To be charitable, such proponents are confusing emotionalism with emotion. While no one wants to see teary-eyed Jimmy Swaggarts manipulating their audiences from the pulpit, neither do we want to hear a spiritless voice that sounds like it came from a Garmin or Tom-Tom GPS. By speaking in such a monotone, the preacher may be avoiding emotionalism, but he is communicating complete boredom and disinterest. And when he reads the lessons in that same spiritless monotone, he is failing to do his job. Interpretation is part of the preacher's task. If any dare read John's scathing words, “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” or Jesus', “Woe to you scribes and pharisees,” or Paul's, “I am astonished that you have so quickly deserted the Gospel” as though reading a list of ingredients on a carton of ice cream, he is miscommunicating and certainly misinterpreting the Word of Life. If the mob cried, “Crucify, crucify” with as little conviction as is conveyed by these preachers, one would have to wonder why Pilate listened to them at all! Now I'm not advocating that the reading of the lessons becomes a reader's theater of sorts, but the way some read, one would have a hard time trying to convince people that this is the greatest story every told.

As for the notion of “getting out of the way” and letting the Word work without any human help, one ought to test that notion very carefully. For when one examines the form and structure of St Paul's letters, he finds more than one nod to the rhetorician's style. Unless we make St Paul a two-face, employing these rhetorical devices did not seem to him to be among those “cunning” and “underhanded” ways of presenting the Gospel which he claimed to have rejected. These things were not manipulations. They were flourishes that were treats to the ear and helped drive home the points which he wished to make.

To look at it from another perspective, do you understand why the Scriptures encourage believers to both Word and deed? If a shameful life can bring discredit on the Gospel, surely a flat, emotionless style can impact the proclaimed Word negatively as well. Read the Scriptures publicly in a way that interprets what is written. Preach the Gospel with honest conviction. God will be glorified.