A new friend sent me a text yesterday, “Do you have any
advice for voice control in and out of the pulpit?” he asked.
I should have responded, “You are asking the wrong
person.” Instead, I ventured a brief answer. I doubt it was helpful. This post
is my fuller answer to the question I should not be answering in the first
place.
My father had a big, preaching voice. And many of my
early preaching heroes sounded like preachers, whatever that means. However, I
do not have a preacher’s voice. I sounded like Simba practicing his roar in the
Lion King. This resulted in me losing my voice often in preaching.
I had to learn a
way to protect my voice in and out of the pulpit. Over the years, these simple
practices have helped me to maintain my voice for preaching.
1.
Get some
rest. Nothing saves your voice for preaching like resting it before you
preach. Unfortunately, there are many Sunday mornings that I give the Lord a
ready mind and heart, but a tired body. One of the best things you can do for
your preaching overall is go to sleep on Saturday. Or take a nap before you
preach an evening service. Rest your voice.
2.
Drink
plenty of water. This may be the only good habit in my diet. I drink a lot
of water before I preach. I even keep a glass of water on the pulpit at my home
church, just in case. If I need it, I will pause to drink it. But it must be
room temperature water for me. If I drink cold water before I speak, it will
close up my voice.
3.
Avoid
exotic vocal cures. I knew a famous preacher who drank ice-cold sodas
before he preached. Many other preachers drink special concoctions before to
clear their voices. I think rest and water are good enough. Avoid becoming
dependent upon special remedies. A guest pastor drank a special potion before
he preached for me. A few weeks later, my voice was sore between services. The
ushers made me that potion. I sat in the pulpit looking troubled. One of the
preachers asked if something was wrong. I mumbled, “I cannot feel my lips or my
tongue!” True story.
4.
Get good
monitors. Having floor monitors on the platform, which will project your
voice back to you, is quite helpful in protecting the voice of the preacher. If
I cannot hear myself, I start talking louder and preacher harder. I assume the
congregation cannot hear me, because I can’t. Unfortunately, there are many
days when my presentation is shaped by the fact that I cannot hear myself. If
you are a pastor, make sure you have good monitors. Make sure you have people
on the soundboard who know what they are doing!
5.
Pace your
presentation. In this regard, voice lessons, speech training, or
presentation feedback can be valuable to the preacher. You need to learn how to
pace yourself in the presentation. Talk at a comfortable pace. Use pauses.
Raise your voice sometimes for emphasis. Whisper other times. Speak in your
pitch. I was preaching at a convention. In my nervousness, I started preaching
in a high voice. I was thinking to myself, “What are you doing?” But I couldn’t
stop. Halfway through the sermon, I had no voice. The same will happen to you
if you do not pace yourself.
6.
Guard
your instrument. Some singers where hats and scarfs out on warm, sunny
days, determined to protect their voices. You do not have to go to extremes.
But protect your instrument. Where a coat, when necessary. Don’t ride to the
service with the air in the car on you. Refuse to sit under AC vents in the
service. I don’t know what else to advise here. But do what it takes to guard
your voice.
7.
Do your
homework. I am always nervous when I stand up to preach. However, after the
first minutes of the sermon, I am able to calm down. It is the ministering help
of the Holy Spirit that enables me to relax and preach. It is also the
assurance that I have not done my homework. I know what I want to say and, most
times, how I want to say it. This eases tension and removes anxieties that I
believe can affect your voice as you preach.
8.
Don’t
worry about it. As a young preacher, I had the opportunity to quiz one of
my favorite preachers. I asked him what he does to protect his voice. Firmly
but graciously, he responded that young preachers like me worry about stuff
like that. He claimed that he did not worry about it anymore. He just gets up
with whatever he has by way of voice and preaches the message God has given
him. I thought his answer was ridiculous. But now as an older preacher, I fully
agree. Focus more on the message than the delivery. And trust that God will
give you what you need to be faithful to your assignment (2 Co. 12:7-10).
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