Imagine
if you could actually see your sermon as a complete picture on a single page
instead of as a 7-10 page document full of so many words you could never
internalize them before or recall them during the preaching event. The way
forward is called mind mapping.
Basic
mind mapping has been around for centuries and has progressed into some
advanced forms. But the primary premise is still the same. Transforming conceptual
words into a concrete visual picture, or map, can aid in communication, learning,
and recall. Mind mapping is not only a great way to take notes, cram for a
test, and simplify complex concepts, it has the potential to significantly enhance
our preaching.
PLANTING THE TREE
There
are many ways to utilize mind mapping. Some communicators will draw an actual
map that employs the journey metaphor. Their map will contain a starting point
and a destination, with landmarks, streets, and turns in between. I prefer
another metaphor for mapping the sermon. The mind mapped tree works well for me.
Here’s
how it works. After you have finished developing your detailed sermon outline
or manuscript, draw a tree trunk on a piece of paper. Write the sermon focus
or, if you prefer, the big idea or main point in the center of the trunk. Now,
draw several branches out from the top of the trunk, moving left to right.
These branches represent the flow for a narrative plot-based sermon (setting,
problem, climax, resolution, response) or for a linear point-based sermon with
various “moves.” On each branch you will write a short phrase that best describes
how that branch reveals and/or reinforces the focus of the tree trunk. The
phrase should be as imagistic as possible. You will probably not want to have
more than 5-7 branches sprouting off of the trunk.
Next,
draw no more than 3-4 small twigs off of each branch. On each of these twigs
write a word that helps you recall what you will say about that branch. Try to
come up with picturesque words for your twigs. Avoid esoteric language. The
words of your twigs and branches should be more concrete than conceptual, which
is why “image” is written on each twig.
When you develop a mind map, your
10 page 4000 word sermon becomes a 1 page picture consisting of approximately
20-30 words. Writing a sermon manuscript is a good practice, but the mind map allows
you to boil down your multi-page document to a one page picture. A mind map not
only helps the preacher with recall during delivery but can also foster sermons
that are more clear and creative in development. The preacher can quickly see
whether or not a branch or twig really fits with the focus of the sermonic tree
and prune as necessary. Additionally, with the visual aid of a mind map the
preacher can more easily discern if and where another branch or twig is needed
to firmly root the sermonic tree in the lives of listeners.
PLACING THE BRANCHES AND TWIGS
Once
you have all the branches and twigs drawn up, prayerfully consider the best
ordering of the branches for the sermon. Since we are clock-conscious, left to
right readers, it makes sense to order the branches from left to right on the
tree. When placing the twigs on each branch, you will likely want to order them
the same way. Take your time placing the branches and twigs on the tree. They
should be placed to facilitate sermon clarity for listeners and sermon recall
for the preacher.
PICTURING THE PARTS
If
you want to make the mind map even more memorable, there is a way. Look at the
words you have mapped on the branches and twigs. Try replacing the imagistic words
with actual images you draw. If your artistic ability is limited, cut and paste
pictures from the internet or magazines. If your entire sermon is conceived as
images that create one primary picture on a single page, you cannot help but
remember and preach the sermon with power and precision.
PRUNING AND PRODUCING
A
mind map enables the sermon to become memorable, manageable, and malleable.
What I mean by malleable is “adaptable.” If the service is going long because
the guy doing announcements or the worship leader got a little too long-winded,
you can simply cut one branch or several twigs in your mind or on the one piece
of paper you bring to the platform with you. Perhaps you are the guest speaker
at a conference and the organizer tells you the worship leader got sick, which
means you now have 40 instead of 20 minutes to preach your sermon. Find a
prayer closet and simply invite God to reveal a few more branches and twigs
that may reinforce the focus of the tree.
PRACTICING
Mind
mapping requires practice before proficiency is achieved. Stick with it for a few
months before you decide it may not be for you. In the beginning, you will
likely want to mind map from a manuscript. But be prepared to not use
everything in the manuscript, since some ideas may seem superfluous to the mind
mapped tree. Have fun. Be creative. Enjoy the freedom that can result from
mapping your manuscript into a picture. Maybe a picture is worth, not a thousand
words, but four thousand!
EXERCISES
1. Try mind mapping from the sermon manuscript or outline
for your next preaching opportunity. Use the tree metaphor and include no more
than a three-word phrase for each branch and one word for every twig.
2.
Now, try to further develop the mind map by replacing the words on the tree with
images you draw or find on the internet or in magazines.
3.
Spend some time prayerfully viewing and internalizing your tree. If the focus
of your sermonic tree trunk is clear and compelling, if the branches reinforce
the trunk, and if the twigs reinforce the branches, your sermon will powerfully
connect with listeners. Prune as needed.
