Racism and Segregated Sundays: What We Need to Talk About (A Guest Post)
"The most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. offered this tragic insight decades ago.
Not much has changed since.
How did we get here? Why do we stay here?
Flat-out racism is a cause, to be sure.
But racism is not the only cause.
This guest post by Backstory Preaching mentor, the Rev. Dr. Melinda Quivik, raises questions helpful to the conversation about how we address our segregated Sundays.
Preaching Change? Remind us who we are.
Perhaps there is no greater reason we fear changing our minds than this one: it causes us to question our character, the very definition we have of our “selves.” When we suggest during a sermon that change is needed, the listener hears that that they are not as good as they see themselves. Whether we intend it or not, they hear that we as the preacher—and by extension, God—see their character as lacking. How do we preach change without suggesting a character assassination?
The nuts and bolts of holy creativity: Two sources inspiring my creative life right now (a guest post)
“I love reading to and listening to other creatives talk about their craft and process. Their perspectives not only provide practical tools and advice for my own work, they help me feel less alone in this strange space of creation. They help me believe the invisible work I do matters. These two gems offer insight on revision, inspiration, and getting to a finished sermon/story/script/etc. that is greater than the sum of its original concepts and drafts.”
From Chaos to Clarity: Simplifying Sermon Note Management for Seamless Sermon Writing
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been through this scenario: too much time flies out the window searching and searching for a particular note or reference I know would be perfect for a sermon. I know “it” is there somewhere, but I can’t find it—or when I do mange to track it down, I don’t understand what I meant at the time I recorded it. It all adds up to a lot of frustration and wasted possibilities.
After some big changes the last couple years, however, I spend far less time and feel far less frustrated accessing my notes than I used to. I’ve spent the last few years learning how to take notes that allow me to read, mark, learn, inwardly digest—and retrieve and apply what I learn. Here are two key strategies to help you do the same.
Acts 2 Versus The Tower of Babel: The Key to Crafting a Sermon Your Listeners Understand
Just as the backstory of preachers’ lives profoundly influences the way we interpret Scripture, discern a message, and deliver our sermons, the backstories of each listener and the congregation as a whole are influential in what they hear. One skill can help us connect our sermon message to our listeners’ context and existing knowledge so they can receive the sermon the Spirit intends for them.
From Insecurity to Impact: Embracing your genuine preaching voice
God. Called. You. To this congregation. At this time. Do you trust that call? Enough to trust your own voice?
The Change Puzzle: Cracking the Code to Sustained Transformation
If change were easy, we’d all be doing it.
The Power of Purpose: Setting Effective Goals through Value-Driven Intentions
Goals in and of themselves do not produce fulfillment. Intentions, however, do—because they are rooted in our values.
The 3 Steps You're Missing When Planning Anything—Including Sermon Prep
When we envision ourselves undertaking tasks under the “worst”—or, ahem!—realistic circumstances, we’re far more likely to get closer to reality. Sermon prep is no different. Consider these three strategies to bring your idealistic expectations in line with the realities of life.
A Homiletician, a Theologian, and a Biblical Scholar Walk into a Bar.... (A Guest Post)
From Dr. Leah Schade’s guest post: “Every preacher should have a ‘circle of trust’ that they take to their ‘sermon watering hole.’ The circle should include 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.”
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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.
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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.
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