This post is for thinking about the practicality of using technology in the sermon. The comments on the previous post were mostly about the need to use concrete imagery in our preaching, be that through video, story-telling, or low-tech visuals.
As a follow-up post, I think that it's fitting to get some concrete examples for how fellow preachers have used technology in their preaching, what worked and what didn't.
For my last chapel message, I used more technology than I generally do, with a film clip from A Christmas Story to begin and PowerPoint throughout. The reason I used the film clip was because it was a pretty heavy sermon and I wanted to start light (the image of Scut Farkus with his yellow eyes) -- and because the clip narrated itself (it didn't need any set-up)
The reason I used PowerPoint is because I was using a lot of text (including some quotes), and I wanted to move through them pretty quickly. Also, the stage had two enormous projection screens, and I needed something up there (else it would look pretty stark). All in all, I was really pleased with how it worked. The tech crew did a great job following along with me (here's a lesson: give the tech crew as much help as you can -- they had both my script with notations as well as a print-out of the slides).
What are your stories?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Thank you, Doug, for the concrete direction you have provided for this worthy discussion!
Technology can serve a great purpose in a number of ways. Here are just a few.
1) To promote an upcoming sermon or sermon series.
2) Using video clips to create an image that is central to the text. Example: In preaching on "I am Water," used an edited clip from "O Brother Where Art Thou"... "Come on in boys, the water is fine." Idea was taken from Bob Russell.
3) Actually filming the entire sermon on video to create a three-dimensional aspect to the sermon (see "I am Path" sermon at www.cartervillecc.org).
Is power-point going the way of the buffalo? In speaking with alot of college and high school students I've come to the conclusion that they would welcome the extinction. Power-point seems to immediately indicate that a lecture, characterized by rigid progression, is upcoming. Let me be clear that I'm not saying that every preacher who employs powerpoint is boring and unimaginative (I certainly wouldn't insinuate that about brother Doug) but maybe the culture is moving away from chasing bullet points down an outline. Image is incedibly powerful, whether moving or still, and I try to employ it whenever possible. For me personally objects as image on stage with me have worked best. A bowl of plastic fruit in the spotlight while preaching on the fruit of the spirit vs. external morality, upset at the end of the sermon worked well. This comment turned out to be a little lengthy, I should have used a power-point.
technology is a good thing and is becoming more available in churches today. My concern though is teaching preachers, and then sending them out with no education on video copyright and synchronizing copyright. Like, the "edited" clips of "O Brother Where Art Thou?" No! Wrong. You'll save yourself a lot of money and headache in the long run if you teach with technology to be good stewards of copyright laws.
-Tymm Cote
Post a Comment