... How does he sound?

Dreadful!

(OK it should be a dog with no nose who smells dreadful, and yes, it is is sexist to have a male preacher, but...)

Glen has posted a set of Ten Commandments for preachers, which are thought provoking and, on the whole, I'd agree with.  Except No 6 "Use as few notes as possible" - unless I interpet that in the light of No 4 "be yourself," in which case my usual 'full script' is as few as possible whilst being true to myself.

Having mulled this over a little, here are my thoughts on notes, and a few commandments I'd suggest.

The best sermons I've heard have been from people who use pretty comprehensive notes.  Whilst the all time worst was scripted -and followed all the guidelines I'd ever heard for preparation - on the whole the worse sermons are those delivered with few or no notes.  I don't think this is about the rights and wrongs of notes per se, I think it is probably about some underlying issues on preparation.

In my experience, more women preachers use full scripts and more men use few or no notes (and, yes, it can look like machismo sometimes) and/or powerpoint bullet points.  Maybe there is a gendered thing going on here, reluctant though I am to suggest it.  Having said that, most of my top 5 preachers are men and they all use notes.

I'm not saying Glen's list is wrong, just that I think the 'strive for no notes' as being somehow better or superior is unhelpful.

In terms of commandments I'd say

1. Read the text(s).  Sounds obvious, but REALLY read them.  If you're clever, in the orginal langauges, if you're like me in a couple of translations, including (if you have control) the one that will be read from in church.  Too often I think I know the texts until I read them afresh.
2. Jot down what the text "says" to you before you read commentaries or outlines in Light or Roots - but do read them.  I never cease to be amazed how my response and the different things I read complement and extend each other.
3. Record your thoughts in the way that works for you - there isn't a right or wrong, but most of us are fallible enough to forget things if we don't record them.
4. Preach the sermon you need to hear - well that's what someone told me years ago anyway!  I think it means, don't think 'hmm, Mrs so-and-so should hear this...' (odds on, she won't be here this week!) but at the same time do think who the congregation is and whether or not your sermon has any relevance to them.
5. Don't be afraid to abandon it all and just speak, if that's what feels appropriate.  A handful of times in the ten years or so I've been preaching, I have stood at the front and realised what I have prepare just isn't the right thing to say - but, because I've done the work and recorded my thoughts, they are better anchored in my mind, equipping me to 'follow the Spirit's lead'

Not ten - not exhaustive - but what I find helpful.  I now have two non-preahcing weeks, which feels a bit odd, soIshallbe watching what other people do with interest.