The prolific Will Willimon has produced a monograph based on a series of lectures about preaching. In this excerpt he points out the freedom of a preacher who serves the word, and how that service meets the true needs of the congregation far better than the congregations’ own perceptions of what they need from a …
I’ve adopted a statement in my funerals for church members that they “have departed from the church visible and joined the church eternal”. Last Sunday some churches observe a day named All Saints Day, which at its best is a time when the church visible fully acknowledges that the departure from the church visible to …
It is counter-productive for disciples of Jesus to buy into our society’s capacity to alleviate physical or psychological suffering to the extent that we also accept its preoccupation with the concept that all suffering is meaningless and can be avoided by careful management. To buy into that belief is to move from a gospel of …
Preaching can be marginalised as a monologue. In pastoral ministry the sermon is part of an ongoing dialogue – the pastor hears the congregation throughout the week (and over time) and hears God’s Word; speaking in response as an ongoing dialogue. The challenge of the authority which attaches itself to pastoral office is not to …
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