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Preaching for Special Services
Sooner or later, every pastor will be called on to conduct special services. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, infant presentations, and evangelistic services, each in their own way, challenge pastors to find the right words to mark the occasion.
Preaching for Special Services will help pastors prepare sermons for these special services. Each chapter explores a different occasion and offers the perspective, encouragement, and practical advice that pastors need as they plan their messages.
Through this useful book, pastors will discover how Christ-centered special occasion preaching can make a difference in the lives of their listeners.
Preaching for Special Services will help pastors prepare sermons for these special services. Each chapter explores a different occasion and offers the perspective, encouragement, and practical advice that pastors need as they plan their messages.
Through this useful book, pastors will discover how Christ-centered special occasion preaching can make a difference in the lives of their listeners.
140 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 19, 2026
An older work that packs a big punch in a few pages. This short book gives some basic guidance on how to preach a "big idea" sermon on these special occasions. It also offers a short overview of the history of preaching at each occasion. The historical review sections were well done, and I found myself wanting more. The preaching advice is timeless because it is focused on the principles of preaching the occasion over the specifics. It is a helpful book not just for preaching at these occasions, but for examining how pastors have preached at them throughout church history.
March 31, 2019
This was a quick read and had great, practical information concerning special occasion preaching.
August 30, 2016
One of the more perplexing challenges that pastors face is always being on call. Recently, the pastor on duty at a luncheon I attend got caught up in traffic; I found myself presented with an unexpected mic. For a plodder, someone who always works from a 5-year plan, these special occasions can be especially challenging.
In his book, Preaching for Special Services, Scott Gibson writes:
“A pastor must be able to step with ease into a number of different speaking venues. In addition to a regular preaching schedule, you as a pastor face an endless parade of special occasions at which you are asked to speak.” (Back cover)
He goes on to cite the Apostle Paul’s admonition: “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Tim. 4:2 ESV) The purpose of such preaching, he says, “is to give a clear, listener-sensitive, biblically based word to men and women who are sometimes eager and often desperate to hear it.” (18)
In this short book, Gibson focuses on 4 special occasions that make up the core of his 6 chapters:
1. Preaching for Special Services
2. Wedding Services
3. Funeral Services
4. Baptism and Infant Presentation Sermons
5. Preaching at the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
6. Speaking on Other Occasions
The foreword was written by Haddon W. Robinson who taught preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for many years and is famous for “big idea” preaching.
The idea in “big idea” preaching is to identify the subject of a particular passage of scripture, usually a pericope, and its complement. The subject is what the author is talking about and the complement is what is said about the subject (19). In special occasion preaching, Gibson emphasizes the need for brevity and clarity where the preacher must be clear about the biblical text, clear about the audience, clear about the occasion, and clear in what they say (21). Tall order on occasions where the circumstances may limit the time available for preparation.
Why preach on special occasions? Outside of the obvious response—because you are asked—Gibson offers this response:
“Preaching at these times allows the preacher to speak the word of God to those gathered, to round out the worship, to bring focus to the occasion.” (17)
When I am asked, I refer to these special occasions as difficult transitions in life where God is especially present to those who call on him. Of course, preaching helps us reflect on God’s presence and his special presence.
If you are like me, this is the sort of book that gets bought and remains on the bookshelf until a special occasion arises when a good reference comes in handy. In my case, I am working on a wedding so let me review Gibson’s comments about weddings.
In each of his presentations on special occasions, he reviews the history of the church’s customs with respect the particular occasion. Gibson notes that in pre-Christian Rome and Greece, weddings were celebrated with an epithalamium, which is a poem celebrating the wedding—kind of like Song of Songs in the Old Testament. Gibson’s comments about weddings in medieval Europe are interesting:
“Preaching took place at the synagogue or at the wedding feast. The preacher was the groom, the father of the groom, or the father of the bride.” (27)
In my case, I am both a volunteer pastor and father of the bride.
Gibson sees the wedding sermon as: “a window to understanding God’s design for marriage.” (30). In particular, the marriage is not simply a covenant, but a covenant before God, having both his oversight and blessing. Gibson furthermore sees the wedding service having both theological and practical objectives, celebrating the mystery of marriage (32). The wedding sermon should use concrete language, be brief, clear, personal, and have central idea (35-37).
Scott M. Gibson’s Preaching for Special Services is a helpful reference for pastors and aspiring pastors. Others who speak occasionally may also find it interesting. Although I had a wedding in mind in reading, other chapters helped me prepare sermon notes in advance of writing.
References
Robinson, Haddon W. 2001. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
In his book, Preaching for Special Services, Scott Gibson writes:
“A pastor must be able to step with ease into a number of different speaking venues. In addition to a regular preaching schedule, you as a pastor face an endless parade of special occasions at which you are asked to speak.” (Back cover)
He goes on to cite the Apostle Paul’s admonition: “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Tim. 4:2 ESV) The purpose of such preaching, he says, “is to give a clear, listener-sensitive, biblically based word to men and women who are sometimes eager and often desperate to hear it.” (18)
In this short book, Gibson focuses on 4 special occasions that make up the core of his 6 chapters:
1. Preaching for Special Services
2. Wedding Services
3. Funeral Services
4. Baptism and Infant Presentation Sermons
5. Preaching at the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
6. Speaking on Other Occasions
The foreword was written by Haddon W. Robinson who taught preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for many years and is famous for “big idea” preaching.
The idea in “big idea” preaching is to identify the subject of a particular passage of scripture, usually a pericope, and its complement. The subject is what the author is talking about and the complement is what is said about the subject (19). In special occasion preaching, Gibson emphasizes the need for brevity and clarity where the preacher must be clear about the biblical text, clear about the audience, clear about the occasion, and clear in what they say (21). Tall order on occasions where the circumstances may limit the time available for preparation.
Why preach on special occasions? Outside of the obvious response—because you are asked—Gibson offers this response:
“Preaching at these times allows the preacher to speak the word of God to those gathered, to round out the worship, to bring focus to the occasion.” (17)
When I am asked, I refer to these special occasions as difficult transitions in life where God is especially present to those who call on him. Of course, preaching helps us reflect on God’s presence and his special presence.
If you are like me, this is the sort of book that gets bought and remains on the bookshelf until a special occasion arises when a good reference comes in handy. In my case, I am working on a wedding so let me review Gibson’s comments about weddings.
In each of his presentations on special occasions, he reviews the history of the church’s customs with respect the particular occasion. Gibson notes that in pre-Christian Rome and Greece, weddings were celebrated with an epithalamium, which is a poem celebrating the wedding—kind of like Song of Songs in the Old Testament. Gibson’s comments about weddings in medieval Europe are interesting:
“Preaching took place at the synagogue or at the wedding feast. The preacher was the groom, the father of the groom, or the father of the bride.” (27)
In my case, I am both a volunteer pastor and father of the bride.
Gibson sees the wedding sermon as: “a window to understanding God’s design for marriage.” (30). In particular, the marriage is not simply a covenant, but a covenant before God, having both his oversight and blessing. Gibson furthermore sees the wedding service having both theological and practical objectives, celebrating the mystery of marriage (32). The wedding sermon should use concrete language, be brief, clear, personal, and have central idea (35-37).
Scott M. Gibson’s Preaching for Special Services is a helpful reference for pastors and aspiring pastors. Others who speak occasionally may also find it interesting. Although I had a wedding in mind in reading, other chapters helped me prepare sermon notes in advance of writing.
References
Robinson, Haddon W. 2001. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
July 26, 2014
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. In this case I think you shouldn’t judge a book by its size. This short one-hundred page book is well worth having for several reasons that I will list below. Honestly, I only picked it up in order to scan it and make space for a new book on my “preaching books to read” shelf. I’m glad I did.
This book is focused on “special services.” That means weddings, funerals, baptisms, infant presentations, the Lord’s Supper and a selection of other events in the final chapter including evangelistic sermons. In each chapter Scott Gibson presents a brief but well-informed history of preaching on that occasion in Jewish and Christian history. He briefly outlines elements of a theology of preaching for such an event. Then he addresses the issue of developing the sermon, before the closing section on delivering the sermon. There is a sensitivity and gracious spirit throughout. The book follows the Haddon Robinson approach to sermon preparation.
Three reasons why I’m impressed with this little book:
1. It gives specific, helpful and gracious instruction for how to prepare and present a biblical sermon at these special services. For many preachers these events tend to be an extra burden in the schedule, but for those present or involved, these events are long remembered. Gibson offers help to the preacher, who will remain in the shadows of the event and yet brings a word in season for those gathered.
2. I suppose this book could be written simply with the sections on how to develop and deliver the messages. I certainly wasn’t expecting the valuable historical and theological elements in these chapters. Although short, these concise sections add great value to the book.
3. Scott Gibson does not try to re-create what Robinson has done so well in terms of the big idea approach to sermon preparation. What Gibson does throughout the book is concisely and helpfully integrate and contextualize Robinson’s model (for example the careful concern for a sermonic purpose statement in each chapter). Some who have read Robinson may find that elements “click” in their understanding when reading Gibson’s specific-occasion application of that model.
(And, a minor fourth point, unlike Gibson and Willhite’s Big Idea of Biblical Preaching, this book was almost bereft of editorial oversights. There’s a sermon purpose statement error on page 97, and an extra word in a book title on page 99, otherwise the book seemed “clean.”)
Originally reviewed on http://www.biblicalpreaching.net
This book is focused on “special services.” That means weddings, funerals, baptisms, infant presentations, the Lord’s Supper and a selection of other events in the final chapter including evangelistic sermons. In each chapter Scott Gibson presents a brief but well-informed history of preaching on that occasion in Jewish and Christian history. He briefly outlines elements of a theology of preaching for such an event. Then he addresses the issue of developing the sermon, before the closing section on delivering the sermon. There is a sensitivity and gracious spirit throughout. The book follows the Haddon Robinson approach to sermon preparation.
Three reasons why I’m impressed with this little book:
1. It gives specific, helpful and gracious instruction for how to prepare and present a biblical sermon at these special services. For many preachers these events tend to be an extra burden in the schedule, but for those present or involved, these events are long remembered. Gibson offers help to the preacher, who will remain in the shadows of the event and yet brings a word in season for those gathered.
2. I suppose this book could be written simply with the sections on how to develop and deliver the messages. I certainly wasn’t expecting the valuable historical and theological elements in these chapters. Although short, these concise sections add great value to the book.
3. Scott Gibson does not try to re-create what Robinson has done so well in terms of the big idea approach to sermon preparation. What Gibson does throughout the book is concisely and helpfully integrate and contextualize Robinson’s model (for example the careful concern for a sermonic purpose statement in each chapter). Some who have read Robinson may find that elements “click” in their understanding when reading Gibson’s specific-occasion application of that model.
(And, a minor fourth point, unlike Gibson and Willhite’s Big Idea of Biblical Preaching, this book was almost bereft of editorial oversights. There’s a sermon purpose statement error on page 97, and an extra word in a book title on page 99, otherwise the book seemed “clean.”)
Originally reviewed on http://www.biblicalpreaching.net
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews