Craft of Preaching

It is the first Sunday of the New Year. For most households in the Western world, Christmas lights have been put away, the tree stowed until next year or …

In his arresting Advent sermon “The Coming of Jesus in Our Midst,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer said this in response to our tendency to turn the Incarnation …

Here we are, Working Preachers,

’Tis the season. It’s not yet Christmas, though. Despite the trees with lights hung, and places with carols …

Preaching happens in a liturgical context. The Twelve Days of Christmas transition worshippers towards the Epiphany of Jesus. Epiphany is here understood …

If we are looking for models of ministry in our modern times, Mary and Elizabeth should come to mind. On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas only …

An Advent message that calls out privilege and abuse of power will likely not be popular proclamation. Especially in the season that celebrates consumerism, …

I recently came across a survey asking respondents’ attitudes toward Christmas. The vast majority of those surveyed disagreed with the sentiment that …

Merry Christmas, Dear Working Preachers.

I hope you will be forgiving of a rather personal perspective on Christmas for this week’s column. Yet, …

This January, we rush from Christmas into Epiphany, the time between too brief. We do that every year and it’s hard on me. I’m a Revised Common …

We do a Blue Christmas service every year for those coping with loss. Preaching for it is one of the profound experiences of ministry.

Blue Christmas deals …

To sing, or not to sing? At this time of year, that’s always the preacher’s (and worship planner’s) question.

You all know the argument: …

For those of us who snoozed through high school English class decades ago: A brief review of metaphors, and why we who read Scripture care about them. Bear …

A worshipping community that has been singing the gorgeous Advent hymns for the last four weeks and holding back on the Christmas hymns will find its ears …