Emotions in the Pulpit
One of the struggles when I preach is making sure that my emotions are as “in check” as possible. No matter the subject, we are sharing not only information, but also emotional material. After all, eternity with God or away from Him hangs in the balance of every lesson.
I have cried in the pulpit a few times. Not often, but sometimes. What is strange is that I am not a tearful person by nature. There is something about preaching in public, though, that causes me to tear up a little easier.
I have been mad in the pulpit. I try not to come across as yelling at people, but I have shown obvious anger a handful of times. Again, I am not naturally an angry person, but the public nature of preaching sometimes brings that out more strongly than normal.
I love to smile and laugh in the pulpit. Yes, what we are doing is sacred and serious, but there is also something to be said for enjoying worship. It is a privilege! I love to laugh, so this comes more naturally.
There are other emotions, of course, but these stand out in my mind as ones that I have to fight a bit. (Even laughter, because doing that too much can get in the way of showing that worship is serious.)
However, preachers should not be ashamed of being emotional, even in the pulpit. Paul told the elders at Ephesus that he “did not cease…to admonish everyone with tears” (Acts 20:31). When Jesus talked about getting a log out of your eye, I’m sure some snickered at an obvious exaggeration to prove a point. And anger? Just read Stephen’s defense of Acts 7 and tell me he wasn’t being very bold (to put it mildly) in his preaching!
Preachers, let’s remember that we do not have to be emotionless robots when we preach. We need to control our emotions and not let them be the centerpiece of our presentation, but we do not need to remove them. After all, if we do not feel anything, considering that eternity stands in the balance, we may need to do something else.
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Photo credit: Kelticsol on creative commons
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6 Comments
J. Randal Matheny
Love that last line, especially. Good thoughts!
Heather C.
I can’t imagine how difficult it is to keep your emotions in check while preaching. I think it must be super difficult to keep it together if someone in the audience is crying or showing some strong emotion. I’d probably just stop everything and go hug them. 🙂
Steven Hunter
Great thoughts, Adam. I struggle with keeping certain emotions in-check, and I usually feel guilty afterwards.
Steve Reeves
Excellent post Adam. For many years in my enthusiasm and passion I tended to raise my voice too often. This was pointed out to me by a parent who reported her little girl asking the question, “what was brother Steve so angry about today?” I certainly did not intend to come across that way but I thought if a small child picked up on it I had better watch it. I strive to keep my voice at consistent level as much as possible with occasional emphasis as needed. If I am not careful I can slip back into that “default” mode. We must do our best to make certain that the messenger does not stand in the way of the message.
Adam Faughn
And that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world!!! It is hard to keep composure sometimes, but if a preacher never has emotion, there can be a disconnect that simply should not be there. As you’ve heard me say many times, I’m just another member…I just happen to be the one standing up front!
Adam Faughn
It is amazing how children can show us our emotions better than anyone else oftentimes!