“We must not overlook the fact that, in the final analysis, the greatest channel of publicity for the organization is the existence of a positive, dynamic, and dramatic program.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
September 29, 1959

“I spoke from my heart.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
1963

We can all agree that Dr. King was a gifted orator and that his sermons changed the world for the better. He spoke with passion, focus, and rose above the greatest fear of most people: public speaking. However not many know that he worked hard on harnessing the power of spontaneous presentation.

How does one develop spontaneity? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Similar to the kingdom of God, there is a perceived dichotomy. For the sake of our discussion, let’s set aside the dictionary definition:

spontaneous adj. happening without external cause or control. Instead, let’s agree on the definition of spontaneity and improvisation as

spontaneity n. The use of techniques producing free invention in the present moment.

Just like physical exercise or playing the piano, the more you practice the better you will become. The good and the bad news is that we have to speak all the time, so we might as well develop a level of proficiency. As pastors, we spend daunting hours, going over the finer points of theology, cross-referencing and memorizing every dot and tiddle. Yet, with all the rehearsal, we still get butterflies in our stomachs every time we hit the pulpit. I suggest that to become more relatable to our congregation, a portion of our presentation prep time should be spent connecting with our Maker through warm ups that are fun and produce significant results.

This article is designed to help you understand, own and address spontaneous public presentation. Yes your anxiety can be diminished through joyful and peaceful practice. Who knows, you might even grow to enjoy the process.

Be Real

To impact an individual or group they need to desire to stick around. Friendliness and an attitude of acceptance are critical in building long term relationships. So we have to remove the barriers of poor communication: Anxiety, distraction, poor diction, low energy, lack of expression, an austere presence, etc.

In my experience as a human being, ‘if it’s fun, I’ll try it.’ So I encourage you to enter into this time with a playful attitude. Set aside your need to be critical for just a moment. I mean how much of your life today was scripted as compared to improvised

< I also know that perfect practice equates to perfect performance. Some of the basics include, warming up the physical, mental, verbal and focal levels of your being. So like all exercises do them well and consistently.

First Impressions

Give up your need to make a life-changing impression. Just let your hair down and relax. People aren’t interested in perfection as much as connection. The Apostle Paul reminds us:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

The following suggestions are designed to help you connect with the relaxed and relatable you. Find a quiet private place before you begin:

Tip #1: Breathe deep. It is very soothing. Breathe through your nose, filling your lungs with air and exhale deeply. Repeat.

Tip #2: Shake it out. That’s right. You store nervous energy in the weirdest places. Raise your left arm. While maintaining relaxed control, shake your arm and count backwards from seven (7,6,5,4,3,2,1). Lower your arm. Repeat the countdown with right arm, and then left leg, then right leg. Repeat the entire process starting the countdown at the number six (6,5,4,3,2,1). Continue the pattern until you have cycled through each appendage, counting backwards to one.

Tip #3: CHEW the alphabet. Speak slowly and distinctly over-pronouncing every single letter of the alphabet in succession. Then try it in reverse.

Tip #4: Recite a playful scripture passage or sing your favorite chorus (one minute in length) with verve and confidence.

Tip #5: Avoid liquids that are too hot or too cold, especially caffeinated ones (for obvious reasons). You wouldn’t want to be forced into an unexpected intermission.

I recommend doing these exercises right before you present your sermon. Reorganize your current agenda to produce more significant results. Effectiveness increases as tension dissipates. Joy and anxiety cannot operate in the same space.

Remember that only seven percent of our communication is verbal. That leaves ninety-three percent to body language. Have you ever been told that, “Pastor, you just weren’t yourself today?” Your audience will connect or disconnect based on how real you present yourself to be. It’s not so much what you say as how you say it. Like my mom always said, “Fake it ‘til you make it Paulie.” Getting comfortable with yourself takes time and practice.

Focus

Increasing your awareness level will help you in a multitude of ways. When you choose to be perceptive, you show you care. To increase awareness, first clear your plate of unnecessary preoccupation and pressure. Here are a couple of techniques you can do while you’re waiting to present.

Tip # 6: Quiet Prayer/Meditation. Allow yourself to connect with God without reiterating your laundry list of requests. Listen and choose not to respond.

Tip #7: Look around you. See things for the first time again. Be pleasantly surprised by the color of a parishioner’s tie or the smell of the floral arrangement. Try noticing something in the room you never noticed before. A good pastor is a good observer.

Relaxed readiness opens you up to new possibilities. This state gives the Holy Spirit room to flow and use you as a vehicle. As you exercise your concentration muscle you will increase your spiritual effectiveness.

Windows to the Soul

People have a hard time trusting those with wandering eyes. In the theater, we are taught to make pleasant eye contact with sections of the ‘house’ to which we perform. Here’s another tidbit:

Tip # 8: Starting with the back of the room, section off the audience into four distinct quadrants; the back left, back right, front left and front right. Towards the beginning of your presentation, find a happy or inviting soul in each section and make eye contact with them as you speak. After about 30 seconds, move to the next section until you hit every one. If you have trouble looking into their eyes, look between their eyebrows, to the audience member it looks the same.

Power Up

Lack of energy equates to lack of conviction. There’s no need to be spoofy or cartoonish, just maintain a level of energy that’s a notch above your audience. Enthusiasm is contagious as we have seen in prayer meetings, concerts and sporting events. Expending energy in the correct proportion produces powerful results. Here’s a few ideas:

Tip #9: Speak loudly. We have become lazy with technical amplification. Nothing replaces the power of a strong confident voice.

Tip #10: Expanding your face as wide as possible. Reverse by scrunching your face as small as possible. Try not to attach any emotion to the facial expression.

Tip #11: Clarity is the key. Repeat the following phrases with diction and speed. If you get a case of mush-mouth or the giggles, take a deep relaxing breath and try again.

1. Amiable astronauts aid aerial enterprise.
2. Aluminum linoleum.
3. Bippity bippity bop.
4. Lucy likes light literature.
5. Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
6. Six thick thistle sticks.
7. Unique New York.

Be perceptive and model other great speakers, celebrities, friends and co-workers. The answers you seek are all around you. It’s easy to appreciate others gifts, learn from them and make them our own.

Let Go, Let God

"Love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:39 (NIV)

Yes, you have to love yourself and give yourself permission to take risks. You will learn oodles in the process. To lessen your inhibition you must be willing to let go. Risking produces results, fear produces anxiety. So here are some ways to conquer the fear factor:

Tip #12: Watch and join in with children at play. Experience the joy and remember you used to be just like them.

Tip#13: Form a tight circle with a group of trusted friends or co-workers. One player stands in the middle with eyes closed, feet together, arms crossed over their chest and hands on opposite shoulders. The surrounding players pass the person slowly and gently around the interior of the circle. The central player must relax keeping their feet in place and TRUST that the other players will support and protect her/him. The goal is for the central player to experience a few inches of free fall before being caught by the other players. All must take turns as the central player for this to be a benefit.

“No man (or woman) is an island,“ a wise person once said. A team approach will show your staff that you are human just like them. Relationships might even improve with consistent practice because they now become part of the presentation. Ownership can be a shared responsibility.

Train Your Brain

Speaking freely and with intent on a subject is a learned skill. Here are a couple of improv exercises for a fresh approach to developing your sermon material.

Tip #14: In the middle of a blank sheet of paper write down a noun and circle it. Then quickly write down all the other singular words that come to mind around the first noun. DO NOT EDIT YOURSELF. Circle the words and draw lines to connect them back to the original noun. Choose a couple of words that interest you and repeat the process. Then write down what the connections between the first noun and the last few words. Stand-up comedians use this technique to create new material.

Tip #15: Have a friend write down a different noun on a series index cards until you have a stack. Remember learning your Times Tables on flashcards? Have your friend shuffle, flash and hold a card up for a few seconds. Immediately, without thinking, speak as fast as you can about that noun for a minute or longer without repeating yourself.

Tip #16: Pick any object and create a one minute commercial. Turn to a mirror, introduce yourself and state the name of your product, what it is, what it will do and the glorious benefit it creates for the consumer (usually related to saving time or money).

As you choose to do these exercises regularly you will find that you feel more alert and refreshed for your presentations and in real life. Finding a fresh enthusiasm for repetitive activities will creates opportunity for experiential learning.

Bravo!

Have you already tried any of these ideas? Congratulations! Any level of implementation is a good start. I hope that as you interact with these techniques you discover that you are God’s very own unique creation. As you consistently pray, breathe well, warm up your voice and body, focus, play, rehearse your storytelling and have fun you’re potential with become reality. We are never too old, too professional or too busy to improve through improvisation.

In future installments we will tackle issues related to timing, listening, the use of humor, reading your audience and handling the media. So go “break a leg” and let God heal you in the process.