A Homiletician, a Theologian, and a Biblical Scholar Walk into a Bar.... (A Guest Post)
Dr. Leah Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky and an ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for more than twenty years. She is the author of five books on preaching, environmental issues, and political polarization. She will serve as the President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024.
Leah Schade, Emily Askew, and Jerry Sumney wrote the first book for preachers co-authored by a homiletician, theologian, and NT scholar (respectively): Introduction to Preaching*. Although their book is titled as an introduction, all preachers will gain from its practical wisdom.
Dr. Schade will be speaking to The Collective+ on May 11, 2023.
Well, we never actually walked into a bar.
Unless you consider the break room at the seminary where we teach to be our local watering hole.
The three of us—a homiletician (Rev. Dr. Leah Schade), a biblical scholar (Dr. Jerry Sumney), and a theologian (Dr. Emily Askew)—have taught at the same seminary and developed a method for teaching exegesis, theology, and sermon preparation over many years in consultation and collaboration with each other.
Together we’ve written a textbook called Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation* that introduces the “Central Question—Central Claim—Central Purpose” method, which is designed to give preachers a way to organize their sermon preparation in a step-by-step process.
The book gives readers practice in everything from biblical interpretation and theological analysis to writing the Central Statements to cultivating creativity and structuring their sermons.
Along the way, we give guidance for using appropriate sermon forms, imagery, metaphors, and performance basics to deliver contextually relevant sermons using one’s body and voice with presence and authenticity.
One of the things we’ve learned is how important it is for our three disciplines to be working with each other as we prepare preachers to engage God’s word, make solid theological claims about that word, and create compelling sermons that engage listeners and make a difference in the world.
A Preacher’s Circle of Trust
How about you?
Who are your conversation partners when you are preparing for your sermons?
Who do you take with you to the proverbial watering hole for preaching?
Every preacher should have a “circle of trust” that they take to their “sermon watering hole.”
They should be people you know you can rely on to help you encounter the Bible in a responsible way in order to say something meaningful about who God is and what God is doing in the world.
People who spark ideas for crafting a sermon that will hook your listeners, help them follow you, and give them a reason to say “amen!”
Here are three suggestions for expanding your “circle of trust” in sermon preparation.
Covenant with a “preaching buddy” to Rotate the various sermon Prep tasks
Partner with a trusted colleague or two and covenant with each other for a season on sermon preparation.
Take turns doing the prep work for the sermon.
One week one person does the deep dives into biblical commentaries while the other gathers creative ideas, stories, or images that help the sermon come alive for listeners.
Then switch roles to keep things fresh.
Meet weekly with your buddy and “woodshed” on your respective sermons, giving feedback and helpful suggestions along the way.
Covenant with a sermon preparation group in your congregation for ideas from your context
Before preaching the sermon, you can use a method of engaging the biblical text developed by John S. McClure called “the round-table pulpit.”
In this method, the preacher meets with a group of parishioners to study and discuss the passage with the idea that the wisdom and experiences of the congregation can and should inform the sermon.
This collaborative approach is reflected in the sermon by the use of certain rhetorical techniques that enable the whole congregation to experience the participatory and community-building nature of the dialogue.
As McClure puts it, such an approach “implies that members of the community of the Word decide on ways to stand with and for one another by claiming tentative directions of thought and action as God’s Word” (John S. McClure, The Round-table Pulpit: Where Leadership & Preaching Meet, Nashville: Abingdon, 1995, 24).
Seek out a preaching coach for growth
Once seminary students move on from their schools, they rarely get the kind of in-depth feedback on their sermons that they received from their preaching professors.
Contracting with a preaching coach can up your game in terms of getting quality critiques, thinking through different sermon forms, and being introduced to resources that can improve your proclamation.
Even experienced preachers can benefit from coaching in order to revitalize their sermons and avoid getting into a rut.
Seek out coaches whose sermons and teaching excite you and who will push you to grow.
You will need to pay for this level of coaching, but this would be an ideal way to use continuing education funds (for those whose congregations provide that level of support).
Backstory Preaching’s “Preaching Mentorship Program” offers this kind of one-on-one coaching along with small groups, master classes, and online collaboration.
(Learn more here.)
Collegial Modeling
Jerry, Emily, and I hope that our book models a cooperative and collegial approach to preaching.
In every chapter, you’ll find exercises that you can do on your own, or with a preaching partner, sermon prep group, preaching colleagues, or with your preaching mentor.
Even if you are an experienced preacher who learned other methods of sermon preparation, you’ll find ideas in this book to add to your “homiletical toolbox.”
Remember that there is no “right way” to engage in sermon preparation because it isn’t always a linear task.
Over time your process will change and evolve as you become more adept at preaching.
We hope that the tools we provide in Introduction to Preaching will serve you well as you develop your preaching skills throughout your ministry.
And we encourage you to create your preaching “circle of trust” and visit your “sermon watering hole” regularly!
Rowman & Littlefield is offering a limited-time 30% discount on
Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation.
Enter the code RLFANDF30 at checkout.