A Creation Care Preaching Guide to Lent (A Guest Post)
Earth-keeping is found in every corner of the Bible. Each Sunday the scripture readings feed our abilities to envision living harmoniously with the rest of creation in all its forms. The RCL passages during Lent, for example, give us images that are windows into healthy and whole living.
Lenten Quotations for Preaching and Reflection (Free Download)
Curated for your inspiration, this collection of quotations about Lent can be used to guide your sermon development or to spark personal reflection. Download yours for free here.
Uncovering Our Theological DNA: A Review of “Preaching the Manifold Grace of God”
As with any aspect of our backstory, the more we're aware of the ideas, events, and beliefs that shape us, the less prone we are to fall prey to blindspots, biases, and unexamined perspectives. These books make the job of theological self-examination and awareness much easier.
Should Preachers use AI to Write Their Sermons? An ArtificIal Intelligence (AI) Primer & Discussion of the Moral Maze
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now widely available and prompting mass conversation about its implications for education, business, tech, and yes, preaching. In all fields, the question begged is: where does the ability of AI end and the need for human thought, analysis, and empathy begin? Head to the blog to read a sermon written by AI and consider where AI could or should be used in preaching—or not.
Preaching for Impact: How Understanding Personality Can Help Your Sermons Connect (A Guest Post)
“Each weekend, our churches gather, bringing with them a beautiful mixture of varied experiences, insights, struggles, gifts, tensions, and reactions to the world, which we call ‘personality’… Personality is our strategy to survive and thrive in the world. It is the wise preacher who spends her time learning as much as she can about the nature of personality and learning to speak to the beautiful variety present in the pew. After all, there is no way to guide hearers into a new vision for their place in God’s Kingdom and mission without meeting them, not just where they are, but in who they are.”
Revitalizing Your Ministry: How the Wheel of Life Can Help Preachers Thrive in Their Work (A Guest Post)
If you were thriving in your preaching life, how would you know? I define thriving as feeling a sense of vitality, confidence and peace despite whatever might be swirling around me. And that means bringing life into balance so that ministry does not swallow up the other meaningful and necessary elements of a vibrant existence. The Wheel of Life helps us quickly diagnose where life may be out of balance so we can make conscious choices to shift our attention and energy for a thriving ministry AND preacher.
The Power of Reflection: How Preachers can use 2022 as a Springboard for Growth and Joy in 2023
2022 is over, but the year behind us offers rich insights to nourish the year ahead. In today’s blog, we offer a simple, 3-question examen you can conduct for the three components of your preaching life—process, craft, and spirituality—and invite you to make use of those insights for a more effective and joyful ministry in the year ahead.
At-Home Christmas Retreat for Preachers (2022)
Merry (Early!) Christmas! After tending to everyone else's spiritual and celebratory needs, it will finally be your turn! Inside is your free, downloadable, at-home Christmas Retreat to rest, reflect, and renew your spirit.
When the Mystery is Magnified: the Gospel and the Microscope (A Guest Post)
“The main thing I remember about the microscope was the mystery of how changing the magnification could make the object I was looking at appear completely different, even though it was the same leaf or seed or bark or flower.” The same is true when we examine the biblical narratives. We can use three different lenses to understand our lives as followers of Jesus.
Christmas Quotes for Reflection and Preaching
The Advent season is filled with preparation, talk, and often the stress of gift-giving for Christmas, so this year’s collection of Christmas quotes focuses on gifts, and THE gift of Emmanuel that puts all other gifts into perspective.