Some open-air preachers don’t mind not having listeners, but we want the lost to hear and turn around to avoid damnation. This is why Christians should use their talents to draw a crowd to listen to the gospel.
July 8, 2019
Nothing gets the world’s attention like a funeral. So I have done many mock funerals over the years and used them to remind those who gather that they have an appointment to keep. I usually have “mourners” follow and gather around as I preach.
Back in New Zealand at one of these mini-dramas, one of the female mourners was sobbing just before I was due to speak. She had gone to the local Salvation Army store and purchased black clothes, a black hat and a black veil. I was supposed to be a sober-faced priest (I did have minister’s credentials at the time), and this young lady was over-doing her part. Her sobs were so loud I could feel laughter welling up inside me, and I knew that if I didn’t do something real quick I was going to burst out laughing and wreck the funeral.
So I slowly walked across to her in front of the large crowd, put my comforting hand on her heaving shoulder, leaned forward and gently whispered “Shut up.” It was a funny moment.
But on a more serious note, may I encourage you to do this? All it takes is a lot of love and a little boldness. You just do it as you would a real funeral and thoroughly preach the gospel as you do so. Pictured is one we did at Huntington Beach some time ago.