Lectures to my students - Spurgeon - XVIII - Chapter 6 (Posture, action, gesture, etc.)

Required reading
Lectures to my students by Charles Spurgeon (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 6 (Posture, action, gesture, etc.).

My summary
This week Spurgeon talks about the movement of the body in preaching.

Firstly he outlines some causes of awkward movement in the pulpit:
(i) natural awkwardness;
(ii) feeble utterance and a nervous consciousness of lack of power in that direction;
(iii) pulpits themselves;
(iv) fear;
(v) difficulty of finding the next word;
(vi) habit.

Secondly Spurgeon gives advice on action in the pulpit.  Actions should:
(i) never be excessive;
(ii) be expressive and appropriate.

What grabbed me
I liked Spurgeon's comments on where the preacher's eyes should focus: 'The face, and especially the eyes, will play a very important part in all appropriate action. It is very unfortunate when ministers cannot look at their people. It is singular to hear them pleading with persons whom they do not see. They are entreating them to look to Jesus upon the cross! You wonder where the sinners are. The preacher’s eyes are turned upon his book, or up to the ceiling, or into empty space. It seems to me that you must fix your eyes upon the people when you come to exhortation. There are parts of a sermon in which the sublimity of the doctrine may call for the uplifted gaze, and there are other portions Which may allow the eyes to wander as you will; but when pleading time has come, it will be inappropriate to look anywhere but to the persons addressed. Brethren who never do this at all lose a great power. When Dr. Wayland was ill, he wrote, Whether I am to recover my former health I know not. If, however, I should be permitted to preach again, I will certainly do what is in my power to learn to preach directly to men, looking them in their faces, and not looking at the paper on the desk.” '

If we do not look our hearers in the eye, it is a great loss.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 7 (Posture, action, gesture, etc.(Second lecture)).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.