Craft of Preaching

Women laying hands on woman wearing green shirt.
Dear Working Preacher
But I Say to You

“You have heard it said … but I say to you” is a homiletic all its own. [...]

Neon sign:
Sermon Development
Stories We Tell One Another

I recently finished work on an MFA in Creative Writing—that is, I graduated with a [...]

Woman singing to a crowd
Dear Working Preacher
Prophetic Singing

During the deadly blizzards in Buffalo last December, one man whose life was in peril from the [...]

Man standing on shattered highway after earthquake
Dear Working Preacher
How Not to Be Shaken

To have this week’s texts before me, it might seem an odd choice to write on the [...]

Colorful bowls in marketplace in Jerusalem
Sermon Development
First Words: What the Beatitudes Tell Us about Jesus as a Preacher

“Guess what the first words [...]

The Isenheim Altarpiece depicts John the Baptist pointing at the crucified Christ.
Dear Working Preacher
Good News Delivers Us

Dear Working Preacher, A belated and blessed New Year and Epiphany to you. And thank you for [...]

Blue glass heart on pink background
Dear Working Preacher
Beloved of God

To be truly and deeply loved is perhaps the most profound experience that all people long for, [...]

Woman with hat watches birds fly in blue sky
Dear Working Preacher
Watch What Happens

When Christians ponder the last leg of Advent and the arrival at Christmas, generally it’s Luke’s time [...]

pocketwatch hanging in front of leaf-strewn walk
Dear Working Preacher
Advent Perception

What makes biblical preaching so powerful (and sometimes so controversial) is its capacity to reconfigure a congregation’s [...]

Neon sign of word
Dear Working Preacher
Advent Preparation

Too often John the Baptist is treated like a problem to solve. Preachers feel pressure to apologize [...]