As I was working on a sermon this afternoon, I thought about improving the way I conclude my sermon. This is always a challenge for me and I haven’t yet found the right formula for me. So, as I thought about this and worked on it, I turned to my preaching text books—which I have several.
As I looked through them, I noticed that none of the books really gave me something I was comfortable with. The best I found was from my “go to” text book: The 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching; which gives a brief outline for the conclusion: Visualization, Reiteration, Action, and Appeal. I will stick with this until I find something better—but I’m always looking for something different.
In my reading, however, I ran across this quote:
“You can’t say it well, if you can’t end it well.” –Chuck Swindoll
This is motivation for me to work on that portion in the future, more than any other area of delivery. The meat of the sermon is important to me—but the skill I need to develop most is ending well.
The concerning thing that I considered, however, is the fact that I am having so much trouble finding any kind of formula. It seems that the one area that preaching books have trouble discussing is stopping. Unfortunately, that is what many in the pews want us preachers to do! We like to read about starting with a bang and grabbing the attention. We like to talk about the correct exegesis of the scriptural text. We also—at least I do—like to talk about the structure where the sermon hangs. But, not much is discussed but a “just sum it all up” paragraph regarding some of the most sacred moments of the entire worship service.
So, I have my challenge before me. As I dig around, maybe I’ll find something. When I do, I’ll let you know.