Choosing to Preach Discussion
#23 - Linear or Nonlinear?
Posted by Kent Anderson on August 26, 2006 19:23
Increasingly, television shows, books, and movies are moving away from linear presentations toward a series of nonlinear vignettes as a means of telling the story. An episode of the television drama "ER", for instance, can feature as many as fifteen different story lines. Is this a model we could utilize in preaching? Or would a nonlinear approach confuse our listeners and do damage to the logic of the presentation?
(from page 191)
Replies
re: #23 - Linear or Nonlinear?
Posted by Tom Reynolds on Oct. 16, 2007 at 01:38
I have to say that fifteen story lines is far too many for a sermon. Two story lines might work in a sermon but only if they directly relate to the message God is speaking through that sermon at that time to those people. A sermon is not meant to be creative in the same sense as a TV drama. Ultimately, the sermon tells the old, old story for a new day. Using a nonlinear format may entertain our listeners but I am not convinced that they will be able to follow the main point of the sermon. Preaching is an inherently logical medium and it makes sense to retain a linear progression within a sermon.
re: #23 - Linear or Nonlinear?
Posted by dave ellis on Feb. 19, 2007 at 22:40
I think that we should try different approaches, when we get creative we help a segment of the audience conect that may not conect to a more linear approach. I think that we can have more things going on than just one at a time, our listeners are more conditioned to multiply sensor inputs. I think it would be a challenge to build a sermon that continued on the next week, but you would keep some narritive open, meaning that you don’t conclude the story the first week, but you would finish it the following week, or you could have a video testimony that continues on, and you work your message to tie into various aspects of that testimony. I would not suggest these kinds of messages, on a regular basis, but ocasionally. Would this damage the logic of the message, I think you have to seek to be clear, and your random aspects must have a place and communicate your big Idea, I am not talking about a random shot gun approach with all you creative ideas thrown into one sermon, rather a variety of creative styles of communication, working together, to add variety and deapth. If you are having trouble understanding this, maybey its because I am not being very linear. later my friends…
re: #23 - Linear or Nonlinear?
Posted by Steve Driediger on Feb. 15, 2007 at 10:19
I would be leary of adopted any model of communication just because "it works on TV." The non-linear model certainly has some strengths: it keeps listeners interests because it is always moving, it provides variety, and it attracts people who prefer not to work within a linear system. On the other hand, the goal of a TV show like "ER" is to entertain people and sell advertising spots, not proclaim the word of God. There may be times when a non-linear approach is the best way to communicate the message of scripture; I would not, though, base the structure of the sermon on successful TV formatting.