Three Books on Preaching: Improving Homily Effectiveness

Introduction

We Speak the Word of the Lord: A Practical Plan for More Effective Preaching by Harris, How to Make Homilies Better, Briefer, and Bolder by McBride, and Preaching to the Hungers of the Heart by Wallace all share the same objective: to improve one's preaching. However, their approaches differ, and the areas on which each author focuses reveal distinct preoccupations. This paper discusses the main ideas of each book, their similarities and differences, and how all three compare and contrast with one another.

Main Ideas of Each Book

The main idea of Harris's book is to approach the job of preaching from a practical standpoint. Harris argues that preachers lose sight of their immediate objective when they lack a practical plan. The immediate objective of the homily, according to Harris, is to allow the audience to experience the Word of God—not merely to receive a catechism lesson on the difference between mortal and venial sin. Harris gives several examples illustrating the difference between preaching Christ and preaching about Christ. One example involves two different sermons on the parable of the prodigal son. The first sermon uses the parable to deliver a catechism lesson about the nature of sin. The second sermon engages the audience by approaching forgiveness first as a skeptic and cynic, then concluding with a major reversal: the seemingly "foolish" father in the parable is shown to be like God, who forgives sins without condemning the wayward child as most audiences would expect a father to do. The second sermon is the better example of effective preaching. Harris's central point is that the preacher must preach from God's Word, include other voices, tell the story in a fresh way, and relate it to the audience so that they experience the Word of God. These are the kinds of homilies that achieve the ultimate objective of conversion and the growth of faith.

The main point of McBride's book is that a homily is not merely a recitation of information meant to stimulate the intellect; it must also be a call to action that inspires people to amend their lives and draw nearer to God. McBride offers a basic step-by-step approach and illustrates each step by drawing on examples from preachers throughout Church history—from St. Augustine to St. Leo the Great to St. Gregory and beyond. His main points are that the preacher should be fully possessed by the Word of God in order to call people to faith, and that a good way to begin is with a story, as St. Ambrose used to do—a technique that dramatized Scripture and made it more experiential for the audience. McBride also provides preaching lessons from Cardinal Newman, known for his gift of oration, and closes with a chapter entitled "How to Talk" by one of the most gifted elocutionists and preachers of the past century, Fulton Sheen. In this way, McBride draws on dozens of different voices and experts in preaching—most of them saints, but all of them worth listening to.

The main point of Wallace's book is that people in the modern world are hungry for direction, hungry for meaning, hungry for the Spirit, and hungry for words that will move them. He describes how Jesus was not unconcerned about the hunger of those who followed Him and performed miracles to feed them. Essentially, this should be the aim of every preacher: to attend to the essential needs of his hearers so that he can satisfy them before sending them back into the world, where they will inevitably face hardship and temptation. They need all the fortification they can receive, and the preacher is, in this sense, like Christ—strengthening those who have followed Him before sending them away.

Similarities and Differences

Each book resembles the others in that all three focus on how to become a better preacher. All three authors locate the perfect model of preaching in Christ's own example, whether in His spirit, His actions, or His Word. The shared goal of good preaching is to move the hearer—to bring them to give more to God and to see what God wishes them to see. To achieve this, all three authors agree, one must know one's audience. McBride states, "Make your homily relevant to your listeners." Harris similarly argues that one must adapt one's homily to the needs of the audience. His example of preaching the prodigal son parable to children illustrates this well: he first painted the father as foolish for welcoming back such a wayward son, knowing that children would immediately assume every father would be angered by a wayward child. The twist, of course, is that God the Father is not that way at all—Harris was able to surprise and move his young audience to love God by setting them up to expect an angry God, only to delight them with the revelation that God loves to forgive those who seek forgiveness and welcomes all who come to Him with a sincere heart, unafraid and hiding nothing. In this respect, Harris and McBride make essentially the same important point.

Wallace makes the same point in a different way. He emphasizes the preacher's need to trust in God that the message being communicated will reach the hearer. He notes that every preacher faces a remarkably diverse audience: "so many whose life experiences are vastly different from the preacher's and even from one another's: the elderly, the baby boomers, Generation X, and so on." The preacher cannot possibly tailor a sermon so that it strikes everyone equally or with the same force—and therefore need not agonize over what is essentially the mystery and miracle of preaching. The preacher is himself a sign that God exists, and if the preacher does not take God seriously, neither will the audience. If the preacher seems wearied by the act of preaching, the congregation will read it as a sign of a soul weary of taking God seriously and will think, "If my leader does not take God seriously, why should I?"

This is a point McBride makes as well: effective preaching is not about delivering immortal words or sermons that will be remembered forever. One need not preach a perfect homily; rather, one should strive to be perfect in Christ, and that grace will shine through the sermon regardless of its technical quality, because people can sense goodness and recognize the light when it is present and they are open to seeing it. The main focus of all preachers should therefore be on becoming more Christlike, because that is what will ultimately emanate most powerfully in their words.

Harris, however, does make the additional point that the preacher must still find a way to connect with the specific people of his parish. He must consider age, ethnicity, income, neighborhood, and faith experience. The various epistles in the New Testament are each written to different communities, churches, and individuals, and each is shaped according to the audience and its particular needs. Preaching should follow the same principle. Harris pays special attention to this point and explains that the audience itself brings something to the preaching experience, and the preacher should remain mindful of that contribution.

McBride does something somewhat different: he provides tips and quotations to help cement key ideas in the reader's mind, and he includes Scripture resources as well as numerous secondary resources the reader can consult for further support—works such as the Jerome Biblical Commentaries and patristic commentaries available online. These are all helpful suggestions that add practical value to his book.

Conclusion

Overall, all three books are valuable and worth reading, as each offers its own distinct insight into how to become a better preacher. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to preaching, and it is important for the preacher to identify his own strengths and draw on them accordingly. The three books certainly complement one another in identifying and commenting on the particular areas where preachers should pay special attention. When it comes to ease of reading, McBride's book is the clear winner. The most interesting to read, however, is likely Harris's, given its many engaging anecdotes. Wallace's book, with its extensive footnotes, will prove the most rewarding for readers who seek a scholarly treatment of the subject.

Bibliography

Harris, Daniel E. We Speak the Word of the Lord: A Practical Plan for More Effective Preaching. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001.

McBride, Alfred. How to Make Homilies Better, Briefer, and Bolder. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2007.

Wallace, James. Preaching to the Hungers of the Heart: The Homily on Feasts and Within the Rites. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2002.