Preaching

The art of preaching is an ever evolving quest in communication. One is always learning and assimilating new things in the effort to communicate more effectively. Over time I have developed the ability to preach in a variety of styles: preaching from a manuscript, preaching from notes, and preaching extemporaneously, or "jazz" preaching, as I like to call it. I also specialize in storytelling, and so stories always wind their way through sermons. Some sermons are even entire narratives. I also have a background in theater, and so draw from the storehouse of dramatic expression in developing a sense of flow. While I take sermon writing very seriously, I use a liberal dose of humor drawn from everyday life in the service of developing a rapport with listeners. The range of sermonic material bridges the pastoral and the prophetic, the personal and the communal, and the celebration and exploration of ideas with the poignancy of the human condition. I draw from a variety of sources including sacred texts of many traditions, songs, movies, television, contemporary fiction and non-fiction as well as the classics, poetry, and drama. Sermons are often interspersed with video clips, and I've even been known to invite conversation among and with congregants in the midst of the sermon. Please check out the Sermons blog and click on the links to get a sampling of the sermons from recent years.

The Many Faces of Preaching: