Doubtless by now, so many folks have heard Bishop Curry's royal wedding sermon. If you haven't, you can see it here.
As a preacher, I can't recall the time that a sermon had so many talking about it. By all accounts -- including mine -- it was a wonderful sermon precisely in what it did: It treated preaching as if it mattered, and that gathering as if it were a congregation and not a wedding.
Why did so many connect to that sermon? As Curry and his friend, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, both mentioned in this fascinating interview, it was "after all, just the Gospel".
And yet, when something connects so well, it's important to ask why it connected so well. Especially for preachers, who regularly practice the craft we saw Curry practicing last Saturday.
Here are some of my thoughts. In addition to preaching the Gospel during that message, Curry did at least five things that really connected with people in the room and around the world.
1. He didn't use notes.
It appears that Curry had notes (or at least some version of notes on his iPad), but he rarely even looked at them. And that made him seem deeply believable and sincere.
This isn't a good thing. It's just a true thing. Having notes and using notes are two different things as a preacher. Curry didn't use them.
You might be 100% sincere and authentic when reading from your notes. But you don't come across that way. When you read a talk, or rely heavily on your notes, people think it's coming from your head, not your heart. Or worse, they think it's a series of points you're supposed to believe but don't. Freeing yourself up from your notes creates a much more believable message.
When I've taught public speaking and preaching, I've stressed this to my students. Sadly, though, the idea just doesn't seem to catch on with those who want to be great public speakers these days.
2. He made eye contact with everyone.
That's the power of going notes free. He said in an interview later that he spent a lot of his message making eye contact with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
That's just huge. It's annoying when people don't look you in the eye when they talk to you in person. It's very disengaging when a public speaker doesn't.
Looking people in the eye is one of the best ways to let them know you believe what you say.
3. He was passionate
Passion makes you seem like you believe it ... and I think that astonished the media and guests. (As in: This guy seems like he actually believes this stuff!)
Remember this preachers: Your congregation's passion level will rarely exceed yours. So be passionate. If anything deserves passion, the Gospel does.
4. He knew his talk inside out.
I've seen speculation that Curry may have gone off script, and he may have. But it was clear he knew where he was headed, and that allowed him to connect with the crowd even more. The key to speaking without using notes is not to memorize your talk, but to understand it. My guess is that's exactly what the Bishop did -- he knew what he wanted to accomplish, which gave him a lot of freedom.
5. He brought fresh language to a timeless subject.
Curry's talk seemed very fresh and spontaneous, but underneath is were some carefully crafted phrases. His carefully crafted phrases rang true at a deep level. One of his lines even became the headline for The Times of London. That's the power of intentional language. The differences between a carefully crafted phrase and a poorly crafted phrase are simple: One is memorable, the other isn't. One connects, the other doesn't. This is an art that's learned more than natural gift. And it requires you study rhetoric. (Which I think every preacher should do.)
As a preacher, I can't recall the time that a sermon had so many talking about it. By all accounts -- including mine -- it was a wonderful sermon precisely in what it did: It treated preaching as if it mattered, and that gathering as if it were a congregation and not a wedding.
Why did so many connect to that sermon? As Curry and his friend, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, both mentioned in this fascinating interview, it was "after all, just the Gospel".
And yet, when something connects so well, it's important to ask why it connected so well. Especially for preachers, who regularly practice the craft we saw Curry practicing last Saturday.
Here are some of my thoughts. In addition to preaching the Gospel during that message, Curry did at least five things that really connected with people in the room and around the world.
1. He didn't use notes.
It appears that Curry had notes (or at least some version of notes on his iPad), but he rarely even looked at them. And that made him seem deeply believable and sincere.
This isn't a good thing. It's just a true thing. Having notes and using notes are two different things as a preacher. Curry didn't use them.
You might be 100% sincere and authentic when reading from your notes. But you don't come across that way. When you read a talk, or rely heavily on your notes, people think it's coming from your head, not your heart. Or worse, they think it's a series of points you're supposed to believe but don't. Freeing yourself up from your notes creates a much more believable message.
When I've taught public speaking and preaching, I've stressed this to my students. Sadly, though, the idea just doesn't seem to catch on with those who want to be great public speakers these days.
2. He made eye contact with everyone.
That's the power of going notes free. He said in an interview later that he spent a lot of his message making eye contact with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
That's just huge. It's annoying when people don't look you in the eye when they talk to you in person. It's very disengaging when a public speaker doesn't.
Looking people in the eye is one of the best ways to let them know you believe what you say.
3. He was passionate
Passion makes you seem like you believe it ... and I think that astonished the media and guests. (As in: This guy seems like he actually believes this stuff!)
Remember this preachers: Your congregation's passion level will rarely exceed yours. So be passionate. If anything deserves passion, the Gospel does.
4. He knew his talk inside out.
I've seen speculation that Curry may have gone off script, and he may have. But it was clear he knew where he was headed, and that allowed him to connect with the crowd even more. The key to speaking without using notes is not to memorize your talk, but to understand it. My guess is that's exactly what the Bishop did -- he knew what he wanted to accomplish, which gave him a lot of freedom.
5. He brought fresh language to a timeless subject.
Curry's talk seemed very fresh and spontaneous, but underneath is were some carefully crafted phrases. His carefully crafted phrases rang true at a deep level. One of his lines even became the headline for The Times of London. That's the power of intentional language. The differences between a carefully crafted phrase and a poorly crafted phrase are simple: One is memorable, the other isn't. One connects, the other doesn't. This is an art that's learned more than natural gift. And it requires you study rhetoric. (Which I think every preacher should do.)