What's wearing you down?
What keeps you going when you feel overwhelmed?
Where do you look for hope?
These are essential questions for preachers because we are likely on a roller coaster of high energy then low, sadness then laughter, grief then hope—for a long time.
If we don't know how to foster resilient hope when feeling worn down and overwhelmed, how will we help God's people?
How will we preach for our congregations that to be Christian is to be intractably hopeful, and thus, pliable to the "changes and chances of this life"?
The questions above were the subject of a conversation I had the privilege to host with three preachers last Friday:
The Rev. Eric L. Miller: Rector of Ascension & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church outside of Cincinnati
The Rev. Dina van Klaveren: Rector of St. Andrew’s in Glenwood, Maryland
The Rev. Dr. Ronald J. Williams Wells: Senior Pastor of Union Congregational Church in New York City
Each of our panelists has struggled at times to find the resilience needed in the face of such tumult, rancor, and grief.
And each has experienced surprising ways the Holy Spirit provided the resilience they needed to continue to serve faithfully in the name of Christ.
You can access the conversation in three ways:
Watch the video by clicking the triangle on the image above.
Listen to the audio file.
Download the transcript of our conversation.
We hope you find it helpful.