Written Composition of the Sermon

The point: In deciding the issue of written composition, do not permit your practice to be guided primarily by native inclination, previous practice, personal convenience, or contemporary consensus, but by the mandate of maximum ed…

Martin alludes to Shakespeare's 'To be or not to be' to frame the question of 'to write or not to write' in a memorable way.

Now, in addressing ourselves to this question, it's quite obvious that we will have little, if anything, in the way of explicit scriptural testimony to guide us in our judgment. However, there is sufficient in the way of implicit, indirect, and inferential testimony to address the subject in a biblical framework. so in order to set this much debated subject in a biblical framework as we take up the question to write or not to write that is the question let me set before you with that little bit of butchered Shakespeare leading the way four principles from the word of God

2:20 - 3:05 Read in full sermon

The point: If accuracy and clarity demand the discipline of the pen, submit yourself to that discipline, no matter how much your flesh recoils against it.

Martin quotes the old saying, 'Reading makes a full man. Speaking, a ready man. Writing, a correct man,' to emphasize the unique benefit of writing for accuracy.

not produce our most accurate and succinct expressions of thought. Most of us are so constituted that without the discipline of the pen, we will not produce our most accurate and succinct expressions of thought. For most of us, the old saying is true. Reading makes a full man.

7:44 - 8:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't kid yourself that you know what you mean until you can say it, and don't know you can say it until you can write it clearly and succinctly on paper.

Martin quotes Charles Bridges extensively on how written composition avoids repetition, confusion, and promotes compactness, solidity, and correct style, especially for young theologians.

Well, this is why Bridges strongly advocates written composition, and I quote now from page 289 in the Christian ministry.

20:05 - 20:11 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The Tyro in theology has probably little conception of his own immature attainments until his ideas have to be expressed on paper.

Martin quotes James Stewart, who argues that freedom of delivery in the pulpit depends on careful construction in the study, and that writing is essential for testing this accuracy.

James Stewart, in his excellent little work on preaching, writes on page 158 in favor of detailed written composition, it is worth emphasizing that freedom of delivery in the pulpit depends upon carefulness of construction in the study. It is surprising how often this point has been missed in the debate between read and merely spoken sermons. To the question, ought I to risk oral delivery of my sermons, that is, preaching without a manuscript, the right answer surely is that it all depends on the sermon. Some sermons it would be almost impossible even for the man who wrote them to carry in the...

22:16 - 23:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Indeed, the gift of fluency without furniture or application is rather a misfortune than a desirable qualification.

Martin shares his personal experience of wrestling for up to half an hour on the opening sentence of a sermon, illustrating how writing forces clarity and reveals one's own lack of it.

Of those who strongly advocate detailed written composition in the study, it forces us to wrestle with clarity of expression. And brethren, I may say from many years of experience to this day, I may wrestle as long sometimes as a half an hour in my opening sentence of a sermon. and write and rewrite and cross out and chuck away and take up another sheet and continue. To me, that's the most difficult thing, getting into it in a judicious way.

24:27 - 24:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Indeed, the gift of fluency without furniture or application is rather a misfortune than a desirable qualification.

Martin quotes Bridges again, who argues that writing restrains excursive preachers and prevents fluent but unfurnished preachers from being wordy, declamatory, unsubstantial, and uninteresting.

Now here again, listen to Bridges on the bottom of page 289. the excursive preacher the one who tends to go down every lovely little trail as he's making his way through the works needs the use of his pen to restrain himself within the limits of an accurate and connected plan without which digressive and unconnected matter would probably form the main substance of his discourses the fluent, unfurnished preacher without this resource to fill his shadowy mechanism will be wordy, declamatory, unsubstantial, and uninteresting. So he says, if you've got the gift of gab, take it into the pulpit with...

25:37 - 26:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Indeed, the gift of fluency without furniture or application is rather a misfortune than a desirable qualification.

Martin quotes a poem by Gibbons (also cited by Murray) that strongly advocates writing sermons fully to ensure clarity and avoid disconnected rambling, even if one then preaches from memory.

So the point that Bridges is making is we must be forced to cut off the fat of empty verbiage, wordiness, unnecessary digressions, etc. And here, the poem on page 292, though some of it fits with the matter of the act of preaching, it's in Gibbons' Christian Minister, and Bridges has recorded this, and it's very interesting that Nicholas Murray closes his chapter on dealing with the composition of sermons by quoting this poem as well. Should you, my friend, the important question ask, With or without my papers shall I preach? And I would change it to, With or without my papers shall I prepare?

27:15 - 28:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents six compelling arguments from advocates of detailed written composition, including its role in fostering clarity, conciseness, rhetorical excellence, mental…

Martin quotes Broadus, who states that writing secures greater excellence of style, including grammatical correctness, precision, conciseness, smoothness, and rhetorical finish, especially for controversial subjects.

Then the whole matter of style, completeness of thought. these are some of the difficult aspects of the rhetorical art and those who advocate detailed written composition argue that we will simply not wrestle with and master these difficult aspects of the rhetorical art unless we put pen to paper in great detail at the level of preparation. Let me give you Broadus as a sample of those who argue in this way. On page 439, Broadus says, still further, writing serves to secure in several respects greater excellence of style. As a general thing, unwritten speech cannot equal that which is written i...

30:53 - 31:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Develop the discipline of the pen early in your ministry, as it lays a foundation for future extended usefulness in the form of printed discourse, potentially enriching Christian literature.

Martin quotes Broadus, who explains that writing assists mental preparation by facilitating mind fixation, as mental application is aided by appropriate bodily action.

And here Broadus of the various men that I've written gives I think the clearest expression of this when he writes on page 439 writing greatly assists the work of preparation by rendering it easier to fix the mind upon the subject. Mental application is facilitated by any appropriate bodily action, and men who do not write often find it necessary to walk the floor, or in general to assume some constrained posture, or perform some regularly recurring act. He has a footnote. It was the habit of Schleiermarker to lean out of a window for hours while composing his sermons.

34:14 - 34:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Develop the discipline of the pen early in your ministry, as it lays a foundation for future extended usefulness in the form of printed discourse, potentially enriching Christian literature.

Martin shares an anecdote about Schleiermacher leaning out a window for hours while composing sermons, as an example of physical action aiding mental fixation.

And here Broadus of the various men that I've written gives I think the clearest expression of this when he writes on page 439 writing greatly assists the work of preparation by rendering it easier to fix the mind upon the subject. Mental application is facilitated by any appropriate bodily action, and men who do not write often find it necessary to walk the floor, or in general to assume some constrained posture, or perform some regularly recurring act. He has a footnote. It was the habit of Schleiermarker to lean out of a window for hours while composing his sermons.

34:14 - 34:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Develop the discipline of the pen early in your ministry, as it lays a foundation for future extended usefulness in the form of printed discourse, potentially enriching Christian literature.

Martin mentions a contemporary able preacher who composes sermons by walking, illustrating how physical activity can aid mental focus during preparation.

Now a man who is one of the most able preachers in our generation, who can preach for 70, 75 minutes without a note in front of him, I happen to know that he composed many of his sermons when he was in the pastorate, walking through his quiet, as our British friends would say, garden. When he was here preaching with us, paced up and down in the nursery for a few minutes. Well, whatever it is, whatever physical exercise or posture helps in the fixation of the mind, then you ought to employ it. And for many of us, just the physical activity of having to use the pen and keep something that approx...

34:58 - 35:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Develop a general facility in writing through sermon composition, as it will commend your letters and interactions with others, potentially opening doors for ministry.

Martin shares his experience of receiving poorly written applications and correspondence, even from those with doctoral degrees, to illustrate the lost art of writing and the need for sermon composition to cultivate it.

Detailed written composition of your sermons ought to give you a general facility in writing, a lost art in our day Brethren if you had to read the applications and the correspondence of those who apply to the Academy of course after you applied and it doesn apply to any of you you would be convinced with us that we need no further case for this discipline of putting pen to paper now to take the pressure off you guys I'll tell you that I get letters from people with earned graduate degrees right up at the doctoral level and I am appalled at the pathetic composition of their letters grammatical...

38:35 - 39:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Develop a general facility in writing through sermon composition, as it will commend your letters and interactions with others, potentially opening doors for ministry.

Martin provides an example of how a well-written letter to town officials for using a school building can positively impress and open doors, contrasting it with the negative impact of poor writing.

and in every way they have never developed any facility in writing or developed very little facility in writing it's one of the sad and tragic fruits of the educational philosophy that has molded many of us. And if we're going to reverse that trend, then I say we need the discipline of written composition if we're going to develop a general facility in writing which will commend your letters to those to whom you write. And as you have opportunity to have to write town officials about getting permission to use the local school building. It's a tragedy if people said, well, no, this must be some...

39:22 - 40:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin then presents seven arguments from advocates against detailed written composition, highlighting potential drawbacks such as hindering the free flow of thought, fostering…

Martin quotes Broadus, who argues that writing can make a preacher dependent on writing speed for connected thought, rather than thinking as fast as he can talk, hindering natural flow.

441, yes, here we are. If writing aids in thinking, it is apt to render one largely dependent on such assistance. Especially objectionable is the fact that this practice accustoms the preacher to think connectedly only as fast as he can write when it is more natural and more convenient that a man should think as fast as he can talk.

42:12 - 42:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin then presents seven arguments from advocates against detailed written composition, highlighting potential drawbacks such as hindering the free flow of thought, fostering…

Martin uses A.W. Tozer's deliberate, almost slurred speech as an example of how disciplined writing can affect oral delivery, making his mind work at writing speed.

Now there's a very sound observation and if some of you have listened to any of the sermons of the late Dr. A.W. Tozer.

42:43 - 42:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin then presents seven arguments from advocates against detailed written composition, highlighting potential drawbacks such as hindering the free flow of thought, fostering…

Martin quotes Alexander, who warns that writing can lead to a measured, rhythmical, ornamental flow of diction, making it hard to adopt a simpler style when needed, thus encouraging a florid rhetorical style.

and he writes on page 16 in his book Thoughts on Preaching, paragraph 4, As men who strut in walking sometimes find it difficult to get out of their strut and step in an ordinary way, so in writing men get into a measured, rhythmical, ornamental flow of diction and find it hard even when the subject demands it to come down to the pedestrian style. Hence a great argument for simplicity. What a wonderful simplicity in Goethe. It is his characteristic in regard to style.

46:50 - 47:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin then presents seven arguments from advocates against detailed written composition, highlighting potential drawbacks such as hindering the free flow of thought, fostering…

Martin uses the analogy of reading Paul's dense argumentation in Romans versus hearing it orally to illustrate how a 'close line of reasoning' clear in writing can be lost in spoken discourse.

When one is engaged in detailed written composition and can see the various components of a chain of reason hung together with words in the light of this and whereas and therefore, it's sort of like reading some of Paul's dense argumentation in the book of Romans when you've got the two paragraphs in front of you and can meditate upon them and go back over and say now wait for what was the connective and what was the connective there when it's there in written composition before you you can see the logical umbilical cord that runs through it but if you just heard those two paragraphs read and ...

48:24 - 49:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin then presents seven arguments from advocates against detailed written composition, highlighting potential drawbacks such as hindering the free flow of thought, fostering…

Martin quotes Broadus, who warns that written sermons can appear substantial even with superficial preparation, and that 'extemporaneous writing' can give the 'appearance of careful preparation' without real depth.

Being obliged to run over the surface everywhere, the preacher may go beneath the surface nowhere. If many sermons are spoken with very superficial preparation, so with very superficial preparation are many sermons written. There is an immense amount of strictly extemporaneous writing. People are apt to think that what is written and read must have been carefully prepared, but they are often gravely mistaken.

52:27 - 52:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And besides the distinct thoughts which occur only in the act of delivery, there's something much more important in the warmer color which the now kindled and glowing mind would give to the whole body of thought.

Martin quotes Broadus, who argues that writing deprives the preacher of the mental quickening from the congregation's presence and the 'warmer color' that a kindled mind gives to thought during delivery.

having surveyed the art of preaching and listened to preachers and worked in the cultivation of the preaching gift in many men writes on this very point this method that is writing out the discourse in detailed composition deprives the preacher's thinking of the benefit of that mental quickening which is produced by the presence of the congregation. As to thoughts which are then for the first time struck out, it is true that men of rare flexibility, tact, and grace can often introduce them effectively in connection with, and here he is assuming the man is reading his manuscript, but such men e...

55:18 - 56:04 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And besides the distinct thoughts which occur only in the act of delivery, there's something much more important in the warmer color which the now kindled and glowing mind would give to the whole body of thought.

Martin uses the metaphor of dull autumn trees lit up by the evening sun to illustrate the difference between prepared material and living, breathing, burning speech, emphasizing the dynamic nature of oral delivery.

And oh, may God make our preaching that. Living, breathing, burning speech. Yonder stand the autumn trees with their many colors, all dull and tame beneath the ashen sky. But presently the evening sun bursts through the clouds and lights up the forest with an almost unearthly glory.

56:47 - 57:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Whenever you find good men of proven ability in similar fields differing greatly on a given point of their mastered art know immediately that the truth lies somewhere in the assimilation of both poles of the argument

Martin quotes Bridges quoting Archbishop Secker and Mr. Robinson, who advocate for individual cultivation of gifts and considering 'book or no book' as secondary, suggesting a combination of methods.

some who speak strongly against it's interesting that among some of these very men as well as others we see that synthesis, that point of godly compromise and here I want to expose you to some of that so this is what I suggest as I quote these various men is a happy mean between the two extremes of perspective on bridges on page 295 at the bottom and over to 296 at the top quotes Archbishop Secker after all every man as the apostle says on a different occasion has his proper gift of God one after this manner another after that. Let each cultivate his own, and no one censure or despise his brot...

59:18 - 60:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin quotes Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who advises against absolute laws, emphasizing the need for freedom while maintaining order and coherence, and suggesting combining written and extemporaneous methods as ideal.

He says, it's always wrong, page 215 of Preaching and Preachers, It's always wrong to lay down absolute laws on these matters. Once more, every man has got to know himself and has to decide for himself. What I regard as being important is you should preserve freedom. This element can never be exaggerated.

61:50 - 62:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin recounts Lloyd-Jones's personal experience of writing one sermon fully and preaching another from sketchy notes for the first ten years, then gradually moving away from full manuscripts.

In many ways, it seems to me to be the ideal. And then he tells his own experience. In the first ten years of his ministry, he wrote out one sermon in full, word for word, every week, and preached the second one only, as I understand from sketchy notes. Not extempore in the sense of no preparation, but in terms of writing out in detail, and then he said after the first ten years of his ministry, he said toward the close of his ministry, I cannot remember the last time I wrote out a sermon in full.

62:30 - 63:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin quotes James Stewart, who strongly advises young ministers to begin by writing out sermons fully for the first ten years or more, to safeguard against diffusiveness and promote clarity.

On page 154, Stuart advises us, you will be well advised whichever method of delivery you propose to adopt to begin by writing out your sermons fully. During the first ten years of your ministry, or perhaps over a much longer period than that, there is no substitute for this essential discipline. It will safeguard your work against diffusiveness, ambiguity, and redundance. It will make for clarity of thought and perspicuity of style.

63:27 - 64:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin quotes Shedd, who suggests preaching one written sermon and one unwritten sermon each week to meet the needs of an intelligent audience and maintain balance.

Stuart had not written at the time the doctor adopted that plan. But even down to the ten year or the decade suggestion will then shed in his excellent work on homiletics and pastoral theology gives us some counsel. In each week he should regularly page 211 preach one written sermon and one unwritten sermon to the congregation. If the preacher must be confined to but one kind of discourse that he should write.

64:21 - 64:50 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin quotes Spurgeon, who, despite warning against reading sermons, strongly recommends frequent writing as a 'most healthy exercise' and a 'great aid toward attaining extemporizing power' to avoid a slip-shod style.

Page 141. Very strongly do I warn you against reading your sermons, but I recommend as a most healthy exercise and as a great aid toward attaining extemporizing power the frequent writing of them. Those of us who write a great deal in other forms for the press, etc., may not so much require that exercise, but if you do not use the pen in other ways, you will be wise to write at least some of your sermons and revise them with great care.

65:23 - 65:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin describes Spurgeon's rigorous editing of his sermons for publication, highlighting that what was effective orally was significantly refined for print, demonstrating the discipline of the pen.

Leave them at home afterwards, but still write them out, that you may be preserved from a slip-shod style. And I think of Spurgeon. After pouring himself out on the Lord's Day, Monday morning, those who have read his biography know what he faced. he faced the transcription of his previous sermon and all of that editing that he had to do to get them in proper form I marvel that the man even lived to be 56 with that kind of pressure upon him but it was that very discipline you see and you can see how much he radically edited the things because what was effective in oral discourse did not appear ...

65:56 - 66:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin quotes Broadus again, who advises beginners and experienced speakers to write much and carefully, as writing promotes accuracy of thought and exactness of statement by making thought objective.

Otherwise you get discouraged. But it also explains why Spurgeon, over the years, had such effectiveness in lucidity and in pointed statement because he was under that discipline in spite of all of his native gifts. There was a constant honing of the gifts by the discipline of the pen. And then likewise Broadus takes the middle of the road position again when he says on page 465, The beginner in oratory and the experienced ready speaker must constrain themselves to write much and carefully.

67:13 - 67:54 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers a synthesis, arguing that the truth lies in assimilating both poles of the argument. He quotes various respected preachers (Secker, Robinson, Lloyd-Jones, Stewart…

Martin quotes Nicholas Murray, who strongly leans towards writing sermons carefully and delivering them well, while freely using spontaneous thoughts, as the best way for a settled ministry to preach to the same congregation for a lifetime.

Writing promotes accuracy of thought as well as exactness of statement. The thought becomes objective and thus can be more carefully scrutinized. Thus our habits of writing and of speaking will maintain an equilibrium in our methods of thinking and style of expression, while yet each is practiced according to its own essential and distinctive character. well Alexander gives similar counsel on page 17 and then Nicholas Murray on page 129 and 130 and I'll just give you this brief quote in his book Preachers and Preaching

67:55 - 68:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Continually assess your peculiar practical dangers (of not writing vs. writing) and adjust your writing habits accordingly to avoid them.

Martin shares his personal discipline of dictating many letters, knowing they won't be proofread, as a way to continually cultivate clarity, poignancy, and pointedness of expression.

and continue to force us to cultivate a gift of expression for example in my own situation having to dictate so many letters knowing that I'm not even going to proofread them.

71:21 - 71:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Continually assess your peculiar practical dangers (of not writing vs. writing) and adjust your writing habits accordingly to avoid them.

Martin gives an example of an official eldership letter that underwent 18-20 hours of scrutiny, illustrating the level of care sometimes required for written communication.

It forces me continually and sit sometimes four and six hours at a stretch composing and knowing that that is the first draft is the last draft for better or for worse. And the sheer volume precludes a second edition. Now we don't do that with letters that go out from the eldership on official matters. sometimes those letters undergo literally 20, 30 hours, man hours of scrutiny.

71:33 - 72:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider your age and experience; what might be presumptuous for a young minister (e.g., preaching unprepared) may be acceptable for an experienced one due to cultivated gifts.

Martin shares a recent experience of going abroad for ministry more unprepared than usual due to unexpected demands, but finding help and mature substance, attributing it to 35 years of prior discipline.

Your age and your experience. I had occasion to mention to someone just recently or several people that I never went abroad on a two-week ministry more unprepared as far as having matter on paper clearly sorted out what I could call my normal pulpit notes in ink not ballpoint pen yet I said my comfort is I'm not going into a strange situation. I'm not going as a neophyte. I'm not going in this condition because of laziness.

74:57 - 75:36 Read in full sermon