As a hammer is to a carpenter, a scalpel to a surgeon, a trowel to a brick mason or a needle to a tailor—so the voice is to a preacher. Man’s voice is the primary means God uses to deliver His Word to mankind, yet how often we who are called to impart the most important truths in the world are apt to neglect, if not wilfully abuse our all-vital ‘tool of the trade’. Can there be any more pitiful sight in all nature than a God-sent preacher who is forced to be silent? We are not thinking here however of a silence brought about by pressure from ungodly sources, but that which has been enforced because of the preacher’s own negligence concerning his voice. Mike Mellor’s goal is not to produce another speech book (of which a good number can be found, usually aimed at actors or singers) but that something of our high calling as God’s spokesmen may be re-kindled and as a consequence our desire to care for the frail vehicle God has designed to convey his Word may be increased.
