Sermon Preparation Worksheet - Poetry (Last Updated: November 22, 2017)

Transcription

1 Text: 1) Original meaning of the text. (If possible/necessary, translate text first) a) Does this poem take place in an old covenant or new covenant context? b) Divide the psalm into its various sections, paying particular attention to shifts in focus (often indicated by contrast), shifts in voice (1 st person, 2 nd person, and 3 rd person), shifts in literary devices (e.g. repeated phrases, rhetorical questions, etc.), and grammatical clues (e.g. conjunctions, use of imperatives, etc.). c) Dealing with each section individually, what are some key terms/ideas that need to be defined in the text? Be careful that you don t read later use of a particular term into the context of the poem (e.g. righteous, righteousness, salvation, etc.).

2 d) Dealing with each section individually, identify the various figures of speech in the psalm (e.g. simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, rhetorical questions, etc.) and determine their meaning. Be careful not to read too much into the various figures of speech. *Figures of speech are expressions used to communicate ideas in a vivid way, often through comparison with something familiar to the reader. Interpreting figures of speech in the Bible can sometimes be difficult because imagery that was familiar to ancient readers might not be familiar to us or might have a different meaning. Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as. Even though the two things being compared are different, there is some point of similarity that helps the one thing to explain the other.

3 Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things without using a comparison word: it simply says that one thing is something else with the comparison being implicit. Even though the two things being compared are different, there is some point of similarity that helps the one thing to explain the other. Personification: Giving human characteristics to non-human things for the sake of effect. Allusion: An implied or indirect reference to a well-known person, place, thing, or event. Hyperbole: Exaggeration for the sake of effect but not meant to be taken literally. Sarcasm: A statement that could be taken seriously if understood in a straightforward way but is actually meant to mock someone or something.

4 e) Where possible/appropriate, ask the why questions about the text? f) Summarize each section in your own words. Be careful not to word things according to how you might want to apply the passage.

5 2) Applying the Text Sermon Preparation Worksheet - Poetry a) Are there any parts of the text that are theologically problematic? How would you reconcile these parts of the passage with other parts of scripture that might seem to contradict them? Be careful not to soften down or distort the meaning of the passage for the sake of harmonization. b) Are there any parts of the text that are restricted to the time period or persons depicted in the text? If necessary, discuss why these parts of the text are limited to these time periods or persons.

6 c) Are there any theological/moral truths that apply outside of this immediate context? d) Are there any analogies to the specifics of the text that might still apply today? Support these analogies using reasoning from elsewhere in Scripture.

7 e) If possible, summarize in one sentence what you have learned from this poem. Be careful to word it in terms of how you would apply this poem today.

8 3) Putting the Message Together a) What type of setting will the message be for? (i.e. formal weekly sermon? informal sermon in a smaller setting? bible study / interactive format? guest sermon? conference address?) b) What the main things that you want your audience to learn from the message? Which ones are primary and which ones are secondary? c) What type of introduction do you think would be most effective for this content? (Application-based, Problem-solving, Review/Summary, Text-focused analogy, main point summary)

9 d) What type of sermon progression will help you deal with the most content in a way that will be clear and easy for your audience to follow? (i.e. transform the section of the epistle into a sermon or study) e) Will it be most effective to read the passage before getting into the body of the message or will it be most effective to go through the passage as the sermon progresses?