How might preachers or public speakers interact with listeners mid-sermon in such a way as it does not go off the rails with odd audience behavior or go over the allotted time?
Some brainstorming below.
1. "Could I have a volunteer to help me?" (like a magic show). Ask them a few questions about the topic to get a baseline perspective on it.
2. "I want you to help me by shouting out an answer on this" (like at an improv show).
3. Text your answer to this number.
4. Write your answer on a piece of paper and hold it up.
5. Come to the mic in the aisle or raise hand and we'll pass you a mic.
For what it is worth, I'm thinking of Thomas Groome's Five Movement Shared Christian Praxis model of teaching based on Jesus' conversational approach in Luke 24 (walk to Emmaus).
Jesus asks two people "What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
Questions indicate the speaker is interested in what the listener has to contribute. It is humanizing. It indicates that the teacher knows teaching is not just dumping information but working to build upon what a student already knows.
It also keeps a teacher on their toes. And the improvisation and uncertainty keeps audiences engaged. Humor is possible. It is risky because of the uncertainty but is usually a net positive.
The challenge with a big group is you are keeping the interaction with the audience delimited. You are just dipping in to audience interaction. You are not giving them the floor to pontificate or take over. So you may be cutting them off. You have to ignore some contributions.
The other thing people worry about of course is opening up a can of worms. People giving a message should do so with accuracy and precision so as to not mislead or steer people in the wrong direction. Interaction can draw a teacher into material they don't know well.
The other way to get "real interaction" is by doing it beforehand during the preparation with a focus group or sermon-preparation team who interact about the message topic. That input seasons and strengthens and grounds the sermon. Great or humorous comments can even be quoted.
In general, I am dismayed at how little experimentation I see with interaction with listeners in preaching despite the books by @pagitt
https://www.amazon.com/Preaching-Re-Imagined-Sermon-Communities-Faith/dp/0310263638/
and @timconder @rhodesdanp
See also this additional thread about what questions I would ask listeners to answer aloud in a sermon.
– I would ask: diagnosis questions. How did we get here?
– And I would ask later: application questions. How might this text intersect with our lives?
I'm trying to give pastors *who are pastoral toward people* ideas. If they are insecure, defensive, aloof, and hurried, just asking questions in sermon is not going to solve that.
There is a lack of courage in pastors borne of a fear of what people will think and a misunderstanding of "reverence" in church. Striking honesty is a sign a church is healthy and it will actually draw people who are seeking (1 Cor 14:24-25).
Originally tweeted by Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) on July 5, 2021.
