God grant us serenity
The Serenity Prayer brings us into the present; reframes our worries, angst, and stress; right-sizes our power; and returns us to the grace of God that can help us in this moment.
I offer it this Election Day in the United States as a spiritual practice for preachers this week—and to spark inspiration for preaching this Sunday.
Ditch Fear. Seed hope.
Due to the sheer repetition of circling our gaze between nails, soldiers, and oppressor, our fear mushrooms until we believe that death is stronger than God. Jesus himself is always there to remind us of the truth, but there is another figure we can look to as a guide in restoring our faith in God alone: Mary Magdalene.
Fostering Dialogue across the Political Divide (A Guest Post)
How can we preach on “hot topics” in a way that invites dialogue rather than driving a wedge into the red-blue divides of our congregations?
How to Preach Holy Resilience Under Stress
Resilience is the ability to endure pressure or hardship and retain (or regain) your original form. As Christians, this means the ability to endure stress and continue exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—no matter the circumstances.
How do we create fertile soil for the Spirit’s mysterious work? The Scripture offers a wealth of resources for preaching into our present struggles to foster holy resilience.
Is your sermon doing its intended job? 3 steps to achieve your purpose
Is your sermon achieving its purpose, and how do you know? What can you do to craft more effective sermons of any genre? Apply these three steps to grow your preaching skill immediately.
Experience First, Express Second: Making Theology Understood in Preaching
Not until we see, hear, touch, and feel the emotions of an idea do they take up residence in our spirits and do their work of transformation. This is the power of movies and tv shows and books and Ted Talks. They help us experience abstract concepts so we feel and therefore understand their meaning. Strong sermons do the same. They assume unfamiliarity so no understanding is taken for granted. And then they bring a concept to life.
What's Offensive? Preaching in the Language of Dignity
It might feel like we can’t say anything without offending someone. You’re right. Language evolves and therefore so does what is deemed offensive. To preach the dignity of every human being, we need to keep up with the changes in language so that in our sermons and writings, we are honoring and seeing our neighbors. Because when a person’s experiences, preferences, and identity are dismissed, they are rendered invisible. And that is offensive.
The "Bento Box" Preaching Prep Approach (or how I learned to embrace an ideal schedule)
What I’m beginning to discover is that thinking of my schedule as a “bento box” is decreasing stress because the decisions about what to do next are pretty much already made. Instead of feeling emotionally claustrophobic, it actually feels kind of safe. Kind of cozy when things fit juuuuust right. Most of all, thinking of my schedule like a bento box helps me visualize whether something will fit.
For the Love of Preaching: Make it playful work!
The vast majority of preachers I work with, including me!, would say their favorite part of sermon prep is exegesis. It’s likely the “new” aspect that’s actually at the root of why we enjoy exegesis. Every time we discover something new, our brains push out a little dopamine and we feel that rush of satisfaction. However, when we run out of “new” because we’ve read the same Scripture verses, footnotes and commentaries over and over, well, uh-oh. But we can infuse newness into every stage of sermon prep, and that’s the key to creating work that feels like play.
The Key to Overcoming "Preacher's Block"
When ideas elude us and the page stares blankly, we may worry we're stuck. Discover the two roots of "preacher's block," and learn the simple key to overcoming that feeling of having nothing to say.
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I participated in the Lectio study today with a complicated and double-speak Gospel (John 17:6-19) and WOW! I received so much great insight and am headed in a direction I feel really good about. Thank you to all my colleagues! If you are wondering if this is worth it, wonder no more. It is.
—Donna G.
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The Gospel People Don't Want to Hear: Preaching Challenging Messages was written to aid preacher’s in understanding what’s at stake for their listeners so they can craft sermons their audience can receive, even if they challenge cherished beliefs.
I just have to say WOW. I'm so grateful that I made the investment and joined The Collective. These Thursday [workshops] are a game-changer for me.
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