How Much Personality???
posted December 3, 2009 by jordan
How much should we incorporate stylization and how much should we not?
Puritan preaching, though profound in its content, was popular in its style. Thomas Goodwin complained in other preacher of ‘the eminentist farrago of all sorts of flowers of wit that are found in any of the Fathers, poets, histories, similitudes, or whatever has the elegancy of wit in it’. But the Puritans eschewed ‘witty’ and clever preaching, which exalts the preacher rather than the Saviour. Weighty matters demand plain words. In Ryle’s autobiographical words, they ‘crucified their style’, and preached with dignified simplicity. Source is here.
God has wired us how yet also gives us the ability to crucify some elements (humor, seriousness, etc). Love to hear your thoughts on how much of our personality should make it into our messages and/or worship leading. Thoughts?


December 3rd, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I think it should be natural, not forced, nor put above (or anywhere near) the message. I think you do a fine job with that.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:04 am
43%
December 8th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I agree with Dak.
The message of the Bible is central and not the preacher. The personality should submit to the gospel.
Ouch that hurts.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:48 am
I’m slightly more holier than mark so I’m going to go with only 42%.