“Rhetoric is persuasive communication in the service of Truth which should create an informed appetite for the Good” (Overstreet, Persuasive Preaching, p. 13)
Lord of the Slippery Roads
We all enjoy talking about the sovereignty of God, and sometimes we even enjoy it too much when we are talking with those brothers who happen to disagree with us on it. But how much do we believe it? How strongly do we believe it? “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of …
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 …
The Politics of Sodomy I: The Real Sin of Sodom
Introduction: What could possibly be meant by the phrase, “the real sin of Sodom?” Isn’t it obvious? The sin of homosexual behavior draws its name from Sodom. What could be more obvious? And shouldn’t we be suspicious of any attempt to draw our attention elsewhere? As always, the answer to such questions is, “It depends.” …
Why Build?
Why have a church building? What is the point? What are we trying to do with it? The first reason is one that sanctuaries share with all buildings whatever. That reason is the wind, snow, rain, and so on. God has put us in a world where we require shelter in order to do the …