Choosing to Preach Discussion

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by George Bedlion on Dec. 03, 2007 at 00:17

Preachers can learn many lessons from politicians, both good and bad. One important lesson about persuasion is that most people come with their mind made up about an issue and I’ve noticed that when politicians assert their argument without empathy or care towards another person they usually end up doing the opposite of persuasion and end up polarizing. With that said, Christians cannot be afraid to use the truth we have be persuasive just because of polarizing people- the message of Christ is very polarizing. Yet Christians can take a lesson in caring about the people we might be persuading and making sure they know we care about them. Now, the difference between preaching and advertising should be simple- we are offering a free gift—no catch, no gimmick, and no need for credit card numbers. The gift is free for the taking and free for the rejecting. We just need to be ok with the rejecting as long as we represent Christ to our utmost ability.

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by Marian Tong on Oct. 22, 2007 at 21:04

I guess whether or not PowerPoint is effective is depending on the preacher’s style. Personally it is not my style, and I don’t think I’ll use that very often unless I want to illustrate some findings where it will help the congregations to understand about the settings and backgrounds. It’ll actually confuse me more because I can’t multi-task myself. If I’m not familiar with the computer I won’t even risk giving a try.

My experiences in two different churches taught me two things: one church said the PowerPoint background should be as static as possible because it’ll take away people’s attentions when it is too graphical. One church uses insightful backgrounds and beautiful pictures as backdrops of each slides and you’ll find exciting to see them. I found both practices interesting – because it does distract me somehow when I focused on the pictures and lost the lines, so the ways of using static background does really help me to keep focus on the meaning of the words in worship songs. However, some pictures do draw me into deep thinking and I become more touched by the worship, because something on the PowerPoint background reminds me of God’s grace on my life. So I believe that it really depends on situation and the population – if there are lots of elderly I may not use this approach, while if I have a full house of kids and youths I may try to use it.

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by Marian Tong on Oct. 22, 2007 at 21:03

Some pastors sometimes joked that after they retired, they could be good salesmen, because they are now selling something that people aren’t able to "see". (Sounds arrogant sometimes to me :>) I don’t deny that tactics because sometimes people really don’t know the salvation are both "beneficial" in the current life and the eternal life, so preachers really have to sell it.

I’m actually de-sensitized by the promotional strategies for a few agencies where they presented images about kids who are doing much poor than us and ask for donations. Not that I don’t feel mercy about these poor kids (I worked with these places before!), but I guess it’s better to show how the money benefits them in their grown and well-being. I’m glad that their marketing strategies are changing because it presents hopes to the donors – which is less manipulative.

Seeing preaching with marketing and advertising terms do have problems – because that implies the preacher has a quota or goal to move people towards his plan. It can be viewed both positively and negatively, but if the message fails to present hopes, it can be as manipulative as secular marketing practices.

I love to watch politician speeches – they do have different styles, yet they all convey the same message: "I promised you’ll have a better future than now if you elect me". I don’t reject these messages here, because they still install hopes to the audiences – it’s just that when people match the practice applications later on they find that the politicians haven’t keep their promises. But I believe that if the preachers preach the messages of hopes, with solutions to address their issues and problems, they’ll find the promises to be true one day down the road.

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by Thomas Calamunce on Oct. 19, 2007 at 12:06

In some ways our preaching is less like sales since the Gospel is not something that will immediately seem attractive. I would compare it more to a doctor trying to get the patient to understand that something needs to be fixed in their life; that without the correct prescription the problem will just increase and eventually lead to death. In that light I think that it is okay to try to persuade as it is in the best interest of the listener. Is there still a choice? Of course, a doctor cannot make you lose weight or eat less salt to lower your blood pressure. Still it is the responsibility of the doctor as it is the preacher, under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, to implore the listener towards a change in their life.

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by Mike Keigley on Oct. 15, 2007 at 15:50

I think that it is naive to think that when we preach we do not in some way sway people with our opinions or our position. Political relationships in any community are inevitable. However our goal differs from a politician. A politician seeks to persuade people to vote based on their agenda, a preacher seeks not to persuade through wise words but a demonstration of the Spirits power (1 Cor. 2:4-5). This may be a fine line but something that all preachers must keep at the forefront of their minds. Whose agenda am I trying to advance, my own or Gods.

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by Tom Reynolds on Oct. 03, 2007 at 23:10

Hopefully not much. Unlike your examples in the textbook, too often politicians rely on gimmicks rather than the big idea. As preachers we are called to preach God’s big idea in an engaging manner but it is still God’s big idea. Often God called his prophets to preach a message that would more likely result in their death than re-election. I work in sales and the ‘best’ sales people are those I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw them. Salesmen tell people what they want to hear in order to make the sale, the truth be damned. Preachers tell people what God wants them to hear even if the truth be damnation. As Chris notes below, it is ultimately Holy Spirit who gives the sermon power rather than the method or manner of the preacher.

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by Tim Durksen on Mar. 06, 2007 at 16:01

I think we are usually as preachers trying to "sell" our product to a marker, the Christians. We want to make sure the packaging and the delivery is appropriate to make people understand that they need what we are speaking from the front. Obviously we try to show the benefits of what we talk about, we also show the negative aspect of what will happen if they don’t heed our warnings. I think a lot of what we do is persuasion, but hopefully in a good way. We attempt with each sermon to repackage and give away a product that will enrich, change, etc their lives.

re: #6 - Preachers, Politicians, and Persuasion

Posted by Chris Synesael on Feb. 07, 2007 at 14:47

i like this question. my initial reaction was to play defense..to hide behind the mask of the ‘divine work’. maintaining that there is a differance between me being persuasive and a politician being persuasive.

then i had to preach about sex to a group of teenagers…and i found myself asking the question, ‘how can i persuade them of this truth?’ and i realized that it is our job as preachers to persuade. we are limited (however, in some ways it is actually freedom) to what we are to be persuasive of based on the text we are looking at.

but i think i am more aware now of a preachers duty to be persuasive. the Holy Spirit does the work, but he can do it through me and my persuasive words.