Something to Say or Say Anything

Lowell Erdahl, in the book Best Advice for Preaching, quotes someone who said, "There are two kinds of preachers--those who have to say something and those who have something to say!" A preacher gains something to say by connection to the divine through the spiritual disciplines including prayer and study. Having something to say comes from an in-depth look at the scripture. Having something to say comes from time and in-depth work.

However, too many preachers simply "must say something." These preachers take shortcuts. They copy a sermon off of the internet because it is not important what they say, but that they have something to say. They grab the latest edition of The African American Pulpit and preach a sermon verbatim, but have not done the work that is necessary to have something to say. Too often preachers who must say something will whoop or yell or use some other aspect of African American preaching style to hide the fact that they don't have anything to say.

The great blessing is that any preacher who God has called can have "something to say" rather than just one who "must say something." It is time to get back on that devotional program of Bible study and prayer. It is time to start looking at the scripture exegetically. And perhaps the hardest thing, if you don't have something to say, make use of those others who do have something to say. Do not give the people just anything because you don't have something to say.