Remember that scene in the book of Matthew when Jesus is just starting his ministry and he turns to one of his disciples and says, “What version of PowerPoint are you guys using? What? You’ve never heard of PowerPoint? Oh that’s right, it won’t be invented for a while yet. Hmmm, I’ll just have to use parables to communicate then. OK, let’s do this thing.”
What’s that you say? That didn’t happen? Maybe not, but sometimes when I see the deep, all consuming passion some pastors have for the presentation software PowerPoint, I almost think God ordained its use in church.
I blame corporations, because it definitely is one of those things that migrated from businesses and has now found a new home in church services. But like anything else, when it comes to using PowerPoint in a sermon, there are some important things we all need to remember:
1. Don’t do the “letters slide in one at a time” trick.
I’m happy you figured out that application. You probably feel like I did when I discovered how to use the crop tool in Photoshop. I cropped every photo I owned and may or may not have built a small set for my GI Joe Storm Shadow action figure (it’s not a doll) and registered a now defunct site called word ninja for my portfolio. I went over board and so are you. Please, don’t slide in each letter one by one. Few things are as time consuming as watching O….L…..D…….T…..E……S….T…….A…..M…..E….N…….T moonwalk onto the slide.
To read the rest of his blog, go give him a “shout out” over at his place, http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2008/06/273-powerpointing-for-lord.html
