Preaching Without Notes

(Answers below.)

1. According to the quotes by Augustine, Aristotle and Quintilian, what is a crucial aspect of preaching/teaching?
2. What does "preaching by ear" mean (preach without notes)? What is it not? Practically, what is it?
3. What is the difference between preaching by memory and preaching by memorization?
4. What about using notes or reading off a script?

"For no one may benefit another with that which he does not have himself." St. Augustine, On Christian Doctrine.

"...the speaker('s)...character must almost be called the most effective means of persuasion he possesses." Aristotle, Rhetoric.

"I am convinced that no one can be an orator who is not a good man, and even if anyone could, I should be unwilling that he should be." Quintilian (35-100 AD), Institutes of Oratory.

Let Me Experience You (Psalm 143)

Psalm 143:1-12; 6-8

"...my soul thirsts for you like a parched land" (Ps 143:6, ESV). "Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don't turn away from me, or I will die" (Ps 143:7, NLT). "Let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go because I long for You" (Ps 143:8, HCSB).

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 143 - The End.

2. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 143 - My Soul Thirsts for You (6):
    
1. Hear me and do not put me on trial (1-2).
2. I am faint because the enemy pursues me (3-4).
3. I reach out to you in trust (5-6).
4. Answer me quickly! (7-8)
5. Deliver me, and teach me to do your will (9-12). 
3. Zemek, George. Road Maps for the Psalms: Inductive Preaching Outlines Based on the Hebrew Text. Valencia, CA: The Master's Academy International, 2006. Psalm 143.
4. Psalm 143 Outline.
1. David prayed for God to hear his prayer for mercy (1-2).
2. David was tired of being pursued by the enemies (3-4).
3. David remembered that he used to follow God's commandments (5-6).
4. David prayed for God to quickly send salvation (7-10).
5. David prayed that God preserve his life (11-12).
5. 
   

My Soul Waits for the Lord (Psalm 130)

Psalm 130:1-8; 6, 7

"My soul waits for the Lord, more than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning" (Ps 130:6, NASB). "Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with Him is redemption in abundance" (Ps 130:7, HCSB).

Psalm 130 is an individual lament, expressing penitence and trust in God's mercy. (The other six psalms with prominent penitential themes are Psalms 6, 32, 51, 102, 143).

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 130 - Forgiveness.
   
2. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 130 - My Soul Waits for the Lord (6):
   
1. O Lord, hear my cry for mercy (1-2).
2. With you there is forgiveness (3-4).
3. I earnestly wait for the Lord to hear me (5-8).
   
3. Zemek, George. Road Maps for the Psalms: Inductive Preaching Outlines Based on the Hebrew Text. Valencia, CA: The Master's Academy International, 2006. Psalm 130. The psalmist wrestles with the realities of human sin and divine salvation in two areas:
1. Personal (1-6).
2. Corporate (7-8).
   
4. The MacArthur Study Bible. Psalm 130 - Hope in the Lord's Forgiving Love:
   
1. Urgent prayer of the psalmist (1-2).
2. Magnified forgiveness of God (3-4).
3. Waiting patience of the psalmist (5-6).
4. Unique hope of Israel (7-8).
   
5. PSALM 130 - HOPE AND PATIENCE IN GOD.
1. Our nature contrasted with God's nature (1-4).
2. Waiting for God to answer (5-6).
3. Encouraging hope and patience in others (7-8).
   
6. Psalm 130: Out of the Depths.
1. Out of the depths of guilt and despair, you can cry out to God for mercy (1-2).
2. God's forgiveness leads to fear, because without it you are doomed (3-4).
3. Experiencing God's forgiveness makes you wait and hope for God Himself (5-6).
4. Experiencing God's forgiveness makes you desire that others would also experience his abundant redemption (7-8).
   
7. 
   

Do Not Hide Your Face From Me (Psalm 102)

Psalm 102:1-28; 2

"Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly" (Ps 102:2, NIV).

1. Pray for immediate divine help (1-11): Sickness in an ephemeral life.
2. Be assured of God's eternal compassion (12-22): Security in an eternal Lord.
3. Rely on God's unchanging eternity (23-28): Servants for an enduring Lord.
   

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 102 - Request Refused, Prayer Answered.
   
2. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 102 - Do Not Hide Your Face from Me (2):
   
1. O Lord, hear me when I call (1-2).
2. I am in distress as my enemies taunt ee (3-11).
3. O Lord, you will have pity on Zion (12-17).
4. Let them always remember this in Zion (18-22).
   
5. O Lord, do not shorten my life (23-24).
   
6. The Lord is eternal and his faithfulness outlasts the world (25-28).
   
3. Zemek, George. Road Maps for the Psalms: Inductive Preaching Outlines Based on the Hebrew Text. Valencia, CA: The Master's Academy International, 2006. Psalm 102: As the psalmist contemplates a great crisis, there are his three developing outlooks:
   
1. Quite pessimistic (1-11).
2. Very optimistic (12-22).
3. More realistic (23-28).
   
4. The MacArthur Study Bible. 
1. A plea for immediate divine help (1-11).
2. A perspective of God's sovereignty and eternality (12-22).
3. A prayer for longer life (23-28).
   
5. A Prayer of the Afflicted, Reassuring Himself in Yahweh' s Eternal Compassion for Zion. In Psalm 102, consider the psalmist's:
   
1. Prayer for the Lord's quick response (1-2).
2. Crushing malaise (3-11).
3. Assurance of the Lord's eternal compassion for Zion (12-22).
4. Reliance on God's unchanging eternity (23-28).
6. Psalm 102 — Ashes, Tears, and Owls.
   

Create In Me a Clean Heart, O God (Psalm 51)

Psalm 51:1-19; 10 (Read 2 Samuel 11-12)

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Ps 51:10, NASB).

This is the fourth, and surely the greatest and best known, of the seven "penitential psalms." It comes from David's blackest moment of self-knowledge; it explores the depths of his guilt and the broken contriteness of his repentance. According to the title, David composed this psalm as a result of Nathan the prophet convicting him of his sins, both in committing adultery with Bathsheba and in arranging for the murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam 12:1-14). This is also more than David's personal prayer. Its instructional elements (Ps 51:16-19) show that, though the situation that led to the psalm was intensely personal, the psalm in its current form is well-suited to be a hymn by which the members of the worshiping congregation confess their own sins.

Why is David called "A Man After God's Own Heart"? It is not his terrible sins but his confession, his repentance, and his prayers that justly entitled him to such an accolade.

References:

1. Kidner, Derek. Psalms 1 - 72: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973. Psalm 51 - Whiter Than Snow:
   
1. Appeal (1-2).
2. Confession (3-5).
3. Restoration (6-9).
4. Inward Renewal (10-13).
5. Humble Worship (14-17).
6. A People's Prayer (18-19).
   
2. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 51 - The Marvel of Repentance:
   
1. God and the Individual: Repentance and Forgiveness (1-6).
2. The Dimensions of True Repentance (7-15).
3. God and the Community: What Pleases the Lord (16-19).
   
3. Psalm 51 - The Penitent's Prayer:
   
1. David's Plea (1-12).
2. David's Promise (13-17). A. To teach others (13). B. To offer praise (14-17).
   
3. David's Prayer (18-19).
   
4. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 51 - Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God:
   
1. Have Mercy on Me (1-2).
2. I Own Up to My Sin (3-5).
3. I Seek Restoration and Renewal (6-13).
4. Then I Will Worship Truly (14-17).
5. Do Good To Zion (18-19).
   
5. The Penitential of Penitentials. (James Burton Coffman Commentaries on the Bible.)
   

I Wait For You, O Lord (Psalm 38)

Psalm 38:1-22; 15

"For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God" (Ps 38:15, NLT).

This is the third of the seven "penitential psalms" (Psalm 6, 32, 51, 102, 130, 143). It is a prayer for deliverance from God's chastening of his sins. The psalm describes anguish of body and mind, desertion by friends, and how the psalmist's folly has made him vulnerable to enemies ready to pounce on him. Psalm 38 may be divided into two parts:

1. Too hard to wait on God (1-12).
2. Yet I wait for the Lord (13-22).
   

References:

1. Motyer, J Alec. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994. Psalm 38 - Divine Anger, Divine Salvation:
   
1. The Way Down (1-12).
2. The Way Up (13-22).
   
2. Kidner, Derek. Psalms 1 - 72: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973. Psalm 38 - The Outcast:
   
1. The Loathsome Burden (1-8).
2. The Lonely Victim (9-14).
3. The Single Hope (15-22).
   
3. ESV Study Bible. Psalm 38 - Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord:
1. The Tumult of My Heart (1-8).
   
2. I Am a Lonely Victim (9-14).
3. You Alone Are My Hope (15-22).
   
4. Psalm 38 - The Penitent Plea Of A Sick Man.

The Happiness of Forgiveness (Psalm 32) [Penitential Psalms]

Psalm 32:1-11; 1

"How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!" (Ps 32:1, HCSB)

This is the second of the seven "penitential psalms" (Psalm 6, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). Psalm 32 can be considered in four parts:

1. Forgiveness: The joy of forgiveness (1-2).
2. Silence: The curse of silence (3-4).
3. Confession: The wisdom of confession (5-7).
4. Trust: The exhilaration of trust (8-11).

References:

What Might A Joyful Mind Be?

The Naked Now, Richard Rohr, 2009. Appendix 8: Walking Meditation. A Joyful Mind

What might a joyful mind be?

• When your mind does not need to be right.
• When you no longer need to compare yourself with others.
• When you no longer need to compete -- not even in your own head.
• When your mind can be creative, but without needing anyone to know.
• When you can live in contentment with whatever the moment offers. [Snow piled on the roads after a snowstorm resulting in horrible traffic on Feb 3, 2015, such that I could not get to my home for an hour!]

What Every Good Leader Knows

The Naked Now, Richard Rohr, 2009. Chap. 29

Here are some insights into what every good, nondual leader knows and practices, whether in the workplace, at home, or in the classroom. Good leaders:

• See alternatives.

• Influence and inspire people more than by ordering or demanding.

• Know ahead of time that every one-sided solution is doomed to failure. It is never a final solution but only a postponement of the problem.

• Learn to study, discern and search together with their people for solutions.

• Know that total dilemmas are very few. We create many dilemmas because we are internally stuck, attached, fearful, overidentified with our position, needy of winning the case, or unable to entertain even the partial truth that the otheer opinion might be offering.

• Work for win/win situations by searching for a middle ground where the most people can find meaning. (This is hard to do if you assume you are the higher, the more responsible, the in-charge, the senior, the more competent -- or once you have made a harsh judgment about the other.)