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Definite
Directions for Open Air Preaching
Gawin Kirkham (The Open-Air Preacher's Handbook, written by Gawin Kirkham 1890)
How to Deal with Interruptions
The Conclusion of the Whole Matter
We are told that "open-air
preaching can be learned only by doing
it." No doubt that is mostly correct, just as the art of swimming
can be learned only in the water. But as the swimmer can learn more readily by
a few plain directions, so the street preacher acquires his art more easily
when aided by the experience of others. It is hoped, therefore, that the following hints will be found useful to those who desire to "purchase to themselves a
good degree, and great boldness
in the faith which is in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 3:13).
Someone should
take charge of the meetings and choose the place, the hymns, and the
speakers. It
is not necessary that he should be a practiced speaker or a good singer, but he
should be able to arrange and control. It is desirable
also to have a leader of the singing, so that the preachers do not strain
their voices in attempting high notes. "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40).
In villages, a preaching station is more easily chosen than in towns. The village
street or the village green may be occupied, or a farmer will lend a
field. But "field-preaching" is
not so popular now as it was in the days of Wesley
and Whitefield. As a rule, it is desirable to be so near the houses that those
who do not care to come out may yet hear
inside. But in towns, it is not desirable to select the busiest thoroughfares,
unless it is on Sunday when there is less traffic. A side street just off the
main street is best. Large open spaces are not suitable, unless the helpers are
numerous and the singing attractive. A passage should always be kept clear on
the sidewalk so that pedestrians do not need to go into the middle of the street. "Let every one of
us please his neighbour for his good to edification" (Romans 15:2).
If the preacher
is alone, like Jonah in Nineveh, he may
begin by reading a chapter from his Bible, choosing a familiar
and striking portion for this purpose. Or he may talk confidentially to two or
three children until the curiosity of the grown-ups is awakened and they gather
round. Or he may hand a few tracts to the
strollers and idlers, encouraging them to come and hear.
But if he has helpers, they had
better sing first. Then a brief lesson may be read and a brief prayer offered. But
if the people are not likely to stay for reading and prayer, speaking may begin
after the first hymn. The addresses, as a rule, should be brief—say, ten minutes or a quarter of an hour—with singing
between, and the meeting limited to an hour. But the wise leader will
not confine himself to any definite order, as one of
the charms of an open-air meeting is its
freedom. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
The curb is a
sufficient elevation when speaking to a handful
of people, but it is an immense advantage to stand on a
stool, chair, or raised platform when speaking to an ordinary street crowd. The speaker can thus spare his voice and
be better heard than when he is on the same level as the people. The common
sense of street preachers is sadly lacking when they will not thus aid their
voices by standing head and shoulders above
the people. Besides, this method is a scriptural one, for we read in the account of the great open-air meeting in "the street that was before the
water gate" (Nehemiah 8:1, 3) in
Jerusalem that "Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose" (v. 4), and thus "opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all
the people)" (v. 5). It is worthy of observation that that is the only
place in the Bible where a "pulpit"
is mentioned, so that the street preacher is fairly entitled to its use on the best authority. "Jotham...stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and
lifted up his voice, and cried" (Judges 9:7).
One of the most interesting sights
to men and angels is a solitary preacher, crying like John the Baptist in the wilderness, "Repent ye:
for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand" (Matthew 3:2). But it
is more to the preacher's comfort
and the good of the work to have a band of helpers. Some can sing, while
others can give tracts. They help to gather a crowd, to maintain order among the
children, to keep the pavement clear, and to cheer the preacher by their
presence and their prayers. In commencing a
meeting, instead of standing behind
or at the side of the preacher, these helpers should face him, as if to
form part of the audience, and encourage others to gather behind them. But, as
a rule, they should not interfere with a disturber, as that is better done by
the leader; nor should they be allowed to
give tracts at the meeting while the service lasts. This latter course
sadly distracts the attention of the hearers, though it is a very common
proceeding on the part of kind and active
helpers. Christians should be encouraged to stand at open-air meetings, even if
they cannot sing—ladies especially. "Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
The preacher has first to secure and then to retain his hearers. Since "music
has charms," good singing should be cultivated, and the singers
should understand that harmony and sweetness are far more important than mere
noise. Ladies render important service in street choirs. Solos, duets, trios,
and quartets may occasionally be introduced, but the singing should be in
harmony with the preaching and not merely a pretty performance to please the
ear. It should be appropriate, lively, abundant, and entirely under the control of the leader of the meeting.
The distribution of hymn sheets is
helpful in keeping a crowd together. A picture or diagram with lyrics is good
for variety. Reed organs are the most common at open-air services, but a
cornet is the most effective for leading the singing. Prettily painted banners
are pleasing to the eye, and when they have on them the name of the church or
mission from which the workers come, they
are useful in directing the people where to worship inside. A duplex
lamp placed on a tripod is a great help in meetings after dark, though a street
lamp may be made to do duty where a special one cannot be had. But these arts
of attraction must be in harmony with the apostle's
rule: "/ am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some"(I Corinthians
9:22).76
Whatever means
may be used to draw the people together, it will depend largely upon the
preacher himself whether they are retained. Cold, formal, measured, precise
preaching will not do. Nor will what may be called "a good sermon"
indoors necessarily do outside. Life, fire, and energy are essential, just as
our powder is essential to carry the shot. There is an indefinable style needed
for open-air preaching that can be acquired only by practice. The preacher's
temptation is to rely too much upon impulse and surroundings, and so to neglect
his studies. But if he is to be successful
he must study; and his studies must include books, and men, and nature.
The exhortation of Paul to Timothy is as important for the outdoor preacher as for the regular pastor—"Give attendance
to reading, to exhortation,
to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee...Meditate upon these things, that thy profiting may appear
to all" (1 Timothy 4:13-15).
The preacher's
chief weapon must always be the Word of God, wielded
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet the Bible
must be sparingly used in the street. The lesson may be read
from it; but in preaching, it is better to quote
from it than to be perpetually giving chapter and verse, especially if this
involves turning over the leaves to look for them. There is a powerful
magnetism in the human eye; and the preacher's eye should rarely be taken off
his hearers if he wishes to retain his hold of them. But the preacher who has
the greatest knowledge of the Bible and the ability to quote appropriate texts correctly—other things being
equal—will be the most successful. It is a good thing to set young
preachers to read the lesson, as it encourages them afterward to speak. Those
who would bless and save their fellow creatures must heed the Lord's commission to Ezekiel: "And thou shall speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or
whether they will forbear" (Ezekiel 2:7).
But while the
Word of God is the preacher's chief weapon,
the human voice is the medium by which that
weapon reaches the people. How many books have been written
on the art of speaking—and yet how few really effective
speakers there are! The voice is soon injured in the open air unless it is used with care. Generally, the young
preacher starts in too high a key and in too loud a tone. He forgets the oft-repeated advice "Begin low, speak slow. Aim higher, take fire."
Aware of this
danger, John Wesley said to his preachers, "For the sake of Christ, don't
scream. There is no doubt that the moderate and
steady use of the voice outdoors strengthens it
and also the chest of the speaker. Yet there are times when— owing to some condition of body, atmosphere, or both—the voice of the most
practiced speaker fails. It is then the height of folly to continue using it.
It should rest, and only by that process will it be regained. Or if it becomes
a little husky by speaking, it may often be recovered by singing, taking care
to sing the part that is easiest. Spurgeon has a valuable lecture, entitled "On the Voice," in the first
volume of his Lectures to My Students.
If preachers would take the
trouble to enunciate their words
more distinctly, they would speak with far less labor and with more effect. "Lift up thy voice like
a trumpet" (Isaiah 58:1).
It is true that
we do not go into
the streets to worship, but to proclaim the Gospel; nevertheless, if we are to commend "ourselves
to every man's conscience in
the sight of God" (2
Corinthians 4:2), there must be reverence in this open-air temple, as
much as in a consecrated building. This is best accomplished by realizing the
Lord's presence. "Lo, I am with you
always" (Matthew 28:20).
This realized presence prevents the spirit of trifling and levity,
which are, alas, far too common at open-air assemblies, on the part of both the
preacher and his helpers. It was this realized presence that produced such a marvelous effect at the meeting "in
the street that was before the
water gate," as described in
Nehemiah 8:6, when the people "bowed
their heads, and worshipped the lord with their faces to the ground."
There is another aid to reverence in
the attitude of the preacher. How many preachers fail to mark 1 Corinthians 11:4: "Every man praying or prophesying [i.e.,
preaching], having his head covered, dishonoureth
his head." This is a plain direction, which should be adhered
to except in very severe weather, or by
those who are liable to take cold easily. A further aid to reverence is the attitude in prayer. Happily it is
the custom almost universally for the preacher and his helpers to
uncover their heads during prayer, and this act is a sermon in itself. There
are so many disturbing elements outdoors that the promoters should do all in
their power to produce a becoming solemnity at
street meetings. "Let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3).
How
to Deal with Interruptions
But with the best arrangements and the
wisest proceedings, interruptions will occur. If the police interfere, it is
more seemly to give way than to have a dispute by standing on our rights. If a
thoroughfare is blocked, the police may interfere by virtue of the authority vested in them; but even if they are
wrong, it is better for the preacher to complain to their superiors than
to contend with them in the presence of a crowd, since he represents the Gospel of peace. If a homeowner
complains, however frivolous the objection, the police are bound to
remove the preacher on such complaint being
made. He cannot legally be arrested, but he may be summoned before a
magistrate for resisting lawful authority. If a drunkard interferes, it is generally
useless to argue with him. The police should protect the preacher by removing
him; but sometimes a kindhearted helper may persuade him to walk away. If the
interruption is by a Catholic or an infidel, it means discussion; and if the
preacher begins a discussion, there is an end of the preaching. Men who have studied these questions in all
their bearings may discuss them, for truth has nothing to fear from error; but the ordinary preacher shows his wisdom
by continuing his preaching and declining discussion. "Behold, I send
you forth as sheep in the midst
of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew
10:16).
The Conclusion
of the Whole Matter
(Ecclesiastes
12:13). As the object and end of preaching is the glory of God
and the salvation of sinners, the methods that are most likely
to bring about this end should be pursued. Prayer, preaching, and
perseverance
will work wonders by the blessing of God. If one plan fails, another should be
tried. Young preachers should not be discouraged, for it may be some time
before they can determine the question whether the Lord means them to be
open-air preachers or not. They should be urgent in season and out of season, seeking to pluck brands out of
the fire. Success is more likely to be attained by connecting the
outdoor meeting with an indoor one.
Related Articles:
Open-Air
Preaching A Sketch of its history and remarks thereon
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