The Craft of Sermon Writing

8/4/2019 The Craft of Sermon Writing

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The Craft of Sermon Writing


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Copyright, Legal Notice and Disclaimer:

This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicableinternational, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights: you

are not allowed to sell this Guide to anyone.

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotalevidence. Although the author has made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy

of the content in this Guide, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Also, youshould use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. Your particular situation may not

be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; in fact, it's likely that they won't be the same,and you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly.

Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property

of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement inthe use of these terms.

Copyright 2011 Bright Dawn Institute for American Buddhism and Andrew (Jiyo) Agacki.

All rights reserved worldwide.


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Ifwe take nothing from the experience of Sermonizing, we are merely exercising our egos.

If the audience gets nothing from the experience, we are wasting theirtime.

If Im notnervous, it means that I dont care, and if I dont care, I dont deserve the honor

of speaking in the pulpit.

The keys to a good Sermon involve several final factors:

Freshness

Engaging

Coherent

Challenging

Within the (an) allotted time


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Introduction

Ive been sermonizing for over 20 years and, though the ideas Ill present are just as applicable to

any kind of speaking engagement, Ill keep my focus on Sermonizing.

At one point in a discussion of what I did at speaking engagements, I mentioned that, Isermonize. I thought I had created a new word, but alas, I hadnt. It seems that the word has

existed for quite some time:

(from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sermonizing)

sermonize

verb \sr-m-nz\

sermonized sermonizing

Definition ofSERMONIZEintransitive verb

1:

to compose or deliver a sermon2: to speak didactically or dogmatically

transitive verb: to preach to or on at length

sermonizernoun

Examples ofSERMONIZE

1. She's a teacher who can talk to her students about serious subjects withoutsermonizing.

2.


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File

I was an early advocate of Data Warehousing, the concept of backing up data to an off-site

location on a daily basis. Still Ive given a LOT of Sermons over the past 20+ years, and

Ive lostthe vastmajority of them!

As I reflect on it, thats not such a badthing (impermanence, the acceptance thereof, and lets

face it, most of them were crap), butstill, by and large, it would be nice to have them!

It would be nice to refer back to them to see what I could have done better (memory issuch a

fickle thing), or to develop some of the salient ideas I presented (so amateurishly). It wasnt that

I didnt back them up . I did. Its just that they were in forms no longer supported, or they

were lost in one of several computer crashes, or they were just printed on paper (thepermanent

medium) and destroyed in a sewer backup.

Nowadays, there are all kinds ofonline resources to store your data (like Skydrive), andtheres

always an external hard drive to back up to (I now own a terabyte external hard drive).

The point here: backup/store your Sermons to a media independent of your computer!!!

Technology has advanced exponentially since I started sermonizing. I now store my Sermons in

a Word document designed as a Book; complete with a cover and Table of Contents.

It will be a great resource to refer back to (I have no problem with using ideas from previous

Sermons and developing them for different purposes to fit a current engagement).

Youll not suffer the embarrassment of repeating yourself from a previous engagement at a

particular site.


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Related Word Definitions).

Ive organized the text in a manner that, at first, may seem confusing. Be assured, however,

there are things to do before your pen hits the paper (or your fingers hit the keys):


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Time

Always ask how much time you are allotted! Every church/synagogue/mosque I speak to

generally request a sermon 20 minutes long. Most studies Ive read generally agree that thats

the limit of an adults attention span, anyway. When told, Take all the time you need, ortheyre noncommittal, keep to the 20 minute rule.

If you are speaking to children, the attention span is, of course, much less .... Which leads us to:


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Audience/Occasion

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

If you are not familiar with the type of audience you will be speaking to, ask. Ask for theirexpectations, and a copy of theirOrderOfService (hereafter referred to as OOS), or Program, if

applicable.

Protocol will differ between churches, and definitely between churches, synagogues, mosquesand lecture halls. Sometimes you will need a Readingseparate from the Sermon.

Obviously, speaking to children is a whole lot different than speaking to adults. Many times you

will be asked to speak not only to adults but, separately, to children. You will then have toprepare two separate sermons. Again, ask the general age(s) of the children you will be

addressing, and be sure to ask what they (the adults) generally do with the children.

I remember, when asking what the church members normally did with the children, I was told,We read a story from a book. That would be nice . normally . but I wanted to engage the

children with me. So I talked/asked about grandparents, great-grandparents . and history. Ithen talked about history as so many people ago. As an example: talking about when Jesus

was alive, you can say, Two-thousand and eleven years ago. That seems so far in the past, sodistant. But, taking the generally (genealogical) accepted definition of a generation as thirty

years, then it can be said that, Jesus lived just 67 generations, orpeople, ago. The childrenunderstoodthat right away . It was something they could visualize without a lot of

complicated mumbo-jumbo. I was deeply touched when, talking with everyone after theSermon, a little girl ran up to me and proudly showed me a necklace she, Got from my

grandma, and adding, Oh! Thanks for reminding me of my grandma she was neat!

I rarely do such tweaking; and never to the OOS. An OOS is a wonderful thing to have wellbefore beginning the task of writing your Sermon, and notice I havent even begun to address

thatactual process! Its the roadmap they use for their services, and theres no reason for you tochange itjust because YOU are speaking.

Tweak and change anything in whatyou, yourselfhave to say or do, but leave it at that.

Changing protocol/procedure merely creates confusion, and makes everyone uncomfortable.Research what ideas, viewpoints and actions (yes, actions) may be uncomfortable or, worse,

offensive. It may be inappropriate for you to wear a yarmulke, even in a synagogue, no matteryour intent. There may be different rules of conduct for males and females. You may be asked

to participate in a ceremony that makes you uncomfortable.

Praying, genuflecting, washing statues are a few things you may have to come to an agreementon. Dont be afraid to decline the honor though, theyll understand. Remember, however, that

you might miss an opportunity of experiencing what they experience, and you might be able toincorporate it in yourown practice. Yes, I Sermonize in the strictest definition of the word, but I

also accept the experience of where I am speaking, and I respect my audience.


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Theme

Theme is thesubjectof your Sermon, it is what dominates and controls what you will be saying.

Rarely will you be given a Sermon theme, and thats okay. Youll have the freedom to talkabout anything you want, be it a current passion, or event. Many times, though, it might beharder than just beinggiven one. If youre anything like me theres so much to say aboutso

manythings!

If you aregiven a theme (topic), thats okay, too. It saves you the problem of what to talk about.Be careful though, in eithercase. Always offer a theme for your Sermon as soon as possible .

if notsooner. It saves you the headache later . and you can always work out the details later.As you communicate with your liaison (and always communicate with them on a regular basis

it makes a more comfortable experience for all concerned), youll probably find that anotherspeaker has (orwill) speak on the same subject. Respect the other. Pick something else that you

and your liaison will be happy with.

By the way, a few times, a week or two before the engagement (and afterIve written most ifnot allmy Sermon) I receive an e-mail or phone call, Oh, gee, Im sorry, but I just

remembered/found out that our theme for the month is .. Be prepared for that. Youre onlyhuman and so are they.

Whether you can choose, or are given, a Theme, there are some things to remember to make your

life easier and improve your Sermon before you even start:

y Keep it specificy

Keep it relevanty Keep it interestingy Keep from repeating

Keeping your theme specific leads to a more cohesive Sermon, gives it a nice direction. Thinkof it as a single tree that you can add your proofs and embellishments on to. Remember: you

have twenty minutes to talk. But also remember, you only have twenty minutes to talk!

Keeping your theme relevant is probably the most important elementin the Sermon craftingprocess. Having the most profound and intriguing Theme without relevancy to your audience

will only make for a most boringmorning/afternoon/evening for them. Always bear in mind that

you want to be called back for another engagement(s). Boredom and irrelevancy will becounterproductive, even if you have no desire to ever speak there again.

Keeping your Sermon interesting will engage your audience, keep theirattention. Your Theme

should be interesting toyou first. Some Themes will automatically be interesting to everyone;such entities exist as buzzwords and cultural events. I feel it as a certain static at a particular

time. As I write this paper, politics/ethics/compassion seems to be an overriding Theme. All

kinds of specificallity can be teased out ofthat!


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Keep from repeating a Theme already (or to be) presented at your contracted site. Perhaps you

can offer a different, maybe even a better, viewpoint . just dont attempt it. Set your egoaside.

On a personal note: I neverrepeat a Sermon, preferring to write a new one for everyengagement. Call me what you like (Ive probably been calledthat and worse by otherministers). That just makes it an easy money engagement, to my mind, and makes me feel

uncomfortable. Besides, Im not in the business just to make all the money I can, the easiestway I can; Im in it not only toshare my viewpoint, Im also in itto learn. There are lots of new

ideas out there; new ways to do Sermons; things to improve upon. Stay open to all of that; itwill only make you a better person, if nothing else.


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Structure

Most good writing, I was told, has a structure. A good Sermon is no exception. By providing

your Sermon with a Beginning (Opening), a Middle (Body), and an End (Closing), you will lay

the foundations for a successful Sermon.

Think of it as designing a simple building: without the propersupportingstructures, your

building (sermon) will collapse.

Opening

The first thirty seconds of your Sermon are probably the most critical. In that first thirty seconds

you need to grab the attention of the audience and engage their interest in what you have to say.You can do that in a number of ways: raise a thought-provoking question, make an interesting or

controversial statement, or recite a relevant quotation or even recount a joke. The Reading can

be a goodfirstattention grabber, but the Sermon needs one, too. Once you have won theattention of the audience, your Sermon should move seamlessly to the middle (Body) of yourSermon.

BodyThe body of your Sermon will always be the largest part of your Sermon. At this point youraudience will have been introduced to you and the subject of your Sermon (as set out in your

Opening) and will (hopefully) be ready to hear your arguments, your thoughts or even yourramblings on the subject of your Sermon.

The best way to set out the body of your Sermon is by formulating a series ofPoints that you

would like to raise. In the context of your Sermon, a "Point" could be an opinion, statement, fact,supposition or a quote.

The points should be organized so that related points follow one another and each point builds

upon the previous one. This will also give the Sermon a more logical progression, and make thejob of the listener an easier one.

Don't try to overwhelm your audience with countless points. It is better to make a small number

of points well than to have too many points, none of which are made satisfactorily.

Closing

Like yourOpening, the Closing of your Sermon must contain some of your strongest material.You should view the closing of your Sermon as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to:y Summarize the main points of your Sermony Provide some further food for thought for your listenersy Leave your audience with positive memories of your Sermon


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Process

1-Creating a Sketch

I like to use the term sketch to describe the first attempts at writing a Sermon. The term

conveys thesense of what we do at the very beginningof the process. Its not the wholepictureof the Sermon, its just a lightsketch of where I think I want to go.

A-Creating a Sermon Outline

Outlining is a popular pre-draft technique, and I always recommend it for first-timers to try. I

dont do it as often anymore, but there are times I need to fall back on it; to organize mythoughts, test my logic or argument flow. And, I must admit, I rarely have a good enough idea

just whatI want to talk about until Im further into the Process (more on thatlater). I can easilyfall into the technique, once I get started though: having been a Business Systems Analyst for 26

years, Data Flow Diagrams, Boolean operators, Symbols, Ed Yourdon, et al, spill out over the

page. Sorry, its just too engrained. Theres really no need to be so elaborate.

An Outline is a hierarchical representation of the content of your Sermon. Think of it as one ofthose 3-dimensional home planners (nothing so complicated as a blueprint) where you can move

the pieces around to different spots until youre satisfied. I do all of my work on my laptop,Years ago (decades, actually) I even wrote a little utility to extract footnotes embedded in the

text and reconstruct them at the bottom of the page; even to reformatting the text to allow forroom for the footnote. Which brings up a pet peeve of mine .Always footnote your sources!

Youll be amazed how many people will ask for a copy of your Sermon! I always chuckle whensomeone comments, Wow! You actually footnote your Sermons! Uh,yeah! If I respect

anothers opinion, I respect their opinion!

It is not the purpose of this text to teach the Correctway to do an outline. If you dont know,

look it up. If you dontknow, I only hope it wasyou havingforgotten ornot paying attention inclass. Pity our educational system if they dont teach it anymore! Theres no shame in looking

up forgotten things . I do that a LOT.

Suffice it to say that your Outline should always start with:y Openingy Bodyy Closing

Then start to split each section down into finer sections.

That was easy. It gets a little trickier though. The next step is try to flesh out some additional

points, using the notes you have about the occasion, the theme, the subject and other informationyou have gathered from people relevant to the Sermon (family, friends and colleagues of the

subject of the Sermon, other Sermonmakers etc.).

y Opening (not much detail here, keep it short)


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o Greetingo Some opening banter to get everyone comfortableo Opening Statement (Attention Grabber)

y Body (bulk of the Sermon)o

Question (Who/What/Why/When) Opening Statement, or I propose to show, orOnce upon a time , or any device to begin to define and/or support yourOpening Sentence (Ive often used a device I call Taking a Walk, or On a

Journey you can stop at all kinds of interesting places along the way)o Point

Detail/illustration/proofo Point

Detail/illustration/proofo Point [] (all following one to the next to an inevitable Conclusion

Detail/illustration/proofy

Closingo Repeat Opening Statemento Summarize Pointso Conclusiono Thank you (ALWAYS end with it. Including it in the beginning is fine, but Ive

found that it often sounds too insincere or needy).

B-Other Sketching Tools

Dont limit yourself to just outlining, though. Try different ways of starting and organizing your

Sermon until you find one that works foryou.

If Im totally in the dark on where to begin, I tend to write a poem. Sometimes one (or a few)Haiku do the trick. Sometimes I use like a particularform of poetry to set what I want the mood

of the Sermon to be. Many times I just lay it all out in Stream-of-Conscious verse, to seewhere my minds at(That can be an excellent therapeutic technique, by-the-by).

Its not a crime to borrow from any of your previous Sermons, just be sure you arent repeating

yourself at a site youve spoken to before.

ALWAYS cite your source if a statement/point is not TOTALLY yours! Nothing complicated, asimple, My esteemed colleague, As written in, will do. If you respect someone elses words,

respect themwith an acknowledgment!

NEVER just start writing your Sermon without organizing your thoughtsfirst! Ive done that, ofcourse . but only after days, weeks, or months of deliberation in my mind.

ALWAYS allow plenty of time to prepare your Sermon. It may only take 20 minutes to deliver,but it can be a wonderful experience, or a total down-in-flames; disaster. The better written and

prepared you are, the better your success.


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2-Drafting your Sermon

Drafting is the technique of taking that mere sketch of a Sermon, now that youre certain its

what you want tosay (and how), and actually getting down to writing your Sermon!Be prepared, you will be doing a LOT of rewritings (drafts).

Please note that a draft is just that, a first-cut at your Sermon. Your first draft of a Sermon shouldnever, ever be the final draft.

Start by detailingevery line of that sketch with real words. Its not important to start at theOpening, just expand each line as it comes to you. I do that so I dont forget how I was thinking

of saying it.

Keep doing that until youre done. Then start to read what youve writtenfrom the beginning.Read, rewrite, reread, rewrite until youre satisfied that it is exactly WHAT you want to say and

HOW.

Then, please check spelling, grammar and syntax! Maybe Im just Old School, but its a petpeeve of mine. Youll look (andsound)the better for it.

Avoid clichs, slang, and obscenity. Unless your quoting directly, such devices are

unnecessary, or at worst, offensive. If Im ever unsure of using a particular word or phrase,asking how necessary it is will always points me in the right direction. Also remember to ask

the appropriateness of a questionable term. Always assume that children will be present. Itwont affect what you say if theyre not there; it willaffect the momentif you assume otherwise.

Avoid racist remarks. If you think of something racist as funny, sorry,you need help! Enoughsaid on the matter.

Avoid demeaning comments about anything. No matter how logically proofed and concluded, it

will only lead to trouble.

Avoid endorsing a political candidate from the pulpit. Religious organizations can lose their tax-exempt status if you do . You need not be a member of the organization to cause that disaster.

Pick salient sound bites (that may show a candidate or politician in a favorable lightindirectly) to support a point, just dont openly endorse or promote them!

Afterallof these issues have been addressed and now that weve arrived at this satisfied point,

were almostdone.

Ive written some pretty good five minute Sermons at this point.

Dont forget that you only have 20 minutes to deliver a Sermon that will at once be:

y Freshy Engagingy Coherenty Challenging


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y Within the allotted timeAnd that it needs to take a whole 20 minutes to deliver!

NOW is the time, when all other criteria are met, to time your Sermon.

Reread your Sermon, add(orsubtract) until its (pretty much) 20 minutes long.

Pay close attention to how you willDeliveryour Sermon!

Read your Sermon from beginning to end while timing yourself.

Once you aresure that the text of your Sermon will be (naturally) delivered by you within the

allotted time, its time to prepare the document for printing:

- Decide on a font that is easy for you to read. Do notkeep your eye glued to the text ofyour Sermon at the Pulpit (keep eye contact with the audience)

-

Notice that, as Ive written this text, Ive used some unconventional font and styles. Ioffer no apologize . Its applicable to Sermons. Use Bold,Italics, and Underlining asyou will, to help you remember the deliverance of your Sermon.

- My speaking style lends itself to 8 to 10 pages of 12 point New Times Roman Font- For the Speaking Version printout, use a font size that is easily readable while youre at

the Pulpit.

- My Sermons run 22 to 24 pages in a speaking font (whatever is comfortable to youreyes).

- Some speakers will leave the bottom third of their printed page blank. Its up to you. Idont. The theory is that it keeps eye contact (or fakes the illusion).

- Surely youve noticed I liberally use , italics, and BOLD font (and combinations)seemingly randomly throughout this text. I write my Sermons that way to clue me intowhere I want to pause, or fordegrees ofemphasis.

o . to indicate a pause, groups of for longer pauseso Italics represent a mildemphasiso BOLD for a stronger emphasiso BOLD Italics is for a majoremphasis

As I have put this text together, I have envisioned it not as a textat all, but as a one-on-

one conversation withyou, my dear reader. When all is said and done, isnt it just that,anyway?

Why not put the actualdirections in the text? Dont! Ive heard too many speakersactually read some of their blocking without even knowing it! It also tends to distract

from the flow of your speaking pattern.


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Deliverance

Delivering a Sermon should involve some theatrics. Ive acted a bit over the years, true, but

some lessons can be incorporated into the Sermon Delivery to improve its Deliverance. Just

dont overdo it to the point of silliness. Sermons can befunny, but neversilly!

Gesture, gesture,gesture! Practice, practice,practice!

Gestures should seem natural! I guess Id rather see no gestures than see gestures that look likethey were written into the Sermon (make fist and move it out into the audience here). Itll look

terribly stilted and amateurish if you dont practice. Compare John F. Kennedy to George W.Bush. Throw away your political convictions, JFKwasprofessional, a natural.

Just dont stand there move! Stiffness in your stature will make the best sermon just as stiff!

I put a hand in my pocket when Im gesturing sometimes. Its okay if its a naturalmovement,just dont stand with your hands in your pockets! Usually, its due to nervousness (dont know

what to do with your hands).

Dont hug the pulpit.

ALWAYS do a sound check, whether you have a stationary mike, or they pin one on your lapel.You need to know how youll sound. You need to be heard, but too much is irritating, and the

screech of feedback is highly irritating andpainful.

Speak at a comfortablespeed, and make sure you enunciate! Consonants are mostimportant.Youll probably be nervous. Nervousness tends tospeed up our speaking. Make conscious

efforts to slow down if you notice yourself going too fast.

Even after all these years of sermonizing,I still get nervous, terribly nervous before I get tothe pulpit. Once I get up to the pulpit and see my audience, Im on, you know? I am an actor

after all.

A good friend, when I told him my fear before I speak (my hands actually shake), said that Imaybe, Needed to see a psychiatrist. I know he said that with the best of intentions, but I told

him that he misunderstood what I was saying. Its wonderfulto know that Imstillnervous afterall these years, I responded, If Im notnervous, it means that I dont care, and if I dont care, I

dont deserve the honorof speaking in the pulpit.


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Feedback

I have the distinct honor of my wife in the audience whenever I deliver a sermon.

Shes my worst critic, and I love her the dearer for it.

If nothing else, shell confirm what I noticed or felt. I experiment with technique occasionallyand shell tell how effective it was. Without such unbiased critique, how can you hope to

improve?

Years ago, I went to a performance of 1776; Ross Martin (of TVs Wild, Wild West) wasJohn Adams. What a performance! He was phenomenal! Afterwards, I took my date to an

establishment just down the road and, to my delight and surprise, he was sitting alone at the bar!I couldnt resist. Walking up to him, I blathered on a bit how much I enjoyed his performance,

how moved I was at his singing voice. Excuse me, he said rather sternly, Never, EVERdisturb an actor and apologize when you like a performance!. We usually only hear how bad

we were! Thankyou, my good man! After asking if wed mind his presence at our table, weclosed the place down.

That wonderful conversation stays with mestill. we needfeedback, (positive andnegative)! I

liken it to hearing your recorded voice, or seeing yourself on a video: you cant believe thatthatsyou! Its not how you perceive or see yourselfinternally! You needthat otherto really

see yourself!

At my home church, The First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, everybody retires to theCommon Room for our ritual communion (coffee), after the Sermon. There, everyone offers

feedback.

No othervenue I speak to waits to give me feedback,

Every other venue will immediately comment, question and opinionate on my Sermon as soon asI utter my constant closing words, Domo Arigato (Japanese, Thank you very much).

And Ilove the immediate exchange!

Thatis where the opportunities are ripe forlearning! Remember what I said before: Ifwe take

nothing from the experience, we are merely exercising ouregos. If the audience gets nothingfrom the experience, we are wasting our time.


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File

I was an early advocate of Data Warehousing, the concept of backing up data to an off-site

location on a daily basis. Still Ive given a LOT of Sermons over the past 20+ years, and

Ive lostthe vastmajority of them!

As I reflect on it, thats not such a badthing (impermanence, the acceptance thereof, and lets

face it, most of them were crap), butstill, by and large, it would be nice to have them!

It would be nice to refer back to them to see what I could have done better (memory issuch a

fickle thing), or to develop some of the salient ideas I presented (so amateurishly). It wasnt that

I didnt back them up . I did. Its just that they were in forms no longer supported, or they

were lost in one of several computer crashes, or they were just printed on paper (thepermanent

medium) and destroyed in a sewer backup.

Nowadays, there are all kinds ofonline resources to store your data (like Skydrive), andtheres

always an external hard drive to back up to (I now own a terabyte external hard drive).

The point here: backup/store your Sermons to a media independent of your computer!!!

Technology has advanced exponentially since I started sermonizing. I now store my Sermons in

a Word document designed as a Book; complete with a cover and Table of Contents.

It will be a great resource to refer back to (I have no problem with using ideas from previous

Sermons and developing them for different purposes to fit a current engagement).

Youll not suffer the embarrassment of repeating yourself from a previous engagement at a

particular site.


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Related Word Definitions

(from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sermonizing)

SERMON

1. sermon (noun)2. Sermon on the Mount3. action sermon (noun)4. lay sermon

sermon

noun \sr-mn\

Definition ofSERMON

1: a religious discourse delivered in public usually by a clergyman as a part of a worship service

2:

a speech on conduct or dutysermonicadjective

Examples ofSERMON

1. He preached asermon on the importance of kindness.2. Dad gave me asermon yesterday about doing my homework.

Origin ofSERMONMiddle English, from Anglo-Frenchsermun, from Medieval Latinsermon-, sermo, from Latin,

speech, conversation, fromserere to link togetherFirst Known Use: 13th century

Related toSERMONSynonyms: homily


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HOMILY

noun \h-m-l\

pluralhomilies

Definition ofHOMILY

1: a usually short sermon

2: a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme3: an inspirational catchphrase; also: platitude

Examples ofHOMILY1. The priest gave a briefhomily on forgiveness.2. We had to listen to another one of his homilies about the value of public service.3. a politician with a fondness forhomily

Origin ofHOMILYMiddle English omelie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin homilia, from Late Greek, from

Greek, conversation, discourse, from homilein to consort with, address, from homilos crowd,assembly; akin to Greekhomos same

First Known Use: 14th century


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PREACH

verb \prch\

Definition of PREACHintransitive verb

1: to deliver a sermon

2: to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action;specifically: to exhort in anofficious or tiresome mannertransitive verb1: to set forth in a sermon

2: to advocate earnestly 3: to deliver (as a sermon) publicly

4: to bring, put, or affect by preachingpreachernoun

preachinglyadverb

Origin ofPREACH

Middle Englishprechen, from Anglo-Frenchprecher, from Late Latinpraedicare, from Latin, toproclaim, make known, fromprae- pre- + dicare to proclaim

First Known Use: 13th centuryRelated to PREACH

Synonyms: sermonize

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