Socratic Preaching
The "Socratic" method of teaching essentially is the inductive method of study—the art of asking good questions. My preaching historically has been deductive, not Socratic. Typically, I have rounded up a number of points and tried to press them home. However, I'm rethinking my strategy, and considering what it will mean to go way back to Socrates (and Jesus, the ultimate question asker) for communicating in the post-modern, 21st century. I have tried this the past couple of sermons and really, really like it. My preparation feels more authentic, exploratory and lends to better real life application-- dealing with the questions real people are asking, and would ask about the topic or passage at hand. I sense that this kind of message preparation keeps me a learner, digging, seeking, rather than someone who has all the answers already. Using questions to guide the message has made my delivery feel more like a conversation that is drawing people into the message rather than a lecture that is pressing the message into the people.
Anyway, this shift in methodology could be one more big mistake. But if it is, then I am fulfilling one of my primary goals as a church planter, which is, for the glory of God in the gospel, "to take chances, make mistakes and get messy." :)
