Preaching with Empathy: Crafting Sermons in a Callous Culture

by Lenny Luchetti

Preachers can find help from many resources to get the text right, the structure right, and the delivery right. Preaching with Empathy aims to help preachers and homiletics students learn to deeply understand and love their listeners, in order to get preaching right. Preachers who profess a love for God, Scripture, and preaching, but who lack loving empathy for the listener, betray their three professed loves and limit their fruitfulness in ministry. This book teaches how to practice preaching in new ways, incorporating a heightened awareness and empathy for the people in the preacher’s community. Author Lenny Luchetti provides immediately useful tools, all based on the foundations of scripture, theology, history, and social awareness. Readers will learn to embody Christ for their congregations, as they empathically love God and humanity.


This book is part of the successful Artistry in Preaching series, edited by Paul Scott Wilson. Other books in the series include Preaching as Beauty, Goodness and Truth in Every Sermon , by Paul Scott Wilson; Real Life Stories for Sermons that Matter, by Scott Hoezee; and Preaching in Using Images for Sermons that Connect , by Peter Jonker.

112 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2018

Reviews

[Brannon Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, and highly recommend it for ALL who care about the art of preaching or who simply wish to learn more about empathy (a topic not often written about in such an accessible manner!) and how to communicate more effectively in any context.

Dr. Luchetti loves the church, and has a finger on the pulse of both the church and the broader culture. He recognizes the divided, cynical, "me-centered" times that we're living in. He sees that often the church looks no different from the world when it comes to how we treat one another, both within and outside the church walls. And when that happens, the church loses the credibility of her witness.

Dr. Luchetti also believes in the power of pastors to shape congregations from the pulpit; and that those congregations can go on to shape communities and make a difference in the world for the Kingdom. That's why, I believe, he has written this book.

In compelling and accessible prose, not only does he delve deeply (though, like a good preacher, beautifully concisely as well!) into empathy theory and the hows and whys of preaching with empathy, but, I believe he also has written this book because he knows that pastors lead by example.

Pastors who preach with empathy - pastors who know and LOVE their people, and desire to meet people where they are (the way Jesus did) and love them for who they are (the way Jesus did), and commun(icat)ing with them according to their needs (the way Jesus did) - are at the same time MODELING empathy for their congregations.

In short, empathic preachers embody empathy, thereby giving their flock a picture of what holy empathy looks like... and evidence that it is not only possible, but that it is essential.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenny Luchetti thinks that empathy is the key to preaching well and he does a pretty good job of making his case. "Preaching well," in his mind, is not about preaching with eloquence or new information. Effective communication causes the person in the pew to say "that preacher gets me." Too often we preach with our own set of assumptions and questions in mind and so we end up communicating only with people like ourselves. But it is possible to preach effectively to people who are very different from you. They key is doing the work to understand their hopes, fears, dreams and worries. Lucchetti wants us not just to understand these things but to feel them. This is empty; it is "stepping imaginatively into the shoes of another person." The most original part of the book is the theological underpinning of preaching with empathy. We serve an empathic God because our God is Triune. Within himself God feels the feelings of the others in the God-head. He is not impassive but engaged interpersonally at the deepest level. Likewise the doctrine of the incarnation reminds us of God's desire to experience our world even as he atoned for our sins. The last part of the book is filled with suggestions on building empathy which generally amounts to getting to know the people in your congregation. Much of it will seem like common sense for the thoughtful pastor, but it is still true. This is not a long book, but it makes a helpful point and challenges us with both practical advice and theological truth.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical. Engaging. Inspiring. These three adjectives describe the desire many pastors have for their sermons. Those who invest time to read Preaching with Empathy thoughtfully will find a treasure trove of practical, engaging, and inspiring practices to develop and deliver caring sermons in a callous culture. In framing effective preaching around empathic engagement and compassionate communication, Lenny Luchetti has provided a useful set of tools for pastors, preachers, and speakers desiring to foster authentic - and lasting - interactions with their audiences. Highly recommended.

[Paulson Pulikottil]

Has made a lasting impact on my preaching style.

[Gretchen Hand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely perfect! New thoughts, and ways to create a sermon, but also ways to connect with your church, community, and those around you.