The “scripting” of preaching can, like a bad play, be pre-
dictable and dull. Even worse, it can be manipulative. A play is
said to be “preachy” when it uses the medium of drama to coerce
a certain (and unvarying) response. Good preaching is direct,
understandable, and dynamic, but it also has a certain quality of
open-endedness. It is evocative—it stirs and “opens up” without
substituting for the work of the Spirit.
The music portion of a service, song selection and delivery can, at times, be manipulative also. What I love most during worship are those times when one gets lost in His presence and His anointing is so powerful that everyone knows that God showed up…ie the results were clearly far and above anything those present were able to do.
Blessings.