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WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET: THE USE OF PHYSICAL OBJECTS IN PREACHING A THESIS-PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY DARRELL BUSTIN MAY 2017 Copyright ©2017 by Darrell Bustin. All Rights Reserved. To my wonderful wife, Laura Lee, whose unwavering support gives me strength and whose gentle heart helps me see the world with fresh eyes. iv CONTENTS ABSTRACT vi Chapter 1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM 1 2. A BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE 10 A. The Role of the Visual in God’s Self-Revelation 11 B. The Role of the Visual in the Old Testament 24 C. The Role of the Visual in the New Testament 42 D. Conclusion 72 3. WHY AND HOW PHYSICAL OBJECTS SHOULD BE USED 76 A. Definition of Terms 76 B. Issues Surrounding the Appropriateness of the Use of Objects in Sermons 79 C. Various Ways in Which Physical Objects Can Be Employed in Sermons 112 D. Guidelines for Choosing Objects for a Sermon 115 E. Guidelines for Using Objects in a Sermon 119 F. Analysis of Sermons Using Physical Objects 124 G. Conclusion 128 4. THE PROJECT: A SEMINAR FOR PREACHERS 131 A. Curriculum for the Seminar 135 B. Handout for Seminar Participants 149 C. Seminar Evaluation Form to be Used by Participants 158 D. Conclusion 161 v 5. EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT 162 Appendix 1. EXULTET ROLLS 173 2. TWENTY EXAMPLES OF OBJECTS TO USE IN A SERMON 174 3. ANALYSIS OF SERMONS: QUESTIONS AND RESULTS 177 4. INVITATION TO THE SEMINAR (THE PROJECT) 229 5. PICTURES FROM THE PREACHERS’ SEMINAR 230 6. RESULTS OF PRESENTATION EVALUATION BY PARTICIPANTS 232 BIBLIOGRAPHY 236 VITA 244 vi ABSTRACT Most preachers have a strong desire for their sermons to have a deep and lasting impact on their congregations. While much of the world has become far more visually oriented in its perception of reality, and a greater appreciation has arisen of the different God-given learning styles of people, preaching has by-and-large remained a hearing-only activity. This thesis-project demonstrates that the relatively simple practice of using physical objects as part of the sermon greatly increases the power of preaching to transform lives. The Scriptures often depict God the Father, Jesus the Son and many of their followers making use of visual elements in order to communicate truth more effectively. This approach is further supported by studies which demonstrate how teaching is elevated when the sense of sight is included. The benefits are many, especially in the areas of attention, comprehension and retention. However, in order to maximize the power of physical objects in sermons, careful thought must be given to how best to choose and use those objects. This thesis provides a number of guidelines to help navigate those decisions, in order to help preachers adopt an approach to sermons which is highly effective in communicating God’s Word to today’s audience. 1 CHAPTER ONE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM Preaching is all about making a difference. Each time a preacher delivers a message, the purpose is always the same: to bring together the Word of the Almighty God and the focus of the congregation so that transformation can take place in their lives. What could be more significant? That is the goal. However, in reality, such meaningful dreams far too often go unfulfilled, as time after time people file out the church doors after a service feeling confused or uninspired or untouched or even struggling already to remember what it was that was said during the message despite all the good intentions. What then can preachers do so that their sermons can make a lasting impact? Any seminary library will demonstrate that there is no shortage of books on homiletics which offer answers to that question. The recommended suggestions are often contradictory, at times either simplistic or intricately complex. Clearly there is no easy answer. Rather, it would appear that it is through a combination of good practices, customized to the preacher’s context, which will result in preaching that consistently makes a difference. This thesis-project will focus on one of those good practices, the use of objects as part of the message. It is not offered as a “magic pill” that can cure all homiletic woes, but as an opportunity to understand better one very strategic aspect of preaching. While this thesis is limited in the breadth of its scope, that in no way implies that its subject is unimportant. On the contrary, this thesis will strive to demonstrate how much of a difference this simple practice can make in delivering a message. 2 This generation of preachers, like all those which have gone before, is concerned about reaching the people of its day. While opinions vary, one feature of the modern day that seems very clear is the sense that today’s world is heavily influenced by the bombardment of messages through various forms of media. This is not only true of the developed world, but increasingly so in the developing world, too. Richard A. Jensen observes, “Today’s churchgoers, steeped in multimedia communications, have been trained to think and learn with their eyes and ears together.”1 He goes on to say, “We really don’t need experts to tell us that we live in a visual age. The evidence is overwhelming, and it ought to have an impact on our preaching. The people in our congregations have been shaped powerfully and not always helpfully by a seemingly endless source of visual images.”2 How does one preach in a way that connects with a room full of people whose lives are filled with CNN sound bites, MTV videos, flashy web pages and movies whose images blur the lines between reality and fiction? Running parallel to this issue is another which arises from very different quarters. Studies in the area of learning have produced results which have direct impact on preaching. Given the fact that the majority of sermons are strictly an auditory activity, there should be great concern that, according to A. Duane Litfin, “studies have shown that three days after being exposed to a particular message, the average learner will remember 10 percent if he only heard it, 20 percent if he only saw it, but 65 percent if he both heard and saw the message.”3 Although the percentages vary according to different reports, the principle remains true. A Sunday sermon which is only verbal will be mostly 1 Richard A. Jensen, Envisioning the Word: The Use of Visual Images in Preaching (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005), 5. 2 Jensen, Envisioning, 10. 3 A. Duane Litfin, Public Speaking: A Handbook for Christians (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1981), 215. 3 forgotten by Wednesday. Such a revelation can be very discouraging for preachers who have laboured long to communicate God’s eternal truths to their flocks. Based on the cultural trends of today as well as the reports about how we best learn as human beings, this thesis will examine the use of physical objects in sermons in order to discover the advantages and potential pitfalls of their use. Its aim is to help the readers understand how preaching with objects can have a greater influence on their listeners. The same statistics which can cause discouragement among preachers also offer a window of hope that can transform sermons into instruments of lasting impact. If people retain 65 percent of a message they both see and hear, for the preacher the solution is obvious. As Haddon Robinson puts it, “You must appeal to their senses…directly through both sight and sound.”4 Rick Blackwood agrees: “Instead of engaging only the ears of your congregation, multisensory communication enables you to engage their ears, eyes, and hands, and it brings more of the whole person into the learning process.”5 What is not so obvious is what precisely is meant by a multisensory sermon. There are numerous options available. One solution, put forward by Robinson, is simply to ensure good facial expressions and gestures are made visible while the spoken word is heard.6 Many, however, do not consider that sufficient. Some people believe a 4 Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic , 2001), 193. 5 Rick Blackwood, The Power of Multisensory Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 13. Note: When Blackwood speaks of multisensory sermons, he includes elements specifically designed to help the interactive learners. This thesis chose to keep its focus narrow, concentrating exclusively on physical objects. This lends itself primarily to the visual learner. However, in Blackwood’s book, the interactive learning that he uses is not extreme, with people getting up and doing activities in various parts of the room during the sermon. The approach used is more subtle. Therefore, the differentiation between the visual and interactive is small. It would seem that the biggest step in this process is moving a preacher from verbal only to verbal and visual. If people can be persuaded and equipped to make this change, any further steps would be relatively easy. 6 Robinson, Preaching, 193. 4 sermon is transformed into a multisensory message by being more contemporary, choosing the path of technology which makes use of movie clips, PowerPoint, etc.7 Others are suggesting we look back into Church history.8 According to this group, we need to return to our roots when artistic expressions of our faith dominated our worship spaces and worship services. Without dismissing any of these ideas, which all hold merit, it appears that there is one proposal that is usually overlooked in homiletical books and articles, yet is still very basic, and that is the use of physical objects as part of the sermon. Blackwood says it plainly: “Using object lessons is one of the easiest and most effective methods of going visual and interactive.”9 Through the thoughtful use of physical objects in a sermon, learning can improve in a number of ways. By using objects, we acknowledge that there is not a “one size fits all” path to learning. People simply do not all learn in the same way. This is how Blackwood explains it: “...the multisensory teacher understands that people have learning preferences by which they prefer to learn and by which they learn best. Stated another way: Some people in our congregation prefer to learn by hearing; others need to see the concept in order to learn it; still many others learn best by interacting with the teacher.”10 Merely by choosing to include visuals as part of a sermon, the preacher reaches out to connect with those in the congregation who prefer to learn or who learn best when their eyes are an active part of the process. 7 See Graham Johnston, Preaching to a Postmodern World (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 163. Also Stephen Brown, “Illustrating the Sermon,” in Handbook of Contemporary Preaching, ed. Michael Duduit (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992), 202. 8 See Jaime Lara, “Visual Preaching: The Witness of Our Latin Eyes,” Chicago Studies 39, no. 3 (2000): 268. Also Richard A. Jensen, “Thinking in Picture,” Dialog, 43, no. 4 (Winter 2004): 298. 9 Blackwood, Power, 137. 10 Blackwood, Power, 15.