The Preacher as Tour Guide
When I was in college, I took an involuntary vow of poverty and majored in history. One of my internships was working as a historical interpreter at Gettysburg National Military Park, site of the great Civil War battle in 1863. Every day of the summer, I gave a 90-minute walking tour of different parts of…
Read MoreDoctrinal Statements: Do We Need Them?
Recently, I visited over coffee with a pastor I had never met. I had anticipated the meeting eagerly. He was, after all, a recent arrival in the community, and I believed we might have a good, collegial relationship. I still hope for this. He asked a lot of questions about cultural, political and doctrinal matters.…
Read MoreThe Competent Pastor – Interview with Ron Sisk
This interview was from the September-October 2006 Issue of Homiletics Ron Sisk was raised Southern Baptist in Arkansas. He was educated at the University of Arkansas, New York University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Ph.D.is in Christian Ethics and Church History. He moved his affiliation to the American Baptists in 1996. Ron served…
Read MoreWhen to Shut Up
As preachers, we spend most of our time trafficking in words. We’re constantly thinking about the words we’re going to speak to a congregation each week, which also means studying the Word of God in the words of the Scriptures. Then we deliver those words and receive the words of encouragement (or rebuke) from the…
Read MoreDesigning for Joy
Joy is a hot topic right now. I base this conclusion on my extensive research — two books I read recently. They are: Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans (Knopf, 2017), and Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and…
Read MoreBeing Christian in the 21st Century – Interview with Marcus Borg
This interview was from the July-August 2006 Issue of Homiletics Marcus J. Borg holds the Hundere Chair in Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University. Internationally known in both academic and church circles as a biblical and Jesus scholar, he is the author of 12 books including Jesus: A New Vision (1987) and…
Read MoreAdam and Eve Day
One of the most arduous tasks of the Christmas season at the Kaylor household is the annual assembly of the Christmas tree. We have had the same artificial tree for the last 22 years. We bought the tree because of my allergies. Now that it has 22 years of holiday dust on it, it’s probably…
Read MoreI See Dead People
“I see dead people.” —Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), The Sixth Sense (1999) The church calendar has two three-day seasons, if you can call them that. I don’t know what to call them, actually. Three successive days in which something really holy and mysterious is going on — that’s all I know. The first is Good…
Read MoreThe Middle East: The Absence of Hope – Interview with Imam Ibrahim Kazerooni
This interview was from the May-June 2005 Issue of Homiletics Imam Ibrahim Kazerooni, 45, was born in Al-Najaf, Iraq, into a religious family and began his theological studies in that city when he was very young. As a Shiite Islamic priest, or imam, he emerged as an Iraqi dissident and was imprisoned repeatedly under Saddam…
Read MoreThe Cutting Room Floor
So, you’ve just finished writing an epic sermon that is sure to cause your congregation not only to be overwhelmed by the Spirit, but also to marvel at your stunning command of biblical exegesis and the brilliance of your powerful illustrations. This one is definitely a home run — a grand slam, even. Problem is…
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