"If I ever hear you using 'ministerial voice,'

I'm going to smack you," my BFF said one day, shortly after I had decided to begin seminary the first time.

Now, my BFF and I are more like sisters than best friends. We fuss and fight, and have no problems telling the other that she is full of malarkey. I am usually the one full of it, I think. She would probably corroborate the fact. It is good to have a friend like that. AND she is a DRE. I am sure there is more than one person would like all aspiring ministers to have a DRE as a BFF.

Anyway, listening to all the god-casts, her warning came back to me. I don't know how to describe ministerial voice, exactly. And actually, "ministerial voice" is a misnomer. Seems you rarely hear it in experienced ministers.

But I have heard it in newbies. Those experienced ministers, they can use their regular voice for sermons. Their voices don't need to ring with authority, they already possess authority.

I don't think I have ministerial voice -- not yet, anyway -- but often, I get wound up during a sermon and my inner Jesse Jackson comes out. I would do well to note the critiques Hillary recently got whilst in the South, speaking.

And if I ever start using ministerial voice ... well, I've got that DREBFF. She's got my back. Which doesn't mean she won't smack me on it.