The Narrow Path Ministries

I think the Gideons' preaching is often not particularly engaging because the men who volunteer for that organization are not particularly accepted on the basis of their public speaking skills. It is, in fact, a ministry that draws men who want to spread the Word of God, but who are not that confident that they possess preaching gifts. They do a very good work, but are often called upon to raise funds at churches for the purchase of Bibles. Their presentations are not likely to be as exciting as those delivered by gifted preachers.

I will throw my hat in with the fuddy duddy crowd as well. Emotions, to me, seem so unreliable. Appealing to men's emotions seems like the very root of the manipulative preachers' method. The half-hour infomercials for various organisations (secular and religious), use many of the same methods as these preachers do. The problem with emotions is that they don't appeal to logic in most cases, and they are fleeting. I would take Cicero's style, liberally salted with the power of the Holy Spirit, planted in the good soil of a thinking Christian's heart, over an emotionally driven moment fuelled by a Demosthenes style preach. The results of Cicero's style may not produce a mass reaction that leads to action (short lived in my experience), but the effects in the hearts of the few who put it to good use should outlast the emotional reaction of the other.
Having said all that, isn't it great that we can choose the style that suits our own particular taste? My personal taste is for quality, not quantity. I'd leave the acting up to Hollywood.

Have any of you guys heard Scot McKnight speak. He is someone who, for me, is like eating my greens. His messages are densely packed with information, very logical, and very erudite... but I really have to concentrate to keep my mind from wandering.

I think wild preaching has its roots in Vaudeville. Perhaps before.

TK said, ". . . and my dad would have either got up and left or got up to tell him he was an idiot."

I wish your dad had been there and done that. He would have done that preacher a service, and the people as well. We have to be willing to confront people when they are being ridiculous 'in the name of Jesus-uh'.

If people who are going to get up and speak before God's people, whom they are supposed to love, would please get on their faces before God for a word that is edifying, there would be no more long boring talks. But we are all so polite, we applaud when they are through and thank them, and the kingdom of God is set back.

Actually, I go to that church with Paidion and the man is so full of substance, he could stand on his head and I would hang on every word. He just happens to be incredibly gifted in presenting the drama of God's dealings with people. And when the message is delivered, he stops. None of that 'uh' stuff - he's not like that. It is not a predictable 'show'.