What do you think about yelling

[Reformed Covenanter]

Wow Margaret. has that happened in your church? I would feel bad and ashamed for him at the same time. I would tell him if he did that again he would lose the 12 he had now. Talk about guilt and manipulation.

The Pastor of the church Margaret attends is an old friend of mine. It's a small world, so be careful when speaking about a particular man as his friends might take offence.

Daniel, the minister of whom I am speaking is NOT your old friend. (It is someone under whom I used to sit.) No, your old friend is a fine minister, an excellent preacher, evangelist and a man with a true pastor's heart whose preaching I am blessed to hear each Lord's Day. Our congregation may be small right now, but it continues to draw new people, and everyone who hears your friend preach tells us afterwards how blessed they were by his sermon. I cannot even imagine him saying something like that...

Margaret

That's okay Margaret, I thought such an approach would be somewhat out of charachter for Sean. I am glad to hear he is doing well in his new work.

 

[KenPierce]

I think part of the problem is definition.

Is excitement and loud volume yelling? I am thinking of the preaching of men like JR de Witt or John Piper.

Or, are we thinking of fundamentalist shrieking?

 

[christiana]

quote reformedman:

Spurgeon says that if you tell someone to turn back because the bridge is out, that they will likely travel the 2 miles to the bridge to see if it is in fact truly a danger.
But if with all your might and emotion you enthusiastically exclaim that the bridge is out, your hearer may not even allow you to finish your warning before he will turn back in approval to your words.

I am paraphrasing from memory from Spurgeon's book- "Feathers for Arrows".

Reminds me of the tale about two fellas beside the road yelling "Turn, turn, go back, change your ways, you'll be sorry". When a car goes by they soon hear great crashing sounds and splashing when one says to the other, "Dont you think it might have been better to post a sign saying 'Bridge Out'?

 

[py3ak]

I think "yelling" carries a connotation of unrestrained, probably angry, volume; as such, it is different from speaking with emphasis or shouting. And there are times to shout: Christ cried out with a loud voice, and will return with a shout.

 

[Galatians220]

I think part of the problem is definition.

Is excitement and loud volume yelling? I am thinking of the preaching of men like JR de Witt or John Piper.

Or, are we thinking of fundamentalist shrieking?

Those are not qualities of the person of whom I was speaking. Excitement is fine; loud volume is okay. Better those than a soft, dry, unengaged monotone. What I referred to above was scolding and sarcastic "do you GET IT?"-type of stuff, in a "yelling" pitch. A lot of "you must do..." and nothing of "He has done..."

There's a fine, Reformed Baptist preacher near here who occasionally does yell. But his yelling is worth hearing, for he preaches the Gospel. (Ah, just maybe 3- to 4-point Calvinism, which is why we're not there anymore - but when he resorts to, oh, John 6, and the way of salvation described therein, the man is an excellent expositor of the Gospel. He's on Sermonaudio.com; if anyone is interested in knowing who this is, please PM me. Of course, I'd rather that people ask for a link to the Sermonaudio-based sermons of our current pastor; he's certainly there! ) I'm not referring to people like that Reformed Baptist preacher.

Sarcasm in the pulpit is not very winsome, it must be admitted, and when it's accompanied by yelling...

Margaret

 

[DTK]

I think part of the problem is definition.

Is excitement and loud volume yelling? I am thinking of the preaching of men like JR de Witt or John Piper.

Or, are we thinking of fundamentalist shrieking?

I think Ken is right, that part of the problem is definition. I think that volume is important, namely (as Dabney put it) "we must so utter as to be heard," but to be careful to avoid shrill in one's tone.

Now, having had Dr. de Witt for all three semesters of systematics at RTS, it is my humble opinion that he preached systematic theology rather than simply going over his notes, for which I will always be grateful. I listened to Dr. de Witt preach in chapel many times, and there is no one whose preaching I would rather hear than his. I still chuckle with amusement and appreciation for his loathing of the word "share" ever having any place for what one does in the pulpit.

I offer this one anecdote about Dr. de Witt. I recall an occasion from seminary when Dr. R. C. Sproul was scheduled to speak in Grace Chapel on the Jackson campus of RTS (there were no other RTS campuses at the time). Well, there was an air of excitement on campus in anticipation of Dr. Sproul speaking in chapel. However, when the time for chapel was approaching that day, I noticed Dr. de Witt making his way to chapel with his robe folded over his arm, a tell-tale sign that circumstances had changed, for Dr. de Witt followed the same procedure each time he was to preach in chapel. One knew that to see Dr. de Witt with his robe in hand, he was slated to preach that day.

Well, when the student body gathered in chapel that day, sure enough, no Dr. Sproul. I forget what the providential hindrance was that prevented his arrival, but it was clear to all that he would not be the guest speaker for chapel. At the beginning of the chapel service, Dr. de Witt stood up, and uttered in words never to be forgotten by me - he said, "All of you who came to hear Dr. Sproul today may leave, and all who came to worship God may stay!" No one so much as twitched!

As for my personal preference, I'd rather hear Dr. de Witt preach any day of the week than Dr. Sproul, but then that is another matter.

DTK

 

[Galatians220]

You know, you might find that 100 mg of Chlorpromazine (aka Thorazine) QID could help you with those symptoms. Who knows, in a few years, you might even be able to be mainstreamed.

Margaret

 

[Gesetveemet]

What do you think about yelling?

A dumb church thinks yelling is hard preaching when actually hard preaching is what gets at the root of the matter, SIN.




.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I hate yelling in sermons when it is habitual. A favourite preacher of mine occasionally asides to himself 'Stop yelling, ****, why ya hollerin at the people?'. I understand what it is to be compelled by the word and desperate to communicate some vital point, but it really should be the exception, not the rule, otherwise style rules substance.

For example, there is a forthright style of preaching here in the UK that comes from Wales - the lilting, musical tones, and the emotion in spoonfuls, with crescendoes of noise. Some folk don't think they've heard a good sermon unless they've been shouted at, whispered at, wept at, and cajoled. I do believe that some men put on the 'act' because it brings acclaim, sadly.

I recall Bawb alleging that Jonathan Hunt's preaching reminded him of Ian Paisley.