I
spoke this last week at our church’s MOPS group. It reminded me how time
consuming and what a process the developing of a sermon truly is. Whether I am assigned a topic to speak on or I
press hard into the Lord and spend time in prayer to discern what is on His
heart for that day for that group of people, from the very beginning stages, it is simple a block of material without my touch and creativity in it yet. I compare it to sculpting. It starts with a “blocked” assignment of time
behind a microphone sometime in the future, and little by little the time
leading up is a process of carving away until a more and more clear sculpture
is presented. The more time that is
spent, the more detail is a result. Wiki
How explains Sculpting
this way:
Part 1 of 3: Building Your Base
1
Sketch your design. You should always draw out your design before you start. It doesn't have to be a good drawing, but it does need to give you a solid road-map for what you're going to do. Draw the sculpture from several different angles, so that you can understand how different areas meet up, the height at which different pieces need to be, actual scale, etc.
- Sketching the sculpture to scale can be extremely useful. If it is very large, don't sweat it but if you can draw the sculpture to scale, do it.
This is similar to the SCORRE method that I referred to in the last post.
2
Build your armature. Armature is a fancy word sculptors use for "support structure". Think of your armature as your sculpture's bones. The armature is important, as it will keep the piece from becoming too delicate and easily broken.
- Usually the armature is made from wire, the gauge of which will depend on the size of your sculpture. You can use other materials though, if your sculpture is small or wire is unavailable. Toothpicks can work, as can sticks. For larger sculptures, PVC pipe or plumping pipes can be useful.
- Using your sketch, identify the main "pieces" of the sculpture. Look at the lines that define those pieces and how they connect to the other pieces. Again, imagine a skeleton. Form your armature to these lines.
Whenever a video, quote, story, Scripture or picture is discovered that I know I want to plug in, I hold onto it in a document that continuously grows. I am not obligated to use any of those resources, but it helps bring the "life" and capture the attention of the listeners during the sermon. If I weren't to log these, I know myself and they would get lost in memory and on the www.
3
Add your filler. The filler is a bit like the muscles of your sculpture. Generally it's made out of a cheap, light-weight, plentiful material. It's important because it will help you save on materials costs, as well as keep down the weight of your sculpture (making it less prone to breaking and easier to move).
- Common filler materials include masking or painter's tape, tin foil, newspaper, or cheaper clay (not encouraged).
I have to know where I am going. Though I have written my thesis and though through who my audience will be at this point, I need to take the time to start writing the points of the sermon.
Part 2 of 3: Forming Your Sculpture
1
Start with large sections. Once your armature and filler material are in place, you can start adding your sculpting material.
This is when your content is lined up in your main points.
2
Add smaller sections. Begin to more carefully define the shape of your sculpture. You should still be adding clay or other sculpting material at this point. These additions should, like the larger chunks, define the general shape of the sculpture, but cover the smaller areas.
This is when YOU would be added - what have you learned about this topic? What is your interpretation of Scriptures that apply here?
- 3 Sculpt finer details. With the basic form in place, you can begin to take your material away or shift it into place. This is the sculpting stage, in the traditional sense. Move and smooth larger pieces into their final shape, and begin to carve out smaller details (the angle of a cheek bone, the knuckles of a hand, etc).
- For the previous two steps, you will largely be relying on your hands, unless your sculpture is very small. For this step, however, you may need to begin to use some tools. You can use sculpture tools or you can improvise tools. See the section below for a longer discussion of tools.
I love that this sub point says that you were using your own hands, now you use tools. Here is where the list of jokes, stories, statistics, quotes, any outside resources are added in. It ads credibility and some texture to your sermon to share what others have to say and stories to further your point.
Part 3 of 3: Texturing Your Sculpture
1
Identify the necessary textures. Look over your sculpture and think about the different materials that would make up that object in real life (flesh, hair, fabric, stone, grass, fur, etc). On your original sketch or on an entirely new one, map out what textures go where.
- Do some research. Look at lots of pictures of those types of textures to figure out how they work. You'd be surprised how complex it can be. Fur, for example, grows in chunks and you'll have to pay attention to the length, organization, and direction of every chunk.
Here is where research does come in. What points don't have enough weight, meat or outside resources? Jump online or into books or ask peers/mentors for insight into those topics that need to be further developed.
2
Texture the areas. Begin to texture your sculpture, one section at a time, using traditional or improvised tools. Only a very limited number of sculpting tools are needed and most can be improvised from common household objects. You will have to experiment to find out what works best for you, as almost every sculptor uses their tools differently.
- Generally with sculpting tools, large tips are used to create the broad details, while finer tips are used to create details. Scoop-like tools create rounded areas. Tools with a loop are used to scrape away the material. Anything with a sharp edge can be used to cut.
- Tools can be improvised from: balls of tin foil, black peppercorn, toothpicks, x-acto knives, a toothbrush, a steel ball chain necklace, a comb, knitting needles, crochet hooks, large and small sewing needles, cookie cutters, melon ballers, etc.
Now you begin to talk out your teaching and what you have so far. This stage ALWAYS results in scrapping chunks that I was committed to previously to hearing them from my own ears or launching me back into the previous step, into bulking up any areas that need more substance to be applicable to the listener.
3
Cure your sculpture. Once you're done with all of the major clay work, you'll need to cure your sculpture to make it hard (if you want it hard...if not, ignore). Different clays need to be cured in different ways (air dry, bake, etc), so follow the manufacturer's instructions for the clay you use.
- It is generally better to under-bake (use a low temperature for longer periods of time, if you can), to avoid burning.
This is when you practice, practice, practice. For years, I thought the more I practiced the better. The sub point makes me laugh in that speaking is like dancing - your body/mind may be able to go into "reciting" what you have practiced, but you have to not be so rigid in the end that you aren't able to feel the audience's responses in that moment or the Holy Spirit's guiding as well.
Through building, forming and texturizing your sermon, each step is important and necessary for an unforgettable and effective sermon.
