Leave your manuscript behind

Editor’s note: This point-counterpoint column was written by a member of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Shepherds Collective. You can find the counterpoint to this column here. For more information, visit sbtexas.com/networks/shepherds-collective.

As a former speech major, watching my sermons has become a very helpful practice for my growth as a preacher. Early on, I found myself thinking, “I felt that more than it showed,” and a friend pointed out one of the reason why. He said, “You’re a very proficient manuscript preacher, but you are too tied to your notes for you to fully be yourself.”

As I moved from preaching with a manuscript to using more pared-down notes, I came to firmly believe every preacher will be more compelling with fewer notes in the pulpit.

As a disclaimer, I am an advocate for manuscripting. In fact, I find it to be a helpful and integral part of the sermon-writing process, allowing you to form, articulate, and see your thoughts more clearly. Also, while I am not advocating for preaching without notes, I would encourage every preacher to take your manuscript and condense it to about 25-40% of the usual amount of notes you use for a sermon.

If you’re like me, this may make you nervous. I’ll admit that preaching from a manuscript allows you to articulate your thoughts more precisely. Having a manuscript in the pulpit also helps you if you lose your place or your mind goes blank (even a decade into preaching, it still happens to me!). Additionally, it helps guard against running down proverbial rabbit trails.

But even with these benefits of having a manuscript in the pulpit, there are more reasons to leave your manuscript behind. Here is what I’ve experienced in doing so:

1. I’m more genuine.
   There’s a clear difference between speaking and writing. Even when I wrote my manuscript in my speaking voice, there’s a noticeable difference between following a script and speaking how I normally do. Not only has this helped me find my preaching voice, but I am more authentically myself, from my silly quips to my emotional engagement.

2. I’m more engaging and pastoral.
   While looking at notes might not be as disengaging as constantly checking your phone during a meeting, there is a disconnect when a pastor is constantly looking at his notes while telling a personal story or pressing into a pastoral exhortation. I didn’t notice it until after the fact, but my manuscript tied me down physically and emotionally. Not only am I more able to read people’s expressions and respond accordingly without a manuscript, but looking at those I pastor helps bring their lives and struggles to mind.

3. I can adjust my timing easier.
   When you are more engaged with the congregation, you may need to spend more time on a point of explanation or application, and without a manuscript, you are free to do so without losing your place. Similarly, if you find yourself going long, less notes allows you to conclude your sermon quicker without sacrificing anything necessary that you wanted to communicate. 

5. I’m more prayerful, dependent, and sensitive to the Spirit.
   As a recovering perfectionist, knowing I won’t have a manuscript to fall back on has forced me to be more prayerful throughout the week and during the sermon. It is also much easier to add, remove, or move things around in my sermon without having to rewrite my manuscript. Being less concerned with precision, I’m more sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and free to focus more on pastoring my congregants during the sermon.
6. Preaching has become far more worshipful.
   Preaching from less notes has forced me to spend more time internalizing the message in my preparation. In doing so, I am more engaged with the message of the sermon, preaching not just to the congregation but also to myself. I’ve noticed that as I sit back down after my sermon, I am far less concerned with how engaging I was or how well I communicated what I wrote, and I am far more consumed with worship and awe of the Lord.

Condensed notes are going to look different for everyone. For me, I have more notes on the information I need to get right, like exegetical explanation or historical context. And for the more personal illustrations or pastoral application, I try to only write a phrase or a short sentence to help me remember what I must communicate and allow me to be present and engaged with those I am seeking to pastor.

Don’t be afraid to leave your manuscript behind. It may take a few sermons to figure it out, but remember: there’s grace! At the end of the day, find out what works for you. But you won’t know it until you try it.