'Is that how I look?'

 

‘Is that how I look?’ –

the Importance of enhancing a preacher’s facial expressions.

One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been many preachers seeing themselves on screen and able to assess how they look to their congregations as they preach.  Perhaps for the first time pastors are asking themselves, ‘is that how I look?’, and – more importantly - ‘am I watchable’?

As in several other European cultures, North American piety takes a negative view of aspects of the theatre and entertainment being part of church services (with ‘children’s’ sermons’ being the exception).

An unnecessary association is made between some important features of dramatic arts, such as facial expression, and disingenuousness.  Intentional facial expressions are thought to detract from the honesty and sincerity of someone whose task it is to preach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the Truth.  This leaves dramatic facial expression to the realm of ‘foreign’ cultures, such as the Latino or Mediterranean types – among others.

The word  ‘hypocrite’ comes from the ancient Greek theatre, referring to the mask worn to project the emotion of the actor to members of the audience, even those occupying the most distant seats.  Yet, today’s negative connotation to that word need not reduce facial expression in the pulpit to some form of insincerity or hypocrisy.  Yes, facial expression is an important tool in the toolbox of both the actor and the liar, but that does not mean that facial expression cannot be an important tool in the toolbox of the pastor.  A preacher is not lying or merely acting when he adorns his message with intentional facial expression!

The fact is, people in our culture devour entertainment as often as they can get it – not aware of what it is about the conduct of the actors that holds their interest.  They take the facial expression - which is stock and trade of the acting profession - for granted, and find themselves unable to explain why they find their pastor’s sermon delivery boring, but can’t wait to binge through the next installment of their favourite media.   Here the Gospel is the most important message in the world, and yet, it is often proclaimed without the benefit of the kind of effort put into selling breakfast cereal!

The fact is that generations of pastors were not taught the importance of intentional facial expression for gathering and keeping their congregation’s attention.  Again, apart from small children, it is assumed that grownups don’t appreciate a preacher enhancing his facial expressions and gestures when he preaches.  However, this is far from the case.

In fact, subconsciously, what makes all the difference between a great sermon delivery and a mediocre one is facial expression.  Think of the ‘great preachers’ you have known, and then consider the part that facial expression played in making them so watchable.

Let all the video footage that has come to characterize the lockdowns be a lesson to all preachers.  Facial expression matters.  It always has.  They may not have taught this in homiletics class, but it is essential to preachers today.  Make a face.  Act as though you are engaging your audience.  Project on to your face the importance of what you are saying.  Is there a difference between the spoken word and the sung word?  There is often a world of difference between a deadpan delivery and one that takes a leaf out of the actor’s handbook.