Southern preaching is the last remnant of a great oratory tradition that used to be found in American politics before the days of sound bites. In contrast, Yankee preaching sounds like a lecture given to MIT under grads on nanotechnology.

I remember being captivated by Lee Roberson of Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga. Lee recently died at almost a hundred, but when I knew him years ago he looked like a rabid Old Testament prophet with flowing white hair and piercing eyes. He preached with fire. He dominated the auditorium, striding from one side of the platform to the other, his audience following with every gasp, roar of laughter, and 'Amen.' Each point of a sermon on the weight of sin was punctuated by Dr. Roberson lifting high a brick and pitching it onto the platform like it was a Red Sox fast ball. Nobody slept.

Yankee preaching is taught in the speech department. Southern preaching in the drama department. Nell has captured all the essential elements of Southern preaching when she tells our grandchildren a story. Little Red Riding Hood tries to probe the reality of her grandmother/wolf and says "What big eyes you
have, grandmother." "All the better to see you with, my dear." "What big ears you have." "All the better to hear you with, my dear." "What big TEETH you have, my dear." And the grandchildren gasp and squeal and laugh and remember afresh the old, old story they love so much.

Southern preaching is an experience. It is good acting that flows from deeply held convictions. A sermon isn't a placid homily offered in fifteen minutes. It is a production that the preacher loves, and the people listening feel like they could listen for hours. Is that the way it is in a Yankee church?

Southern preaching is noted for its directness. Never is it "People are lost without a repentant attitude." It's "YOU are bound for hell unless you repent now." Such directness can shock. It also motivates people to change. Because salvation is so basic a Christian belief, often Southern preaching is shallow, with preachers offering only an evangelistic message every service, just to make sure everybody 'gets saved.' Yankee preaching is more sophisticated.

So what kind of a preacher am I? Lee, my almost son-in-law said New Englanders probably look at me as a Southern redneck who fortunately has been somewhat influenced by New England sensibilities. But Lee says, no doubt if I was preaching in his home state of Texas I'd be written off as a typical boring Yankee preacher. That's ok, I accept Lee's assessment. After all, even if his name is Lee, he's not quite the preacher Lee Roberson was -- yet!

Pastor Jon