time. How did Ithe concept in a funeral situation. How would it
spend those 30 minutes?look? What texts would I use? Now think about
Fundamentals of Musicpreaching the concept at a 9-11 commemoration.
Well I practiced the rudiments of music like scalesIs it possible? Can we do it? Should we do it?
and arpeggios (chords). I also spent some time inCertainly the presentation would be different.
improvisation. In addition, I spent time playingScales in Preaching
exercises. These exercises would slowly getIn addition to these basic theological concepts
harder as I mastered them. Then there was time(Henry Mitchell's Soul Theology provides 10 for the
spent playing songs. For a time I also had someAfrican American church) I would also need to
breath exercises to improve breath control andmemorize scriptures. Why not look at
power. All of these things helped to make me afundamental texts that are important to your
better trumpet player and a better musician.community. In the Original African American Bible
The other day I realized that I spent much morethere are 101 texts that are important to African
time practicing the trumpet than in practicingAmericans. These texts could be a good starting
preaching. It is true that I do spend some time inpoint to have memorized and ready. These are
sermon preparation, but that time is morethe fundamentals of preaching in the African
comparable to my composition time than myAmerican Community.
practice schedule. One might question whetherImprovisation and Preaching
such practice is necessary and that one shouldHow about Improvisation. Take those
depend on the Spirit for such things. I would tendfundamentals and improvise on them. Evans
to disagree because I practiced even when I wasCrawford talks about riffing on James Weldon
to play in church to the glory of God. I practicedJohnson's book God's Trombones. Why not begin
even when I didn't have a program to play in. Iwith one of them and then take it in a different
just practiced.direction. Then how about taking a text and letting
Improving Sermon Presentation by Practicingit take you in a different direction. Preach the text
I began to think about how my sermonicand then preach a sermon.
presentation might improve if I tried to "practice"Playing Songs and Exercises in Preaching
my preaching just as I practiced my trumpet. IThe equivalent of playing songs would be to read
admit that I often practiced my preaching bysermons and "preach them." One can practice
practicing a particular sermon, but my trumpetSermons from others and your own sermons.
practice included more than just the piece ofFollow the text closely in this practice and then
music I was to play. It included fundamentals andimprovise over the text.
other components of musicianship. Because of thisAs for exercises, I need to work on putting
I first needed to think about how such a practicetogether a list of things to try that help the
session would look.preacher become more expressive in the pulpit. A
First we need some of the rudiments ofgood start would be the Jazz of Preaching by Kirk
preaching. Here we might practice theByron Jones. That book provides exercises to
presentation of theological concepts and scripturalhelp the preacher get connected to his or her
passages. For example, in the African Americanimagination and improvisation.
Church the concept of "God's goodness" is often