An Evangelist's Temptation to Drama

One of America’s greatest evangelists told the writer that this was his constant temptation and danger. He said, “You know that before I became an evangelist I was an actor.

I had great dramatic power. There is the constant temptation to use it in giving my illustrations. I know that I could thrill the hearers with my dramatic ability in presenting this incident. But I know that I must never do that.

I will call their attention away from the sermon, away from the fact that I am trying to bring these people to Christ. They would be all wrapt up in watching my dramatics instead of thinking about the incident so that when I had completed it, I could use it to bring them nearer to decision for Christ or for a higher standard of Christian life.

No I must keep away from dramatics.” It was the writer’s privilege to hear this evangelist speak a number of times. Not once did he slip into the dramatic and yet no one could have told those illustrations more effectively than he. 92 THE ILLUSTRATION In teaching, calling, conversation one is not restricted in this respect so much as in preaching.

In calling one can act out a story, especially if it is of a humorous nature, yet never to the extent of making a buffoon of oneself. Any manner of presentation that shows the speaker is telling something that reflects greatly on himself endangers a man’s influ- ence. Persisted in, such presentation will destroy it. Any manner that reveals the speaker is talking out of dislike for the people in- volved in the incident is to be avoided.

The hearers believe that he is then talking out of prejudice and that invalidates that illustration for them. But if your congregation can catch your purpose behind all these illustrations—to help men find God and keep Him—then they come with the greatest possible impact and influence.

They must see as clear as sunshine that you tell these varied illustrations for just one purpose—to help them be saved and grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord. This is the Christian workers greatest asset at all times. Especially is it true in using the varied illustra- tions. In all of these the hearers must see that they have been given in His name.

VI. Speak rather slowly—never hurriedly. Emphatically, yes, but hurriedly, no.

Especially is this neces- sary in talking about matters outside the environment, experience, knowledge of the hearers. This would be true under all circum- stances, to all classes of hearers, from the youngest to the oldest. The hearers have to listen carefully or they will not get the details accurately. An inaccurate understanding means an inaccurate im- pression received.

More especially still is this essential in talking to children. They form their mental concepts more slowly than do adults. Unless the hearers get the right mental impression from your illustration, you cannot rightly apply it so far as they are concerned. You may make the correct application, but that does not assure that they will rightly get it.

They can do so only when that illustration is thoroughly understood. No speaker can accomplish this result by pouring out the words in a rapid stream. Speak rather slowly. VII.

Emphasize illustrations according to their respective value. All illustrations are not of equal value. Some have major and some minor importance. If one under-emphasizes the major, it loses much of its value.

If one over-emphasizes the minor you have an anti-climax. You cannot make every illustration you use be of great importance. When you strongly emphasize one that is what you are doing.

Greatly emphasizing all results in inability to emphasize any illustration. You haven’t any emphasis left, so to say. Your manner of presentation will or ought to reveal just what importance you attach to any given illustration. You can do this habitually unless you develop the habit of emphasizing the minor into the major.

Present them according to their value. VIII. Avoid any manner of presentation that detracts from pulpit dignity, the sacredness of the minister’s office. One can word this more emphatically and not err.

Any manner that will reflect on the dignity and sacredness of the minister’s office must be avoided. We do not like the word—must, but consider for a moment the place the minister has in the community life in general.

He is the central man of influence. He is the spiritual guide of the com- munity. As the children and youth who attend church are from the best homes in the community, he has listening the best minds there. The minister of the Gospel is a servant of Jesus Christ, carry- ing forward His purposes and plans.

He is preaching the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus. This is no time for fri- volity or foolishness. Language, thought, ideas and ideals must be those that are in accord with the lofty purpose in preaching. The preacher has no right to make a buffoon of himself.

Facial con- tortions and grimaces are out of place in the pulpit. Slang and loose language, language of ignorance should be avoided. People do not want to have their children quote their pastor as authority for using some slang phrase. In calling, conversation, teaching, one does not need to enforce these rules quite as rigidly.

One can explain oneself more fully. Yet even here no pastor can afford to so conduct himself that when people see him in the pulpit, they will be thinking of some ludicrous or undignified manner that has characterized the pastor during the week.

It is better to err on the side of dignity than of levity. Concluding remarks. Any delivery that makes for general efficiency is acceptable to the great majority of the congregation. You cannot please every- 94 THE ILLUSTRATION body in this respect any more than you can in the other elements of a man’s work.

These words should stand out sharply in your mind all your period of service, no matter what that service may be. Keep ever in mind the sacredness of your calling,—as my Father hath sent me, so send I you. Your holy purpose—to let your light so shine that men may glorify your Father in heaven—see what God has done for you and in you and so be drawn unto Him and be saved, kept, glorified in the world to come. When we do this, we have best safe-guarded ourselves, we have placed in our hearts the best agency for effective presentation.

QUESTION MATERIAL ON CHAPTER VI The questions given on this Chapter are for self-analysis. In an- swering some you will need the cooperation of another or others. If you are a pastor, have your wife help you in checking up or some friend of discriminating judgment. If you are a teacher, you will have to do about all of it yourself, unless you teach adults.

Then you may find some member of the class who can help you in checking up. In addition to the questions given here, you will find questions at the end of the chapter on “Talks to Boys and Girls.” In teaching you will get additional help by checking up on your presentation by studying the chapter on “Illustrations and the Bible School Lesson.” In beginning this self-analysis, you may be able at first to only check yourself up on a few questions.

By persistently doing this, gradually you will get power to make this complete self-analysis. After a while you will be able to do this with but little or no outside help.

Carry these questions in the subconscious mind. Read them over until they are thoroughly in your mind, without consciously calling them to memory. All the years of your service you should review this self-analysis once in a while. The very best of speakers and teachers fall into bad habits unless they watch themselves closely.

Check up on your presentation as soon as you can after speaking or teaching. As you speak or teach subconsciously study the audience or the class. At first this may detract from your presentation a little, but soon you will be able to do this without injuring the speaking or teaching at all.

How did my hearers react to the illustrations I used? 1, Were they nearly all giving attention during the whole period of narration? PROPER PRESENTATION ; 95 2. Did any of them lose interest in either of the illustrations?

If so, was it due to weakness in presentation or to the fact that the spirit- ual life was not sufficiently developed? Lack of attention does not always mean that you have defectively presented the illustration. 3. Did any seem amused rather than interested in the illustrations or any particular one?

What was the source of that amusement—the material I used, my presentation, illustration and application too far apart, poor choice of material, worldly-mindedness, low spiritual de- velopment? 4. Were the best minds in the congregation really interested? If not, then I would do well to study the material and its presentation very carefully.

If they were, then I can get encouragement from the fact. 5. Did some whom you know to be of not very keen intellect seem puzzled, failing to grasp what you were saying? Perhaps you should have stated it more simply.

6. Did any look frankly skeptical about what you were saying, revealing they did not believe what you were saying was true or ever happened? Were there a considerable number of them? Were they spiritually developed enough, to get what you were saying?

If they were, study that illustration to see if the highly improbable has not crept in unawares. If, however, the ones who look skeptical are worldly-minded or of low spiritual experience, do not be disturbed for this will always be true.

7. Did anyone seem offended at what you said? If you cannot determine the cause by checking up, try to find out its cause. It may have been a cause you could not prevent.

God may have rebuked the life through your lips, you being unconscious that you were doing so. This cannot be avoided. But if the cause is avoidable and one that should have been avoided, make direct effort to get the matter straight- ened out.

One offended person can offset the work of a number that are pleased. You cannot afford not to pay attention to offended people. 8. Did I make the illustrations throb with life, was there vitality in my narration?

9. Was it animated enough or too much so? 10. Did I tell them in an interesting way?

11. Did my facial expressions enter sufficiently into the narration, was my face a sort of mask that did not change at all or but very little?

12. Did I have too many changes of expression in my face? 13. Did my facial expression at any moment contradict the emotion - I was under at the moment, or the one the hearers were under?

Was I smiling when I should have been serious, did I have a pleasant ex- pression when I should have had a stern, severe expression on my face? 14. Did I overdo any of the facial expressions? 15.

Did I make any facial expressions that would make me ridicu- lous, too much of an actor, too much of a buffoon? Did the expres- 96 THE ILLUSTRATION sions take away the minds of the hearers from what was being said to the manner in which tt was being said? 16. Were my gestures truly descriptive ?

17. Did I have enough gestures or too many? 18. Did I overdo the gestures at any point?

19. Should I have shown more life, emotion in my face or body action anywhere in the descriptions or narrations? 20. Was the illustration itself of sufficient value and interest for me to put my very best into it?

21. If I failed in some of these respects, was it due to the fact that I did not know any particular illustration well enough, that I did not know the details well enough to be accurate in my narration, or that I had not sufficiently studied the illustration? 22. Could I have added anything that would have made the illustra- tion more interesting, better understood, with greater appeal?

23. Should I have eliminated one or more of the items in it? CuaprTer VII ILLUSTRATIONS NOT TO USE HE purpose of this chapter is to bring the reader to smart at- tention. There are many illustrations that should not be used.

Illustrations can harm as well as benefit. They may hinder as well as develop. Christian workers must study and study until there is no possibility of their forgetting this—ilustrations cannot be used effectively and be used in a haphazard way. Not every forcible illustration that a man can get, can he use.

Some illustrations do more harm than good. Therefore they should not be used.

I. Illustrations that reveal a lack of good taste on the part of the user must be avoided. Good taste is that inner sense of the fitness of things—the absence of vulgarity, crudity, coarseness, boorishness. More workers offend here than at any other in their use of illustrations.

There is no way a man can lose a cultured person quicker than by an exhibition of bad taste. In this instance, it is not a matter of offending one who does not know what constitutes good taste. The cultured have this sense developed to a high degree. It is almost impossible to win back one who is offended in this way.

That person has no use for the one who has given such offence.