Introduction: It would be difficult to overstate the impact and influence of the Book of Psalms on the history of Israel, and on the subsequent history of the Christian church. As Luther once said, the Psalms are a “Bible in miniature,” and the way the Psalms are given to us, they are as constructive as …
The Politics of Sodomy II: Not Whether, But Which
Introduction: In many respects, we are like a man who lives in a house that is increasingly cluttered and trashed. When the day finally arrives when it becomes obvious that he must do something, it is equally obvious at the same time, that he has no idea what to do, or where to start. He …
What a Herald Does
“Without hearing that Word, preaching has nothing to say. Otherwise preaching is but a blasphemous attempt to speak in the place of God rather than to speak for God” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 21).
Getting to the Point
“Rhetoric is persuasive communication in the service of Truth which should create an informed appetite for the Good” (Overstreet, Persuasive Preaching, p. 13)
What Preaching Is
“As Bullinger asserts in the Second Helvetic Confession, ‘The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God.’ This is an astounding claim to make for the speaking of mere mortals like us preachers and for the hearing of mere mortals like our congregation” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 16).
Untimely Born
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #177 “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted …
Word Before World
“In the Bible, word precedes world . . . Word precedes world. Words do not arise from things, but rather things are evoked by the Word. Word precedes all things” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 12).
How Poetry Makes
“The prophets of Israel were poets who were preachers, preachers who were poets. They deconstructed old worlds and envisioned new worlds, with some of the pushiest, poetic, figurative, and powerful speech ever uttered, all on the basis of nothing but words” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 11).
And Start With “The Clicking of Cuthbert.” Aloud.
“And preachers inclined to be lugubrious ought by all means to read in private some humorous selections, in order to maintain the equilibrium” (Broadus, Preparation and Delivery, p. 481).
Surveying the Text: Job
Introduction: This book is widely regarded as a masterpiece of human literature, even by non-believers, and yet this high regard is not always accompanied by a high level of understanding. This is a very great book, and like many great things, our natural tendency is to get it down to a more understandable level, where …