Task 2: Rehearse for fluency and naturalness
Essence of the task
Review the outline or manuscript several times (practicing key gestures) for fluency and naturalness.
Detailed description
Puede ser de gran utilidad ensayar la predicación un par de veces, prestando atención especial a los gestos y el lenguaje no verbal. Recuerda: es muy diferente leer en silencio lo que tienes sobre pantalla que predicar en voz alta a una congregación con todos los gestos, énfasis y pausas que debes hacer en una exposición en vivo y en directo. Lo último que quieres es verte detrás del púlpito intentando descifrar tus propias notas sobre algo que no pillaste antes al no ensayarlo por lo menos una vez. Luego (como mencioné también en la tarea 1), para iglesias que vigilan cuidadosamente el tiempo en el reloj, ensayar una vez, como mínimo, te da mayor seguridad de que lo que tienes que decir encaja bien en el tiempo del que dispones. No hay nada peor para la contundencia espiritual de tu conclusión que ver que, en sus mentes, todos ya se fueron a casa hace 10 minutos porque te has extendido demasiado.
Sin embargo, queremos insistir en que este repaso / ensayo no se puede dejar para el último momento. Es una actividad que requiere tiempo y energía. Hay que apartar un tiempo protegido para ello. En mi caso, casi siempre me levanto varias horas antes de lo normal los domingos que predico para tener al menos 1-2 horas reservadas para esta clase de disciplina.
To Do
What specific activities might be included in this exercise, and what can we say about them?
- On-screen review. The advantage of this is that you can proofread and highlight on the spot in your word processor. The disadvantage is that sometimes, you find yourself in edit mode rather than rehearsal mode. Another disadvantage is that you are not yet using the physical version that you will take to the pulpit and, therefore, sometimes both the size of the text on the screen and the degree of tilt of the screen is different from what your pulpit experience will be.
- Rehearsals behind the pulpit. Rehearsing in the pulpit has the advantage of being much closer to what you will experience in a couple of hours. It is more realistic in several ways, including being able to practice looking out at the entire congregation. However, the downside is that it is more tiring in that you increase the time you have to be on your feet.
- Reviewing out loud. It can be very helpful to hear yourself. “How does that inflection sound?” Or, “Hmmm. I can see that if I say it like that I’ll run out of air before I finish the sentence.» The big disadvantage is that it can tire your voice more than necessary.
- Whispering reviews. By reviewing this way, I protect my voice, while still allowing me to approximate a bit of what everything will sound like out loud.
- Catching sentences that are too long. Sometimes I don’t realize when I’m writing a sentence that it is too long to say without getting tongue-tied. So as I review, sometimes I’ll split a sentence in two. Obviously, this kind of change would be better made much earlier. For this reason, if the sermon writing is going well, and I have time for it on Friday or Saturday, I rehearse individual paragraphs to see if there are sentences that need to be shortened.
- Above all, rehearse important moments or complicated points. This may perhaps seem a bit over the top, especially since I have a firm conviction that what most helps the naturalness of gestures, tone of voice and sense of passion is a firm conviction that comes from having really grasped the message that God has for his people. However, more than once I have found myself misreading a sentence or using the wrong tone of voice at a point that should have spoken to the emotions of the listener. Or, recently, the conclusion to my entire sermon lost impact precisely because I didn’t deliver a sentence with intensity but instead found myself whispering unexpectedly. A pity.
To Keep in Mind
Much of what you may find useful about the habit of rehearsing will also depend on your level of experience and your comfort with a particular audience. I always rehearse more for an unfamiliar or particularly large audience (because I get more nervous) than for a congregation I know quite well. Whether you preach from an outline or a manuscript, and how much time you have to prepare, also plays a big part in all of this.
But whatever you do at the level of review and rehearsal. Don’t arrive late. Don’t arrive with your voice worn out.