A Speaker's Distractions

[Rippon]

Listen carefully. -- I am not referencing my pastor's habits here. But do any of you get annoyed with some mannerisms of a speaker or lecturer? For me as a member of an audience (or congregation) I get easily disconcerted when a speaker starts jangling keys and coins in his pocket. The message may be good but he is damaging his own communication. A speaker has to put up with so many distractions from those supposedly listening to him. Cell-phones may go off -- people whisper to one another -- people get up and return to their seats etc. Those examples are enough to deal with much less damaging their own message by annoying personal habits. I recall Charles Spurgeon discussing some amusing mannerisms of preachers in his book : Lectures To My Students

What habits do you folks find distracting?

 

[Jim1999]

I am a prim and proper pulpit person. Once at the pulpit, I don't leave it until it is time to go.

Peachers who do a walk about whilst preaching drive me round the bend. I don't like water in the pulpit and especially these cursed water bottles. We are there to deliver the most important message of all time, and any distractions are road bumps in the highway to heaven, in my opinion.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Tom Butler]

I am a prim and proper pulpit person. Once at the pulpit, I don't leave it until it is time to go.

Peachers who do a walk about whilst preaching drive me round the bend. I don't like water in the pulpit and especially these cursed water bottles. We are there to deliver the most important message of all time, and any distractions are road bumps in the highway to heaven, in my opinion.

Cheers,

Jim

Fortunately, I've seen this only a few times. I can handle a little bit of movement around the pulpit area. I do it myself when I speak (so I'd be hard put to criticize it, wouldn't I?), but these guys who wander all over the platform, even step off the platform and roam the aisle look contrived to me. Contriving to look hip and cool and not bound by those old preaching styles like yours, Jim.

 

[ReformedBaptist]

When a speak mis-pronounces a word. At a church I went to the pastor pronounced humble with no "h". Drove me nuts.

 

[thegospelgeek]

I am a prim and proper pulpit person. Once at the pulpit, I don't leave it until it is time to go.

Peachers who do a walk about whilst preaching drive me round the bend. I don't like water in the pulpit and especially these cursed water bottles. We are there to deliver the most important message of all time, and any distractions are road bumps in the highway to heaven, in my opinion.

Cheers,

Jim

Jim wouldn't like me at all. I walk the platform, step off from time to time and almost always have water.

 

[thegospelgeek]

Listen carefully. -- I am not referencing my pastor's habits here. But do any of you get annoyed with some mannerisms of a speaker or lecturer? For me as a member of an audience (or congregation) I get easily disconcerted when a speaker starts jangling keys and coins in his pocket. The message may be good but he is damaging his own communication. A speaker has to put up with so many distractions from those supposedly listening to him. Cell-phones may go off -- people whisper to one another -- people get up and return to their seats etc. Those examples are enough to deal with much less damaging their own message by annoying personal habits. I recall Charles Spurgeon discussing some amusing mannerisms of preachers in his book : Lectures To My Students

What habits do you folks find distracting?

I am distracted by repeated phrases or words such as "and then... and then... and then..."

Most everyone has mannerism that can become distractions. I never watch film of myself because I don't want to become self consience(sp) by my own mannerisms.

So I ask along with the OP, what do you do that may be a distraction when you speak?

 

[Thinkingstuff]

I know I'm in trouble when I see the white hankerchef come out. because I know he's going to spray the first row with his yelling and pacing.

 

[Steven2006]

Hmm, you have now started threads about how people write and speak both often bother you. Maybe it's you. :laugh:

 

[abcgrad94]

I don't mind speakers wandering around the platform, or taking their glasses on and off, or most of the other mannerisms that bother people, but the "uh" at the end of every other word drives me nuts. This is not "uh" used as a lame filler while they search for the correct word to say, but more of a exhale of air at the end of the word or sentence.

It starts with the speaker getting louder and faster and then the uh's start:
"And I tell you thisUH, that God's peopleUH, and blah blah blah-uh. . . .It would almost sound like a southern accent, but it's not.

The only other thing that bugs me is screaming and yelling at the pulpit. I will not sit and listen if someone is a screamer.

 

[LadyEagle]

I don't mind speakers wandering around the platform, or taking their glasses on and off, or most of the other mannerisms that bother people, but the "uh" at the end of every other word drives me nuts. This is not "uh" used as a lame filler while they search for the correct word to say, but more of a exhale of air at the end of the word or sentence.

It starts with the speaker getting louder and faster and then the uh's start:
"And I tell you thisUH, that God's peopleUH, and blah blah blah-uh. . . .It would almost sound like a southern accent, but it's not.

The only other thing that bugs me is screaming and yelling at the pulpit. I will not sit and listen if someone is a screamer.

Agreed. And ending every sentence with, "ya know" and "right?" Right? :laugh:

 

[sag38]

Where does it say, "Thou must stay behind the pulpit!" One can only attribute this belief or pet peeve to tradition or personal preference. I don't care if my pastor preaches from the balcony, walks up and down the aisles, etc. Here's my question. Is he preaching God's word. Now, that's my concern.

 

[just-want-peace]

Where does it say, "Thou must stay behind the pulpit!" One can only attribute this belief or pet peeve to tradition or personal preference. I don't care if my pastor preaches from the balcony, walks up and down the aisles, etc. Here's my question. Is he preaching God's word. Now, that's my concern.

Bolded mine

Now that is a facet to be concerned about Sag!!!

Most - MOST - other things I can adjust to IF he is staying in the Word & not going off on some social do-gooding or other such balderdash.

 

[Jkdbuck76]

When somebody feels the need to throw in a "hallelujah" or "amen" about six times in every sentence.

I heard a guy on radio once who did that. Drove me nuts!

 

[saturneptune]

Maybe this is a different angle, but what drives me nuts in a sermon or prayer is someone who uses the word "just" over, and over, and over again.

Example: "Lord, we JUST praise your Holy Name. We JUST lift our pastor up to you. etc, etc, etc........."

Other phrases that drive by nuts are "by and by" "I'll fly away" or "Gloryland."

Another distracting thing, not from our pastor, but have heard speakers tell the audience, "say Amen." After the 5th time of saying that because the responses is not what he wanted, I shut down much any interest.

I agree with the above posters that there is no room for theatrical antics from the pulpit. That would include pacing back and forth like a caged hyena, and/or shouting as you do the walk. This is me, but a song sung in the middle of a sermon is a distraction. So is laying on ones back in the middle of the sermon because they were "slain in the Spirit."

 

[Rippon]

Hmm, you have now started threads about how people write and speak both often bother you.

I had asked in the OP of this thread what distracts you about a speaker's presentation. My example had nothing to do with his voice or verbal errors. Some here have acknowledged that verbal flubs distract them.

In a secular setting, with a speaker behind a lectern, what may distract you?

Back to a church setting -- I will address a verbal thing that disturbs me. Again, this has nothing to do with my pastor. When a preacher uses the same tone of voice at the trail-end of his sermon and closes with prayer with no pause in-between -- and it's usually done in a rapid-fire style. I find it dishonoring to the Lord. I appreciate a few words to the effect :"Let's close in prayer." And then after a few seconds of pause proceeding to the throne of grace.

Why are some prayers of fundamentalists/evangelicals done in such a rush? Do they feel that they must end exactly at 12 noon or something? (By the way, at my church we usually end at 1 PM after a two hour service.) I don't understand why break-neck speed is necessary in public prayer. It's unsettling.

 

[Steven2006]

Come on my man, lighten up it was a joke.

Notice the little face laughing

Hmm, you have now started threads about how people write and speak both often bother you. Maybe it's you. :laugh:

 

[Joseph M. Smith]

Last night the church where I have been serving as interim pastor for the last 18 months gave me a farewell dinner and celebration, which included a slide show taken by photographers during various of my sermons. Oh, boy, what a revelation! How many times have I put up both index fingers to underscore a point? And how many times have both arms shot out to the side, almost like an umpire showing "safe"? Funny, but revealing nonetheless.

And then one man said that his son particularly waited for me to get one leg pumping ... mercifully that was not shown.

Well, I wonder if I would find my own preaching distracting!!

 

[Rippon]

Come on my man, lighten up it was a joke.

Did my post sound alarmist to you or something?

 

[Deacon]

"Father, we thank you for the way you have helped us, Father."
We give you great praise, Father, for your generous gift to us.
And Father, the further and further we stray from you, Father, the farther away we are, Father."

I can help but starting to count the "Fathers".

I got up to 36 times in a single prayer once.

Rob

 

[Jim1999]

When I attended a circus, the master of ceremonies stood upright, in one spot and was dressed appropriately.

In church, leave the circus where it belongs. They do a better job at it.

Cheers,

Jim