Transitions

Earlier this summer, I made the decision to present as many of my presentations--mainly preaching--in an extemporaneous manner and to chronicle my experiences.  

One of the difficulties with extemporaneous preaching is transitions.  This has been the case even when using a normal organizational pattern in public speaking.   In basic public speaking transitions have a formulaic quality.  There's an introduction, body and conclusion.  In the body of the speech, main points are covered.  Usually there are 2, 3 or 4 main points.  The transitions occur between the main points.  Typically, the speaker should summarize the main point, draw it to a close and then move to the next main point.  I teach my students to be very obvious about this.   They are to signpost.  Signposting is using a word like "First, Second, Third." After they signpost, they state their main point as a propositional statement. 

Preaching, at least as I am trying to do it, is not nearly as direct.  Stating the main conclusion and the propositional supporting points at the beginning of each main point doesn't always happen.  It is frequently better to withhold the conclusion until much later.  Aesthetically delaying the conclusion of a main point bBuilds suspense

More accurately delaying making the "points" in a sermon reflects the way one comes to theological insight from a text. This is the idea of inductive preaching as taught by Fred Craddock in As One Without Authority.  Craddock explains in preaching, the pastor is a servant both of the Word and of the People.  The preacher invites the two to come together rather the dictatorially spelling out the "truths" to which he or she expects consent from the congregation.  A sermon that orally reproduces the process of thinking sends the message that faith is a process--we don't come at the text with all the answers already in place; the ideas form through reflection, wrestling, study, etc.  This means that sermons, as least as I typically conceive them, do not have easily discernible "points" in the same way that a speech might.  Instead, they have what David Buttrick calls "moves."  

Under normal circumstances, remembering to do all that you need to do to make a transition work is difficult.  On sample outlines, I used actually write in the transition lines.  When you're trying to build observations and reflections to reach a conclusion that will serve as a transitions, it is difficult to be patient with your own recollection and delay reaching the conclusion.  In short, to sustain effective extemporaneous speaking, I would have to learn ways to effectively transition from one point to the next.