WorkingPreacher.org Preaching Moments

Go to www.WorkingPreacher.org/app to download the Working Preacher app for your mobile device. You'll find:• Weekly commentaries on the Revised Common Lectionary texts• Discussion questions for each week’s RCL readings• Narrative Lectionary commentaries• Scripture readings from read more...

Final in a four-part series of videos on how to embody Scripture in worship In this fourth video, Sam Bardwell demonstrates how to proclaim Scripture in a full-throated, soulful way.In this exercise, Bardwell delivers the alternate psalm for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Luke 1:46-55) using only the read more...

Third in a four-part series of videos on how to embody Scripture in worship In the third video, Sam Bardwell demonstrates how to proclaim Scripture with strength that comes not from the reader, but from God.In this exercise, Bardwell delivers the psalm for the Third Sunday of Advent (Isaiah 12:2-6) read more...

Second in a four-part series of videos on how to embody Scripture in worship In the second video, Sam Bardwell demonstrates how to proclaim Scripture from the heart.After a brief introduction, Bardwell delivers the epistle for the Second Sunday of Advent (Philippians 1:3-11) after reciting the passage read more...

First in a four-part series of videos on how to embody Scripture in worship In this 10-minute video, Sam Bardwell demonstrates how to read Bible passages in Advent effectively, so that not one word is lost.After a brief introduction, Bardwell delivers the psalm for First Sunday of Advent (Psalm 25) twice: read more...

  Otis Moss III reflects on ways to preach to different generations within the same congregation. The preacher, according to Moss, is a prophetic clarifier who can best communicate with those audiences if he or she is also a student of the culture. Otis Moss, III will be speaking and preaching read more...

Yvette Flunder reflects on the current state of Christianity in the US and sees in it a moment of reformation being worked by the Spirit. "What we are lamenting about -- what we're calling, essentially, hemorrhaging from mainline church -- is the stuff of reformation." read more...

Luke Powery explores the way that text and context relate in the sermon, advocating for fusing the biblical world and our world without judgment. "When it comes to the judgment that a preacher could pass down on the things that are happening in culture, that's where I think there are some possible dead read more...

Anthony Bailey explores the many different factors that influence the hearers of a sermon and the way a sermon is held accountable to those factors. "Being accountable in our preaching is attending to what is necessary to enliven, embolden, challenge, heal, bless, and maybe even sometimes coerce, the read more...

Luke Powery expounds on the problem of using the language and models of business to characterize the ministry of the church. "No one went to seminary to learn how to run a meeting ...  We came to seminary to learn about ministry, to serve God's people, to get connected to what God's doing in the read more...

Luke Powery argues that a limited imagination of who God is and what God can do limits the ministry of the church and its vision for the future. "If we are a resurrection people, an Easter people, anything is possible.  Just like the open grave, the future is not closed, it's open." read more...

Lauren Winner shares her thought process on using personal stories in the pulpit and relates the craft of preaching to communal prayer. "Each year, preaching seems to reveal itself more to be prayer for and with my congregation." read more...

Yvette Flunder describes how she selects texts for her sermons, beginning with the situations of her hearers and moving to the biblical witness. "Oftentimes the last place I go to finish up the sermon is the text, because I'm going to be looking for a witness from one of the Bible writers." read more...

Anthony Bailey explains how the words of our worship often have unintended negative implications and argues that liturgical language must be critiqued by the whole community in order to worship faithfully. "We need the community because there are no experts who are devoid of blind spots; we need the read more...

Luke Powery discusses when a text moves the preacher to preach counter-culturally and the tension involved in that undertaking. "How does one preach against the powers when one is propped up by the powers?  And I think I just live in that tension." read more...

Yvette Flunder describes how the preacher and the hearers are united together by the Spirit in the experience of the preached word. "We may not be holding hands in the literal sense, but we're holding hearts." read more...

Yvette Flunder reflects on the central place of the preached word within the worship service and describes the "circle-dance" of interaction between the preacher and the hearers. "I believe that in a worship experience, the worship leads up to and away from the preached word." read more...

Luke Powery advocates for the necessity of preaching lament and discusses how to accomplish this within the sermon. "One can name the trouble in the world, but that's not the same as lamenting it in the sermonic moment." read more...

Anthony Bailey shares his process for deciding when and how to include personal stories in his sermons. "I always have to ask: Is this sermon more about God or me? The Gospel or my thoughts?"   read more...

Lauren Winner emphasizes the importance of preaching the Old Testament and recommends Ellen Davis's Getting Involved with God as a resource to aid the preacher in this task. "I think that almost none of us, myself included, preach from the Hebrew Bible enough." read more...

Anthony Bailey relates his experience with creating a culture where honest feedback is appreciated and given and tells a story of a sermon illustration that provoked both positive and negative feedback. "It is creating a non-defensive vulnerable posture that signals to people it's OK to say what you read more...

Luke Powery explores what it is like to preach to someone whose dreams have died and how the community works to open that person up to God's dream for them. "God's dream [for the world] is never dead ...  It lives on and ultimately we have the cosmic redemption of all of creation." read more...

Yvette Flunder shares the need of the preacher to pay attention to the context and listen for the inspirational "hook" that comes from God. "I want to hear from the Spirit: 'What is the need right now? What are you saying?'" read more...

Eric Elnes reflects on the place of the sermon in the context of the worship service and explores worship's purpose of opening people up to the Spirit. "Worship is really about opening ourselves up to the Spirit of the Living God in whatever way we can." read more...

Lauren Winner reflects on preaching the various days dedicated to saints and encourages preachers to use them as opportunities for the listeners to interpret God's activity in their own lives. "The action of God does not stop when the scriptures stop; God is active today and we're learning to interpret read more...

Anthony Bailey shares how he seeks inspiration in day to day life when he is having difficulty hearing from a text. "I believe there's something about the nobility of the human spirit and about God's image created in us that yearns, longs for something more of deep significance." read more...

Luke Powery advocates for the necessity of imagination for living into God's future for us. "Without an imagination, we probably couldn't have any hope." read more...

Yvette Flunder advocates for transparency and authenticity in the pulpit by encouraging preachers to draw from their personal experiences and vulnerabilities in their sermons. "The truth is, I am who I am because of my experiences.  And I say, like Paul, by the grace of God I am who I am, and who read more...

Luke Powery points out the story of the Gerasene Demoniac and the ending of Mark as moments of opportunity for preaching the Gospel of Mark. "[The shorter ending of Mark] is so open-ended that we recognize that the story ends with us, that we have to go and proclaim this resurrection." read more...

Lauren Winner discusses the preacher's presence in the pulpit and invites preachers to exercise their own voice and authority when preaching. "Finally, there's no way to be in the pulpit other than as yourself the interpreter." read more...

Eric Elnes shares his understanding of the place of the sermon in the worship service and advocates for broadening the focus of worship from the sermon to the entire worship service. "As a preacher, I see my role more as an interpretive guide than a lecturer." read more...

Anthony Bailey advocates for the recovery of a biblical view of darkness as the place in which we are most vulnerable and available to the work of God in us. "To step into the darkness means one loses one's control, one surrenders control ... You are at the mercy of God and it is there that God will read more...

Yvette Flunder argues for the necessity of being authentic in preaching into contentious situations and the importance of trusting God in those times. "There are times when you have to stand in a truth, stand  in an emotion, and trust God for the outcomes." read more...

Anthony Bailey emphasizes the importance of paying attention, weaving elements of everyday life into the texts to create a sermon that speaks from a particular context. "You know what? God is good, and the Spirit of God can make a beautiful buffet out of our most broken message," said Bailey. read more...

Richard Jensen talks about the "indwelling" nature of preaching and proclamation. "I just think we have not been radical enough in [our understanding of] what God intends to do with us," said Jensen. read more...

Paul Scott Wilson makes the distinction between teaching and proclamation in sermons and explains the need for both elements in a sermon. "We've become better teachers in our preaching, but we haven't necessarily become better proclaimers of the gospel," said Wilson. read more...

Lauren Winner encourages preachers to consider sermons as an act of pastoral care for the community and reminds preachers to be mindful of the needs and emotions of congregants in preparing for their sermons. "I would encourage all of us to think about preaching not only as proclamation ... but also read more...

Tom Long offers tips for preaching Matthew, the featured gospel in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary. The structure of the Gospel of Matthew, according to Long, "is a rhythm between teaching and action, so, Jesus teaches and then there's ethics or a kind of deepening of the teaching ... I think read more...

Bishop Michael Curry discusses honesty and genuineness in the pulpit. "You know what I really look for? Somebody who's just plain real," said Curry.   read more...

Lauren Winner describes the sermon writing process as an act of wrestling and a component of spiritual life. "I open the Scriptures and I don't just read them, I don't just have quiet time, but I actually wrestle with them on the page," said Winner. read more...

Anthony Bailey discusses the peculiarity of Jesus' message and the role preachers have in talking about that message. "There are opportunities to offer something that is not being offered," said Bailey. read more...

Otis Moss Jr. speaks about the process of preparing a message and the different ways this essential action can manifest itself. "Listen to the voice of God, the voice of life, the voice of history and all of the circumstances around you, and listen until you hear that within you that did not originate read more...

Mary Hinkle Shore talks about the elements of preparation and textual engagement that go into a well-thought out and genuine sermon. "When I listen to a sermon, I want to know that the preacher has 'shown up for work' earlier in the week." read more...

Matt Skinner talks about his process of taking a text and turning it into a sermon, as well as all of the rethinking and pruning that happens along the way. "You're constantly in a cycle of reflection, planning, writing, rapid rewriting, and then reflection back on the sermon that you have to do with read more...

Barbara Brown Taylor says preachers get the best of the worship service, and asks that as they bring their reflections forward, they acknowledge and be aware of the vulnerability the congregants experience in opening themselves to God. "The main thing I love about a preacher is one who does no harm, read more...

Mark Allan Powell wonders how familiar texts really are to the hearer. He suggests a new method of congregational involvement in approaching these texts. read more...

Craig A. Satterlee talks about the importance of hearing and resting. He shares some important advice for pastors on faith formation with their congregations.  read more...

Rolf Jacobson discusses ways to bring forward the biblical text in the sermon. He suggests a few simple tactics for reminding the congregation of this focus. read more...

Susan Hedahl discusses the importance and primacy of a Scriptural text to a sermon. read more...

Anthony Bailey encourages preachers to turn off their "critical antennae" toward themselves and be bold in their witness to the text.  read more...

The Word comes to life in the world, says Michael Curry. When preparing a sermon, the preacher needs to study the word and hit the streets to see that Word lived out today. "It's only out of the chemistry of bringing all that stuff together that something worth saying, that actually has the gravity of read more...