Sermon Central
-
That Crying Baby Just Might Reveal Your Heart, Preacher
By Jeremy Smith on Nov 7, 2019
The way you handle distractions may indicate how you see your role in the pulpit.
I was recently at a conference where each day the Bible study was led by a performance artist/theologian who acted out the biblical story and gave some exegetical/theological insight to the Scriptures. The content was terrific: substantial and challenging. But on the second day, a baby began to jibber-jabber loudly in the audience.
After a few minutes of this, the performer stopped the show, looked in frustration at the baby and parent, and said, “I love children, but I’m getting really distracted.” The parent and child got up and left the room … followed by several other parents who went out in solidarity and in protest.
I talked later with the parent and made this claim: A crying baby is a test as to whether someone is preaching or performing.
A performance is about focus and transmission of content—a solo or group act is on-stage doing an activity (singing, dancing, speaking, painting, instrument performance, etc.)—and it is the audience’s job to receive the content and appreciate or engage it.
A sermon (and I tend to appreciate black preachers’ definitions of sermons and preaching) is “verbal and nonverbal communication of the inward manifestation of a command by the Holy Spirit to relate to others something about God’s presence, purpose and power in one’s life and in the life of all of humanity.” (Teresa Fry Brown, Delivering the Sermon, pp. 17).
Given these two definitions, I get how babies can be a distraction to a performance. As a parent of an 11-month-old, my crying baby seems to be about 10x louder for me than she is for other people. Her cries are amplified, and her running commentary on her dad’s sermon pierces through a crowd. So I get how a baby would interrupt a performance’s transmission of beauty or message because they interrupt that well-crafted focus.
But preaching is about naming and claiming God’s love present in the room. It’s about that Holy Spirit that isn’t given to the preacher and then transmitted to the people: that Spirit is in each one there and they communicate back and forth. Churches that have call-and-response to the preaching moment get this phenomenon, and to them, crying babies are just another “amen” section. The preacher is preaching if they connect with the congregation; calling out a crying baby and causing them to leave idolizes the spoken word as more important than the body of Christ fully present in the room.
There are practical considerations: Churches create “cry rooms” so that parents feel more comfortable (and, to be honest, some non-parents, as well). Other parishioners can help comfort the baby if the parent is OK with it. I’ve seen my share of church-fails such as when another parishioner took a baby out of the parents hands and walked with the baby out of the sanctuary—had I been a more fully aware preacher, that would have merited a call-out! Let’s be clear: Parents self-selecting to take a baby out is one thing; public shaming or pressure to send a baby out is wholly another.
It’s my belief that if I can’t preach over, above, through or alongside a crying baby, then I have no business preaching. And I should do serious reflection as to whether I am performing the Word of God or if I am allowing the Word to speak through and without me—and the latter will not be stopped by a crying baby, and indeed, it is incomplete without the presence of all who need to experience it.
What say you?
Related Preaching Articles
-
Can We Preach The Tithe?
By Dean Shriver on Apr 2, 2025
Scripture presents covenantal, legalistic, and worshipful tithing. Only worshipful giving reflects New Covenant generosity rooted in gratitude, allegiance, and grace.
-
Just What Is Pulpit Plagiarism?
By Ron Forseth on Jan 1, 2024
A thoughtful look at plagiarism, quotation, and citation in preaching, showing how conscience, diligence, and trust shape ethical and faithful sermon use.
-
Why Preparing Sermons Takes Me So Long
By Joe Mckeever on Jul 31, 2020
A candid walk through sermon preparation, showing how prayer, Bible study, reflection, and disciplined refinement shape faithful and Spirit-led preaching.
-
Five Things God Never Said
By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jan 1, 2025
Common sayings about God and salvation often distort the gospel. Exposing five popular misconceptions helps believers regain clarity, confidence, and grace in evangelism.
-
Building A Healthy Pastor–worship Leader Relationship
By Chuck Fromm on Mar 4, 2020
Pastors and worship leaders thrive when unified. Addressing conflict, clarifying roles, and pursuing Spirit-led collaboration strengthens worship and the church.
-
Busting Out Of Sermon Block
By Haddon Robinson on May 28, 2020
Weekly preaching can feel creatively exhausting. Learn a two-phase approach, practical rhythms, and daily habits that keep your sermons biblical, fresh, and deeply fed all from Haddon Robinson.
-
The Power Of Multisensory Preaching
By Rick Blackwood on Jun 2, 2020
Multisensory preaching engages more of the listener, increases clarity and retention, and can reignite your joy in teaching by making sermons more vivid and memorable.
-
Why I Love To Preach
By Joseph M. Stowell on Nov 25, 2021
Preaching is a strange mix of joy, agony, insecurity, and calling; this article explores why pastors keep returning to the pulpit and how God uses their weakness.
