MAKING A SCENE IN THE PULPIT

How can preachers ensure that their sermons continue to engage listeners in a world defined by visual media and the short, segmented delivery of information? Alyce McKenzie harnesses the element of drama and the human fascination with scenes to offer ministers a modern means of sermon development and delivery.McKenzie&rsquo,s core strategy is to invite listeners into scenes&mdash,whether from Scripture or contemporary life&mdash,and, once they are there, to point them toward the larger story of God&rsquo,s relationship with humankind. Creating such scenes unifies the whole process of preaching, she says, from the preacher&rsquo,s daily life observations to interpretation of scenes from Scripture, to sermon shaping, sequencing, and delivery. The process culminates in a specific understanding of the purpose of the sermon