Advice on Preaching

Scott Clark has a very helpful post here entitled "A Few Words to Student Preachers." Although written with seminarians in mind, I think this is excellent advice to all of us who are called to preach. The points that he lays out are all great things to keep in mind as we stand behind the pulpit and proclaim the Word of God. I won't summarize it all here, I'll let you read it on your own. The only issue I would take with what he writes is in regard to bringing a manuscript into the pulpit. Scott recommends that you not do that, primarily because you lose eye contact with your people. And that is true. Reading your sermon manuscript with the congregation looking at the top of your head is bad. Yeah, they say Edwards did it...but that doesn't make it right, particularly in our day and age. However, I think that a pastor can be familiar with his manuscript enough that he isn't tied to it. For example, I go over my manuscript enough on Saturdays that I don't have to look down much as I'm preaching. Eye contact is very, very important.  Anyways...have a read!