In this series we have touched here and there on the reporting of sermons. I want now to analyze, discuss, and illustrate points that have to do with getting sermon material across the editor's desk, and in a form that is clear and meaningful to the reader. Your audience now is not before you in a church or a hall. You cannot depend on oratory, gestures, or illustrations to attract and hold interest. You may have spent forty-five minutes building up to the climax of your sermon, but now you are held to possibly two hundred words, or four or five column inches of space to give to your newspaper audience the kernel of truth you wish to impress. Let not this deter you. Rather let it be a challenge, for you may reach 25,000 families with your story in the paper.
You are now your own reporter. The people to whom you are to report want to know : What did the preacher say? What was timely about what he said? How does what he said affect me or my group ? What solution did he offer for the problems he presented? In the light of these you must pick your material to pieces, studying as you do so to rightly decide what point or points are of most important interest and appeal. Then, as you continue to keep your audience of all classes of people before you, you plan your approach (or lead) so as to get right into their current of thought.
In general, bear in mind that you are not bound in your news report to use exactly the same expressions you may have used in your sermon. You are at liberty to put in your own language for the sake of force or clarity "what the preacher said." Do this where you can better put your thought across. At the same time feel free to make direct quotations from the speaker when this will be the most effective.
Another point I think we must recognize is that we cannot hope to be too inclusive in making newspaper reports of sermons. In other words, we may need to be satisfied if much is left unsaid, concentrating our endeavor in covering points that may stir the reader with a spark of interest to investigate beyond what the report has given.
There was a time when the writer was instructed to make his sermon lead as "startling" as possible. There isn't much these days that startles people. We do have the atom bomb, and there are opportunities to feature our atomic age, but there are many sermons that can best be introduced by a simple statement of fact that fits somehow into people's thinking. Following is an example of an easy lead that touches a sympathetic chOrd because of world conditions.
" 'This is the church's day of opportunity,' Elder W. B. Ochs, Washington, D.C., vice-president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, told 5o delegates to the annual executive committee meeting of the Inter-American Division today.
[Paragraph about the meeting.]
"Elder Ochs declared that Christian ministry needs a living connection with the power of God more than anything else today. 'When final rewards are given,' he said, 'they will not be given on a basis of position, but in answer to the question, "How did you live?" ' "
Note that this is not in any way doctrinal but of sound character, and would be read with interest by ministers of other churches and by many Christian people. As indicated, this same story covered other features of the council, including the treasurer's report, and an announcement of the evening's report by the educational secretary. A picture of Elder Ochs, morning devotional hour speaker, was also run with the story.
Here is an illustration that shows how to interpret sermons strictly prepared for Adventists. Elder Michael, in a morning study, pictured from the Bible and Spirit of prophecy the future of the advent movement, and exhorted the workers to go forward in faith believing that it is to close in mighty triumph. To get something out of such a talk in making up part of a report of the forenoon session of the council for the afternoon paper was rather difficult. But the editor was expecting current copy, and the News, with a circulation of 8o,000 would reach large numbers of people. Under a double headline, ADVENTIST SEES RELIGIOUS REVIVAL, the story came out as follows:
"Birth of a great religious movement in the world was seen here today by Elder T. J. Michael, Washington, D.C., associate secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
"He called upon delegates attending the Inter-American Division council in session in Miami to 'enlarge their vision and prepare for tasks ahead.' "For many years a missionary to India, Elder Michael said world conditions are now fulfilling Bible prophecy, and added that people are turning to the Bible for light on the future in greater numbers than ever before."
[Next paragraph refers to the business of the council.]
The news story that appeared in the Grand Rapids Press and other Michigan newspapers, featuring the Sabbath sermon by J. L. McElhany, illustrates some good points in the reporting of sermons of a more doctrinal nature,
Miss Helen Smith, of our Press Bureau staff, learned from him on Friday that he would emphasize the need of being prepared for the second coming of Christ, using Matthew 24:44 as his text. He would stress signs that the coming of Christ is near, and show by reference to use of atomic energy that the world recognizes the possibility of destruction. Other signs on which he could be quoted were also given to her. Because of the pressure of our work on that Friday afternoon, this outline was passed over to Don H. Thomas, who was voluntarily helping us. Brother Thomas, resident of Detroit, is a young man of newspaper training and experience. He wrote the story of that Sabbath service, which was published without change in the Grand Rapids Press (circulation 101,900), also in part by the Detroit News, and sent over the country by the news services.
This story is so strong in its lead, so well balanced in the use of direct quotations and indirect explanation, and so complete and clear in impressing the points of a great sermon, that we are asking you to give it careful study. A picture of the speaker accompanied the story in the Press, and it was given a double two-column headline—ADVENTISTS WARNED A-BOMB PORTENDS DESTRUCTION OF WORLD. Note how the reader is included the lead sentence. Here are the paragraphs referring to the sermon:
"In the light of present-day scientific knowledge none of us can doubt the grim possibility of impending destruction of the world, Elder J. L. McElhany, president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Washington, D.C., warned an audience of more than 2,000 persons at Adventist Sabbath day services Saturday in the Civic auditorium.
"Using as his sermon text, Matthew 24 :44, 'Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh,' Elder McElhany stressed the need for Christian living. 'From the signs all about us we know that the second coming of Christ must be soon,' he said, 'but Scripture tells us we cannot know the exact hour. For this reason we must live in a constant state of readiness for the Saviour's appearance.'
"Texts Re-examined
"The atom bomb has shed new light on several Bible texts, the speaker pointed out. 'The Bible warns us that in the judgment "all . . . things shall be dissolved," and again we read that the "heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
"'Once we accepted these texts by faith,' he asserted, 'but now we can see how easily these awesome predictions can be fulfilled through the natural laws of atomic energy.'
"The speaker stated that the moral condition of men and women, who find little time for churches, and laugh at those who do, is also clearly indicated in the Bible, and he quoted 2 Peter 3 :3, which says that 'there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'
"'As Adventists, we are here to warn the world that Christ's coming is imminent. We ourselves must be ready, and we must warn others to be ready for His appearance,' the speaker concluded."
(The subject of sermon reporting will be concluded next month.)
