Preaching to Insignificant Specks? Maybe. Maybe Not.
Spirituality Lisa Cressman Spirituality Lisa Cressman

Preaching to Insignificant Specks? Maybe. Maybe Not.

One event from one photo gets interpreted by two people. Those two people experience a shift in understanding. The new understanding becomes part of their backstory. Their backstory then influences their preaching.

Our backstories are always preaching. That’s what it means to be human. Are we aware of what it’s preaching?

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"Why Do You Want to Preach?"
Spirituality Lisa Cressman Spirituality Lisa Cressman

"Why Do You Want to Preach?"

If someone asked why we’re called to preach, we’d likely have a ready answer. We’re practiced in the art of the spiritual answer, abdicating the role of our “self” in arriving at ministry’s doorstep, preferring to lay responsibility at the feet of a divine, outside call. And that’s true. But perhaps not complete.

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3 Ways Your Backstory Informs Your Preaching (whether you're aware of it or not)
Spirituality Lisa Cressman Spirituality Lisa Cressman

3 Ways Your Backstory Informs Your Preaching (whether you're aware of it or not)

Maybe you want it revealed. Maybe you don't.

Regardless, it's on display in every sermon.

What am I talking about? Your backstory.

Your backstory is the story you tell in your sermons without "telling" it. It seeps into your sermons whether or not you say the word, "I." 

Your backstory is the unique mixture of your theology, childhood, DNA, education, church experience, personality, political persuasion, and so much more. It affects how you approach the Sunday's scriptures, influences your conclusions about them, and shapes your style and the purpose for which you preach.

To preach the message you intend to preach, consider these three aspects of your backstory to help you use your backstory in service to your preaching.

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