There's Powerpoint in the Blood - Christianity Today

It’s Wednesday and I’m still not laughing.

On Sunday our computer crashed between the PowerPoint presentation of our church news and the SongShow Plus worship music. Our worship team had sung two songs before the laptop was up and running. The congregation was unsure of the words and wondering why we would sing a song called “Windows 95.”

Who would’ve imagined we’d become so tied to technology? I thought. I remember when crashing your hard drive and losing your sermon notes on Sunday morning was the stuff of LEADERSHIP cartoons. Now, computers play a serious and ever-increasing role in my ministry, especially in my preaching.

Thou anointest my laptop?

I can hear the skeptics: “God won’t send his anointing through a Pentium processor.” Something so blatantly material seems unspiritual. If I become too consumed with my PowerPoint, might I miss God’s power?

Yes, it’s true. Computers can impoverish my soul while improving my image.

I must remind myself: new software will not help me preach with greater power or stronger conviction. Electronic wizardry cannot replace spiritual gifts. Microsoft does not open the windows of heaven. In short, computers cannot substitute for ministry basics—a heart for God, spiritual disciplines, personal and professional integrity, and diligent study.

Despite the hazards, I remain committed to using technology in ministry. Computers have done two things for my sermons: (1) improved my study and preparation methods, and (2) polished my delivery techniques.

Turbo-charged study

I still use my books, but technology has beefed up my study and cut my prep time.

Better Bible research. At a couple hundred dollars a pop (or more), Bible study software might seem pricey. But nobody I know leaves Bible software sitting untouched, like I do some of my expensive commentaries.

Everyone uses Bible software differently. Some focus on original Greek and Hebrew studies. Others use CD commentaries, vast libraries crammed into small spaces.

I use Bible software in simple, utilitarian ways, mostly comparing translations. Software can provide me with 12, 16, or more versions, side by side. My books can do that, but only with a desk the size of a Ping-Pong table.

Software performs concordance-like searches for topics or words, only faster and more comprehensively. I can print verses containing a word, several words, or a specific phrase, or copy verses into sermon notes in my word processor.

Better sermon illustrations. I subscribe to a couple of Internet services that offer collections of illustrations. It’s almost like having a research assistant collecting and organizing stories. I can search for a specific word or topic among a huge database and view contemporary anecdotes, quotations, historical items, or humorous stories.

The only downside I’ve encountered is information overload. On occasion, I’ve collected up to 50 pages of (mostly) relevant stories for a single sermon. I’ve had to set limits, otherwise I could spend more time than ever on sermon preparation.

Better grasp of current events. I’ve learned that the best illustrations are those that convey vivid detail and emotion. In the past, I’ve tormented myself trying to recall the details of a news story: What did Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura say about religion?

If a network news program reports a quote I’d like to use, I can usually retrieve the exact quote through news archives or transcription services available on the Internet. Our local library has such services available for free, permitting me to e-mail text copies of articles or transcripts to myself. These services are available at home for about $5 per month (www.elibrary.com).

Better general research. The Internet offers quick access to otherwise obscure information. Late one Saturday night, I realized that a reading I’d seen more than 20 years ago would be an ideal addition to my sermon. The next morning, I did a quick Internet search and found One Solitary Life.

Better filing. I used to collect illustrations in notebooks and file folders. No more. Now I save them in a computer file. This works for me because I recall stories more by a name or detail than by the topic. I won’t remember whether I filed it under “perseverance” or “persistence” or “patience” or something else. If I remember some story was about Frederick the Great, I let the computer do the searching.

I store my sermons on disk and can easily refer to an old sermon. Some search tools do word searches through an entire directory or drive. In other words, I don’t have to open each file separately to search for a particular word. This is especially helpful when I want to find a story I’ve already used.

Better notes and manuscripts. If you still prefer a typewriter or legal pad, fine. But drafting and editing sermon notes on the computer works better for me.

Buffed up delivery

When it comes to preaching, nothing can take the place of divine anointing, deep passion, and a commitment to speak authentically. But I can still improve my speaking skills and tap new technology.

I want to connect with those who find it difficult to stay focused for any length of time, even when listening to eternal truths.

Preaching to the eye. Presentation software allows me to show key sermon points to listeners. I’ve also projected poignant quotes, Scripture texts, even photos, drawings, and maps. The congregation’s attentiveness and comprehension improve when I connect with their eyes as well as their ears.

When I first started using presentation software, one man told me, “I never realized how much of a visual learner I am.”

Even before we got a video/data projector, I improved my sermons by generating overhead transparencies of sermon points with my computer. Using Bible software, I made color transparencies of Bible maps and photos of archaeological sites.

An unexpected bonus of using presentation software has been a more disciplined editing of my sermon. Rambling sentences don’t communicate well on screen. Concise, logical points reduce my tendency to be wordy.

Preaching to the heart. The computer sparks my creative energies. I no longer think merely words and outlines. I also consider photos, video, and graphic designs that will convey more than information and facts. I want my sermon to connect with hearts.

For instance, I might accentuate a message with a musical montage. On Independence Day we laid the words to America over a series of patriotic and historic photos. The congregation not only read and sang the words, they made an emotional connection with scenes of the Statue of Liberty and Vietnam Memorial.

All’s well that ends In a Leadership cartoon several years ago, the preacher, with sweat pouring off his brow, peeks from the wings at his congregation. The caption reads, “Pastor Phyles’ worst nightmare comes true: a Sunday morning computer glitch means he can’t print out his sermon notes.”

I can laugh at that one—now.

I remember the Sunday I had to fax my notes down the hall to my secretary’s office, because my printer refused to work.

When Pastor Phyles finally prints his notes, he will likely find a sermon better than it would have been before he switched to the computer. I have.

Richard Doebler is senior pastor of Cloquet Gospel Tabernacle 1400 Washington Ave Cloquet, MN 55720 cgtab@juno.com