We preachers think a lot about what to say in our sermons. But we may be less inclined to pay attention to an equally important question: What will this sermon do? The first question focuses on the ideas of the sermon; the second attends to its impact on the life of the hearer. Long after people can accurately recall the “point” of a sermon, they may still be shaped in ways subtle or profound by the encounter it facilitates with the living Word.

Preaching that is mindful of its “doing” begins with close attention to what the biblical text itself is doing, and this calls for sensitivity to textual genre. Doxologies do something different from proverbs, which do something different still from parables. Prophetic oracles “hit” in one way, and psalms of lament in quite another. Narratives show us the possibilities of a proposed world, while exhortations challenge us directly with a new way of being. As the preacher reads the weekly lection, she should give some consideration to what the text is doing to her in that moment. What kind of “energy” is the text giving off? How does it make the preacher feel? What seems possible when reading the text that might otherwise be outside the scope of the seriously imaginable? These “doings” of the biblical text are just as essential to meaning as ideational content. A sermon properly conformed to the biblical text should reflect this performative dimension of its meaning.

Some homileticians recommend that before we begin to craft the language of a sermon, we state in one simple sentence the central idea of the sermon (focus), and in another describe what the sermon will do (function). Another way to approach sermon function is to think in terms of a short, infinitive verb phrase that captures the intended performative force. Thinking about the textual genres above, some likely function verbs for sermons on those kinds of texts might include: “to energize by filling with wonder” (doxology), “to offer guidance” (proverb), “to subvert assumptions” (parable), “to announce urgent news” (prophetic oracle), and “to give voice to grief” (psalm of lament).

Sermonic functions can be divided into three broad categories: head, heart, and hands. Sermons that fall in the “head” primarily transmit ideas, but it will be helpful to distinguish carefully between different forms of this task. A sermon that functions “to remind” the hearers of a conviction long-held but seldom fully considered should be approached differently from one that endeavors “to deconstruct” some damaging stereotype, “to explain” a complicated doctrine, or “to propose” a radical new framework. The sermonic functions “to argue” and “to explore” are both bids to augment the hearer’s understanding, but they require different rhetorical strategies. Getting as clear as possible about the nature of the sermon’s ideational purpose allows the preacher to become more intentional about its form and language.

Sermons that land in the “heart” need to be approached differently. “To encourage,” “to inspire,” “to evoke,” and “to mourn” are just a few examples of sermonic functions that intend transformations of feeling more than thought. In contrast to preaching directed primarily at the head, heart sermons will draw heavily upon story, image, and affective language to achieve their rhetorical goals. Every preacher that wants to speak effectively in this domain will become a student of poetics, enhancing her linguistic repertoire with a steady diet of poetry and story in all its varied forms. The “heart has its reasons that the reason knows nothing about,” and the preacher that would address the human heart must learn to speak its language.

Finally, and perhaps most controversial, are sermons that land in the “hands”—preaching that attempts to persuade the hearer to do something concrete. Christian faith is not just about thinking thoughts and feeling emotions; it is a matter of putting our bodies in particular places, at specific times, for distinctive purposes. Sometimes the claim of a text on our lives is that we show up for a protest, volunteer at a feeding ministry, take sabbath rest, or give generously to a Kin-dom cause. This calls for sermons designed “to move,” “to convict,” “to invite,” “to persuade,” or “to challenge.”

In the end, of course, preachers are not in control of how our sermons are received. Transformation is finally the work of the Spirit. May your next sermon be faithfully conformed to the good purposes of the God that has called you into this crucial ministry.

Published in the February 2024 issue of For the Messengers

Dr. Lance Pape is Associate Professor of Homiletics at Brite Divinity School. He did undergraduate work at Abilene Christian University and completed his B.A. at the Institute for Christian Studies (now Austin Graduate School of Theology) in 1991. He holds the M.Div. from Yale Divinity School (1994) and the Ph.D. from Emory University (2010). His teaching and research are focused on homiletical theory, and biblical hermeneutics and preaching. An ordained minister, he has served congregations in Texas, Alabama, and New York. Lance is married to the Rev. Dr. Katie Hays (Disciples of Christ), and they are the parents of two children.