Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.1UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.1UNLIKELY
Fear
0.12UNLIKELY
Joy
0.55LIKELY
Sadness
0.55LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.45UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.14UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.78LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.37UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.04UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.74LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.39UNLIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Philippians 2:5-11
Back at you
“He made himself nothing.”
The little rascal in me is tempted to toy with this sentence a little.
Like Dory taking issue with Marlin saying to Nemo his son: “I won’t let anything happen to you!” Dory says, “Well, if you won’t let anything happen to him, nothing will E-ver happen to him.”
Dory is a kid.
You know what they say about kids: “Kids say the darndest things.”
Two Wednesdays ago, I was seated across the dinner table from Dax Whitson.
At the Wallaces.
Invited us over for dinner.
“Hey Dax, wanna read the sermon scripture again this Sabbath?”
I had asked him once or twice before, you know.
But it’s been months since the last one.
Dax says, “Finally!
You haven’t asked me like fow-evow!”
Kid’s got the gift of gab, what can I say.
“O yeah?
Well, you got it, buddy!
And it’s a long one, too.
Think you can handle a long scripture reading?”
I look him in the eye thinking, “Back at you.”
And he quietly says, “Yeah.”
And keeps eating like nothing’s ever happened.
<Pause>
He emptied himself of himself
Maybe this sentence needs a preposition.
Let me see.
Gotta be careful with these preposterous prepositions.
I can never seem to get them to behave.
Let me see… Hmmm… How about into?
Would into work, Lorelie?
Lorelie teaches high school English at our school over there.
“He made himself into nothing.”
Into what?
You mean “into something,” right?
Like into a frog.
Into a prince charming.
Or into a toad?
How do you turn yourself into nothing.?
Alakazam, Alakazoo!
Puff!
I have made myself into nothing.
What’s nothing?
It’s gotta mean something.
His Majesty King James walks in and says, “Let me help you out of your conúndrum.
Here’s what nothing means.”
He “made himself of no reputation”.
"He took all the diploma, the awards—everything—down from the office wall.
He divested himself of all his titles and put on one—servant.”
Now that’s clear enough.
“But is this all, your Majesty?
I mean, don’t get me wrong.
This is serious stuff.
From God to human slave.
Serious stuff, too big for my simple mind to understand.
But I have a feeling, your Royal Highness—please don’t chop my head off—that it goes further.”
But I have a feeling, your Royal Majesty—please don’t take offense—that it does not go deep enough.
“Hey?” says King James.
“Do you have a better idea, my simple subject?”
“Well, your Majesty, I think it means...”
“He emptied himself of himself.”
King James strokes his beard and looks up as if to think deeply, and says, “Now, now, my simple-minded subject!
There is a big difference between going too deep and going crazy!”
“No, your Majesty.
Jesus emptied himself of himself so he can be totally filled by someone else.
That’s what my simple mind is thinking, your Majesty.”
“And who might that someone else be?”
“He emptied himself of himself so God the Father Himself can fill him, lead him, and empower him, your Majesty.
So that Jesus does not need to rely on himself, your Majesty.
So he can live—and die—totally for God, your Majesty.”
“But why?”
“Maybe s
“Ah, but it’s too simplistic, my simple-minded friend.”
“Maybe, your Majesty, but wouldn’t it be nice if it were true?”
“Yes, yes, it would definitely be—if it were true.”
“So is it, your Majesty?
Is it true?”
<Pause>
And so it is
And so it is.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9