A Preacher's Meditation for Wednesday of Holy Week
"One only has explored
’The deepmost; but he did not die of it."
A Preacher's Meditation for Tuesday of Holy Week
"The women gather round the cross, fall to their knees in the wet sand and pray. Then they dance round the cross, the symbol of this folly. These women have lost everything—their homes, their families, their jobs and their possessions. They have nothing more to lose—only their chains, but everything to win."
A Preacher's Meditation for Monday of Holy Week
"God of goodness give me yourself for you are sufficient for me. I cannot properly ask anything less, to be worthy of you. If I were to ask less, I should always be in want. In you alone do I have all."
A Gift for Preachers as You Prepare Your Easter Sermons
In these busy weeks as you plan liturgies and craft sermons, we hope you'll steal a few minutes for yourself to savor this free collection of Easter quotations—not only to enliven your preaching imagination but as balm for your own spirit. We pray this rich collection of Easter wisdom, humor, and insight helps you remember the Resurrection is for preachers, too.
Four Ways a Preaching Community Improves Your Sermons
One of the most effective ways for preachers to grow and improve is to participate in a collaborative community. Discover how one church builds collaboration and feedback into their staff's weekly rhythm, and see what this kind of support can do for you.
A Ninth Grader's Open Letter to Preachers after the Florida Shootings
How will we address Abram and others like him in our sermons? How will we preach in and out of the pulpit so that our actions are congruent with our words? How will we build Shalom in a way that young people see and trust in God's resurrecting work?
Five Novel Ways To Preach the Great Fast of Lent
Fasting helps us discover what we believe we can't live without...all of which we can live without because God alone is the source of our life and breath, our contentment and joy.
Abstaining from food is the most common form of fasting, and I commend it. However, we might consider these five other forms of fasting for our personal disciplines and sermon messages.
The Transfiguration Again? 10 Ways to See an Old Story with Fresh Eyes
When you've preached the same story several times, finding fresh inspiration is a challenge. Sometimes, a simple shift in perspective—and process—reveals a trove of new ideas.
Eight Ways Thinking like a Coach Can Improve Your Sermon
Adults learn differently than children, and that means putting different principles to work. There's even a word for teaching adults: "andragogy" (as opposed to pedagogy).
The coaching relationship may best capture the nuance of these distinctions. You can learn to think like a coach with these take-aways from the article "Transformative Learning: Another Perspective On Adult Learning" by Connie Malamed.
How to Reach Hearts on Both Sides of an Issue
Not since the Civil Rights era have preachers been so called upon to discern and proclaim what it means to follow Jesus Christ and love one’s neighbor as oneself.
With so many competing viewpoints, so many people unwilling to dialogue, and so much fear driving people apart, how can preachers proclaim the dignity of every human being in a way it can be heard by people on both sides of the divide?