Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 28 of 28
Full-Text Articles in Religion
Everything I Learned About Giving A Eulogy I Learned From A Science Fiction Novel, W. David O. Taylor
Everything I Learned About Giving A Eulogy I Learned From A Science Fiction Novel, W. David O. Taylor
Symposium on Worship Archive
Christians have all too often failed to think thoroughly and biblically or theologically about the nature of a good word in the fi nal testimony of a person’s life and have instead allowed the practice of eulogizing to be determined by Greco-Roman and popular ideas. In this workshop we will explore what it means to speak the unvarnished truth about the deceased in such a way that the grace of God becomes the focal point rather than the dead person’s decency, niceness, or superlative accomplishments.
How To Preach From A Parable, Gary Burge
How To Preach From A Parable, Gary Burge
Symposium on Worship Archive
Speaking in parables was Jesus’ preferred form of teaching. Both his world and ours are drawn to these concise, poignant stories. This seminar will analyze the parable in its ancient cultural context, illustrate how parables can be interpreted, outline a few pitfalls, and provide a case study using one of Jesus’ most difficult stories, The Parable of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:1–13).
Vital Spirituality: Harvesting Wisdom From History, Theology, And Ecumenical Encounter, Noel Snyder, Mika Edmondson, Mary Hulst, Jennifer Powell Mcnutt, Tom Schwanda, Leanne Van Dyk
Vital Spirituality: Harvesting Wisdom From History, Theology, And Ecumenical Encounter, Noel Snyder, Mika Edmondson, Mary Hulst, Jennifer Powell Mcnutt, Tom Schwanda, Leanne Van Dyk
Symposium on Worship Archive
For more than 20 years, the Reformed Spirituality Network gathered a variety of Christians in learning about vital spiritual practices from the Reformed tradition, all aimed at deepening our engagement with Scripture, our participation in worship and sacraments, and our prayershaped walk with God. This session honors the legacy of the network’s contribution by focusing on the beauty of several fundamental spiritual practices and disciplines and how they can promote deeper ecumenical relations with other Christians: contemplative Bible reading in worship and daily life; discernment of our personal and corporate union with Christ; deeper engagement with baptism and the Lord’s …
Wisdom For Preaching, Praying, And Singing About Suffering, Mary Hulst, Kevin Adams, Mika Edmondson, Danjuma Gibson, Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Lisa M. Weaver
Wisdom For Preaching, Praying, And Singing About Suffering, Mary Hulst, Kevin Adams, Mika Edmondson, Danjuma Gibson, Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Lisa M. Weaver
Symposium on Worship Archive
In addition to his nonviolent political advocacy, Martin Luther King Jr.’s preaching ministry regularly focused on the profound experience and trauma of unearned suffering. In a recent book on King’s preaching ministry, Mika Edmonson explores King’s insights and instinctive approaches to this tragic dimension of human experience. Responding to suffering, especially unearned suffering, is one of the most pastorally demanding tasks of all—a task that requires theological insight, spiritual poise, and the nurturing ministry of the very Comforter that Jesus promised to send us. This session will explore Christian wisdom for preaching, praying, and singing about human suffering, drawing wisdom …
Teaching Like Jesus, La Verne Tolbert
Teaching Like Jesus, La Verne Tolbert
Symposium on Worship Archive
Creative teaching doesn’t happen by accident! Jesus, the master teacher, is the greatest model we have for teaching that’s dynamic, engaging, and life-changing. We’ll study ten principles that shaped Jesus’s teaching and discover how following the Master affects every area of our teaching—Christian character, learning channels, lesson planning, curriculum development, and more—so that we can teach children, youth, and adults effectively.
The Promise And Peril Of Preaching For Revival: Lessons From The Life Of George Whitefield, Peter Choi
The Promise And Peril Of Preaching For Revival: Lessons From The Life Of George Whitefield, Peter Choi
Symposium on Worship Archive
Seasons of renewal are God’s gift to the church. They are also occasions for controversy and division. Together we will reflect on one of history’s greatest revival preachers to understand not only how revivals come but what follows in their aftermath. “God’s anointed barnstormer,” according to J. I. Packer, and “the greatest English preacher who has ever lived,” in the estimation of Martin Lloyd-Jones, George Whitefield also made crucial mistakes and had his fair share of regrets. To pay attention to the long duration of this famous preacher’s life is to learn both the promise and peril of revivals in …
Inviting The Text To Direct The Service, Joan Devries
Inviting The Text To Direct The Service, Joan Devries
Symposium on Worship Archive
Biblical text is central to Christian worship gatherings. Generally, the most significant piece of scripture is the focus of the sermon or the message, and worship planners are happy when they can match that theme in other parts of the worship gathering. What if, however, we invited the text with its various parts and movements to shape the whole of our service more concretely rather than have it be packaged as the teaching contained in a sermon? What if we adopted the movements within a psalm as the separate movements of our worship gathering and we enacted the psalm together? …
Limelight And Christian Leadership, Rebecca K. Deyoung
Limelight And Christian Leadership, Rebecca K. Deyoung
Symposium on Worship Archive
Work in Christian ministry and worship leadership often brings a struggle with image, reputation, and audience-pleasing. In this workshop, we’ll learn about the vice of vainglory—both the patterns of its temptation to show off a false self and time-tested spiritual disciplines of resistance to this vice. In a world captivated with selfies and social media, we’ll explore virtuous practices that can help Christians handle the limelight well and show appreciation for each other in ways that glorify God.
Faith Formation From Birth To Age 20: A Psychology Professor's Insights For Strengthening Congregational Ministry, Marjorie L. Gunnoe
Faith Formation From Birth To Age 20: A Psychology Professor's Insights For Strengthening Congregational Ministry, Marjorie L. Gunnoe
Symposium on Worship Archive
What are the most important things to know when working with kids ages 0–2, 3–6, 7–11, early adolescents, and late adolescents? This fast-paced session is a (really, really) condensed version of a course required for Calvin students minoring in Youth Ministry—without the homework. Helpful for parents, pastors, teachers, mentors and anyone who cares about the faith formation of the next generation.
The Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving At Baptism And The Lord's Supper, John D. Witvliet
The Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving At Baptism And The Lord's Supper, John D. Witvliet
Symposium on Worship Archive
In the past 40 years, many Protestant communions have recovered a robust, historically-oriented prayer of thanksgiving at celebrations of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Nearly every official denominational liturgical publication has featured strong examples of this practice. Yet thousands of local congregations do not practice this for a variety of reasons, including concern over the length of the service, and—quite likely—not really understanding the spiritually formative power of this practice for the daily life and faith of Christian believers. This session will feature a robust testimony about the value of this ancient practice, deeply rooted in the Psalms, and present …
Preaching To The Streets – Homiletics For Urban Ministry, Reginald Smith Phd
Preaching To The Streets – Homiletics For Urban Ministry, Reginald Smith Phd
Symposium on Worship Archive
How can the Bible speak to the hopes and fears of urban people who don’t know anything about the Christian life? This workshop will provide biblical case studies and principles for preaching to people who struggle with bringing the ancient text to the struggles of life today.
Wording The Sunday Sermon, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
Wording The Sunday Sermon, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
Symposium on Worship Archive
One of the preacher’s big challenges is finding language for the Sunday sermon that will engage the most of her or his listeners. But what kind of language is that? What are some of its features? Using multiple examples from published sermons, this workshop will identify, discuss, and recommend certain excellent features of well-worded Sunday sermons.
How The News Shapes Our Prayers And Preaching: Deepening Our Lovign Engagement With The World God Loves, Elizabeth Dias, Richard J. Mouw, John D. Witvliet, Anne Zaki
How The News Shapes Our Prayers And Preaching: Deepening Our Lovign Engagement With The World God Loves, Elizabeth Dias, Richard J. Mouw, John D. Witvliet, Anne Zaki
Symposium on Worship Archive
If our public prayers and preaching are at all responsive to the needs of the world, then how we glean information about the world is crucial. Whether through new or old media, journalists have a key role to play in whether and how we pray and preach about everything from the persecution of Christians, conflict in the Middle East, creation care, and abortion to local concerns related to public education and social services. Join a conversation with a leading national journalist (Elizabeth Dias), a public theologian (Richard Mouw), and a seminary professor and preacher (Anne Zaki) that can inform your …
Transforming Sermon Communication: A Practical Guide To Making Changes That Make A Difference, Lori J. Carrell
Transforming Sermon Communication: A Practical Guide To Making Changes That Make A Difference, Lori J. Carrell
Symposium on Worship Archive
Hundreds of preachers changed their preaching preparation habits in ways that made a difference in the spiritual journeys of their 30,000+ listeners. What did they do? How did they do it? What can others, who speak the Word, learn from their experiences? In this workshop, participants will discover practical answers to these questions through the stories of preachers and listeners documented over several years. If you believe that the spoken Word can make a difference for individuals, congregations, communities, and culture, attend this workshop with high expectations.
How (Not) To Preach In The Secular Age, Timothy Blackmon
How (Not) To Preach In The Secular Age, Timothy Blackmon
Symposium on Worship Archive
Many of my friends have a very different take on life. They hope to find personal significance without God. The gospel story I preach seems neither plausible or all that relevant. Philosopher Charles Taylor explains "we are now living in a spiritual supernova, a kind of galloping pluralism on the spiritual plane." This workshop is a brief field guide on how (not) to preach and teach the gospel in a secular age.
Listening To Your Listeners: A Preaching Preparation Process That Changes... Everything!, Lori J. Carrell
Listening To Your Listeners: A Preaching Preparation Process That Changes... Everything!, Lori J. Carrell
Symposium on Worship Archive
A vast majority of listeners attending U.S. churches have never talked with a pastor about a sermon. And, unfortunately, those listeners report by the thousands that though they expect spiritual growth as they listen to their preachers, it usually does not occur. Preachers who listen to their listeners as a regular part of sermon preparation can expect to change these patterns, increasing the spiritual impact of preaching for individuals, congregations, communities—and culture. During this workshop, participants will discover how diverse congregations have established and maintained pre-sermon dialogue groups (without adding to the preachers’ limited sermon prep time!).
The Most Important Word In Preaching, Mike Graves Phd
The Most Important Word In Preaching, Mike Graves Phd
Symposium on Worship Archive
Since the inception of the New Homiletic in the 1970s, preachers have been experimenting with inductive and narrative forms of preaching, thanks to the likes of Fred Craddock and Eugene Lowry. The idea is for sermons to engage people, create an experience of the biblical text. In recent years, however, some critics have noted a lack of biblical exposition among narrative preachers, and this at a time of biblical and theological illiteracy among congregations. In this interactive workshop we will explore the tension and talk about what may be the most important word in preaching, narrative, or otherwise.
Reading For Preaching: The Preacher In Conversation With Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, And Journalists, Cornelius Plantinga
Reading For Preaching: The Preacher In Conversation With Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, And Journalists, Cornelius Plantinga
Symposium on Worship Archive
This workshop is for anyone who is interested both in good reading and in good preaching and, especially, in how the first supports the second. Introducing and drawing upon the presenter's new book on this topic, this session will propose ways that a program of general reading is likely to benefit the preacher. For example, well chosen reading is likely to start the preacher's heart, to tune the preacher's ear, and to make the preacher wise. Wisdom is requisite because folly in the pulpit is homiletical malpractice.
Transforming Sermon Communication: A Practical Guide To Making Changes That Make A Difference, Lori Carrell
Transforming Sermon Communication: A Practical Guide To Making Changes That Make A Difference, Lori Carrell
Symposium on Worship Archive
Hundreds of preachers changed their preaching preparation habits in ways that made a difference in the spiritual journeys of their 30,000+ listeners. What did they do? How did they do it? What can others who speak the Word learn from their experiences? In this workshop, participants will discover practical answers to these questions through the stories of preachers and listeners documented over several years. If you believe that the spoken Word can make a difference for individuals, congregations, communities, and culture, attend this workshop with high expectations.
Listening To Your Listeners: A Preaching Preparation Process That Changes…Everything!, Lori Carrell
Listening To Your Listeners: A Preaching Preparation Process That Changes…Everything!, Lori Carrell
Symposium on Worship Archive
A vast majority of listeners attending U.S. churches have never talked with a pastor about a sermon. And, unfortunately, those listeners report by the thousands that though they expect spiritual growth as they listen to their preachers, it usually does not occur. Preachers who listen to their listeners as a regular part of sermon preparation can expect to change these patterns, increasing the spiritual impact of preaching for individuals, congregations, communities – and culture. During this workshop, participants will discover how diverse congregations have established and maintained pre-sermon dialogue groups (without adding to the preachers’ limited sermon prep time!).
Transformational Preaching: Engaging With Exodus And The Old Testament, Scott Hoezee, Jeff Manion
Transformational Preaching: Engaging With Exodus And The Old Testament, Scott Hoezee, Jeff Manion
Symposium on Worship Archive
In this seminar Jeff Manion will help preachers explore the art of building a bridge back to the world of the Bible and then bringing the drama back to our generation. Compelling teaching rests on an emotional connection with the characters in the Biblical drama and so the seminar will ponder first “The Power of Connection” and then next how to explore ways to utilize tension in the telling of the biblical narrative in ways that help listeners wonder “What’s at Stake?” in both the biblical story and its implications for our lives today. The seminar will include conversations with …
Go Down, Moses: Spirituals As A Resource For Preaching, Luke A. Powery
Go Down, Moses: Spirituals As A Resource For Preaching, Luke A. Powery
Symposium on Worship Archive
The history of African American spirituals is interwoven with the history of preaching, yet these spirituals and their relationship to preaching usually receive little attention. This workshop will explore these spirituals as musical sermons that can serve as a resource for contemporary preaching. In particular, what the spirituals teach us about preaching as social witness will be discussed.
The Sermon On The Mount: Preaching, Teaching, And Living In Righteousness, Kenneth E. Bailey, Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Christine Pohl
The Sermon On The Mount: Preaching, Teaching, And Living In Righteousness, Kenneth E. Bailey, Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Christine Pohl
Symposium on Worship Archive
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount contains some of the most famous verses in Scripture. Even people without a Bible have heard of the golden rule, the Lord’s Prayer, and, possibly, the Beatitudes. Even libertines quote one verse from the Sermon: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” But the Sermon on the Mount yields its greatest riches when good scholars and teachers dig them up for us and help us estimate their value. Kenneth E. Bailey and Christine Pohl are excellent diggers and their seminar will help participants to understand themes from the Sermon and to consider their …
Why Is It So Hard To Preach About Money, Craig Satterlee
Why Is It So Hard To Preach About Money, Craig Satterlee
Symposium on Worship Archive
Putting the “M” word back into stewardship, we celebrate giving money in response to an explicit proclamation of the Gospel. This workshop’s goal is to encourage and equip pastors to preach both stewardship sermons and the topic of money as it is found in Scripture.
Someday You'll Be A Good Preacher, Stanley Mast
Someday You'll Be A Good Preacher, Stanley Mast
Symposium on Worship Archive
The journey to good preaching is as filled with twists and turns as a Rocky Mountain highway. Stan Mast is a veteran road warrior who will share hard won insights into what it takes to become a good preacher. Special attention will be paid to the sharp tongued critics who can drive aspiring preachers off the road.
Redeeming The Time: Homiletic Theology For A Pilgrim People, Michael Pasquarello Ii
Redeeming The Time: Homiletic Theology For A Pilgrim People, Michael Pasquarello Ii
Symposium on Worship Archive
The idea for Redeeming the Time has emerged during more than twenty five years of leading worship according to the rhythms of the Christian Year and preaching from its common lectionary. In following these "traditioned" practices, I have often thought there is need for a fresh understanding of the Christian Year that will demonstrate the theological and pastoral wisdom of ordering a congregation's ministry of the Word and its life by means of the narrative of salvation proclaimed in the liturgical reading and preaching of Scripture.
Preaching Without Notes, Mike Graves
Preaching Without Notes, Mike Graves
Symposium on Worship Archive
A note taking document on the brief discussion of the scary side of preaching, how to preach without notes, internalizing the gospel, and personal journey.
Preaching As Pastoral Care, Howard Vanderwell
Preaching As Pastoral Care, Howard Vanderwell
Symposium on Worship Archive
The multiple aims of preaching show didatic, apologetic, formation, persuasion, evangelistic, prophetic, and pastoral. This workshop emphasizes the pastoral care portion of this.