FINISH STRONG!

Bill Ireland, Pinnacle Associate

William Shakespeare penned the comedy, “All’s Well that Ends Well.” Even if you’ve never read the play or seen it performed, the title is apropos for preaching. After all, the best part of our sermons should be the ending—and not just because the sermon is over!  How well we end the sermon is often the difference between our hearers leaving with a shrug of the shoulders and an “Oh, wow!” response. All’s well that ends well—strong endings make for strong sermons.

Unfortunately, many of our sermons don’t end well at all, and we limp to the finish line. Here’s what I mean.

We’ve probably seen bad movies that have contrived endings—endings in which there’s a decided rush to tie up all the loose threads. Such endings leave the impression that the director was over budget, up against a deadline, or, most important, in a hurry to create a happy ending. We can fall into the same trap whenever we wrap the message up in too neat a package, force a happy ending, and make hard things too simple. As a result, the conclusion is less than satisfying. Instead of making a point, we make mush.

At other times, we can think of no better way to conclude than simply re-hashing everything we’ve already said. We conclude by preaching the sermon all over again in a minute or less! Repetition certainly has its place, but such endings frequently cover too much ground, especially in this age of “constant partial attention.” Instead of saying, “Here it is,” we say, “Look at this and this and this!”

And of course, our conclusions sometimes miss they mark because they offer no resolution at all. When we preach, we ask our listeners to book a trip with us. As the sermon unfolds, we take our congregation with us on a journey through a text and through life itself, always on the lookout for the ways and places God might show up. When we don’t end well, we fail in our task as homiletical tour guides. Instead of taking our listeners somewhere, we leave them stranded at the airport.  Instead of taking them somewhere, we take them nowhere. And we and they miss our chance to trespass onto holy ground. Inconclusive conclusions frustrate our listeners no end.

So, how do we end well? How do we develop a strong conclusion? Let me offer a few suggestions:

First, it is imperative that we know what we want to say. Over the years, I have learned that if I can’t summarize my sermon in a single sentence, I don’t know what I want to say. I haven’t got it. As a result, much of my preparation is a quest for that single idea around which the sermon will be constructed. Knowing what we want to say enables us to finish well. Once we have clarity about the truth we wish to convey, we can develop our sermons to drive the message home to our congregation.  Once we know what we want to say, we can craft a sermon with that end in mind.

Secondly, pay attention to how the tone of our conclusion aligns with the aim of the sermon. Some sermons are meant to inspire, while others are offered to comfort and encourage. Some sermons challenge, while others educate and explain. The way we speak the ending must serve the aim and purpose of the sermon. Thus, some of our sermons should end with thunder while others must of necessity conclude in a whisper. Some conclusions should be reasoned and straightforward while others should wink at our listeners. How we speak the ending will go far as we attempt to “stick” the sermon and land it.

Here’s a third idea. Rehearse the sermon aloud. I have found this practice invaluable. While writing generates clarity, listening to the way the words sound lets us know whether a sermon has an “easy listening” quality to it. This practice is especially important for concluding a sermon. If the sound of the ending doesn’t grab us, it probably won’t grab our listeners either.  The goal of a solid conclusion is an ending that hits the ear so that our words can make their way into the heart.

Finally, pay attention to your experience as you preach. Sometimes in the act of preaching itself, we become more aware of the Spirit and more aware of the moment. It’s at such times our intuition kicks in and says, “You’re done! That’s it! Quit!” This may require us to swallow our pride and abandon what we think is priceless insight. This may require us to improvise and go off script. If we sense that kind of inner prompting—well, it’s possible our listeners do as well. When that kind of awareness intrudes, it may indeed be time to drop the mic and let it go.

Shakespeare had it right: all’s well that ends well. Conclusions are vitally important. When we end well, we preach well.