Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Job
Frederick Buechner reflects on Job 38:1-7 for the Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost. His exploration of Job’s suffering and God’s response offers key insights for sermons and discussions on faith, suffering, and divine presence. This reading challenges our understanding of how God engages with human trials, providing material for deeper reflection and teaching.
Let Me Think About It
Discover the power of saying 'Let me think about it.' In this insightful post, Rev. Margaret Marcuson explores decision-making, setting boundaries, and how pastors can balance ministry commitments without overcommitting. Learn practical tips for sustainable ministry.
Rev. Dr. Fred Craddock on Storytelling and Preaching: Insights for Effective Sermons
Rev. Dr. Fred Craddock discusses the art of storytelling in sermons with Host Emeritus, Peter Wallace, in this archived interview, originally filmed in 2008. Craddock shares insights on how stories enhance preaching and connect with listeners. He covers crafting sermons, using real-life experiences, and the impact of narrative flow in ministry. Watch the interview on YouTube for more on effective preaching and sermon preparation.
Making 100 TikToks as Ministry
I’m by no means an expert on TikTok. God knows I watched a bunch of videos from people who say they are. Like many of you, I’m just doing ministry and learning every day. But by taking this journey, I’ve grown as a leader and I’ve grown my community. On average, I reach 10x more people per post (TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube combined) than I do in person. After making 100 TikToks as part of my ministry, here’s what I’ve learned...
The Playfulness of God
Play is how we first made sense of the world into which we were born. It was how we explored ourselves and our worlds, our divine outer and our divine inner realms. Unless we change and become like children, right? Then perhaps we will find our hands cupped and overflowing with the kingdom of God. Above this mycelium, Above the vast and rich traditions of playfulness that buoy and connect our cultures is what is visible on the forest floor of our existence.
So Lonely
Can you hear Sting’s unique voice repeating the chorus, “So lonely, so lonely (I feel so lonely)” in the Police’s 1978 anthem to loneliness and isolation? Sting was once asked if it was ironic singing this song to large crowds. He replied, “No, there’s no irony whatsoever. From the outside it might look a bit strange, being surrounded by all this attention and yet experiencing the worst lonely feeling…but I do. And then suddenly...
When the Light Goes Out
Going snowmobiling 750 miles above the Arctic Circle—where the temperature is twenty below zero—isn’t everybody’s idea of fun, but it was ours. So, my husband Toby and I, our guide, and a few other bold adventurers climbed onto snowmobiles in Kjøllefjord, Norway and drove into the frozen wilderness. At the top of a mountain pass, the guide asked us to cut our engines and park. It was only 4:00 PM, yet we found ourselves surrounded by...
John Calvin and Science—So Many Surprises
Calvin, the 16th century Protestant Reformer, not only asserted that we can discover truth in a variety of places, but that if we don’t accept the truth we find, we actually disgrace our God. At the time, he was thinking of secular philosophies. Still, since one of those philosophers, Lucretius, pondered “the nature of things,” or “natural philosophy” (the name for science until the 1830s), it’s really not a stretch to say that Calvin believed we needed to engage true scientific insights no matter the source.
Ed Rosado: Peace be With You: How the Science of Peace Can Make a Difference in Our Lives
As we look towards the second Sunday of Easter, we are reminded of God’s ultimate desire for peace. Yet, it remains an elusive ideal. In my lifetime, I have witnessed wars, genocide, civil unrest, xenophobia, misogyny, and myriad other social injustices. All these elements work together to make peace something almost impossible to attain. And even when we wish to stem the inexorable proliferation of these societal evils by returning to some utopic era, the truth is that humankind has experienced these problems, probably since the beginning of time.
Make a Plan, Even a Bad One
I came across a book on my shelf recently: Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want, by Barbara Sher. It brought back a flood of memories. Early in my ministry, I faced a crisis in my call. I couldn’t find a position as a pastor. No one wanted a woman pastor--it was the 80s. Over many months, the only interview I had wasn’t a serious one. I seriously thought about pursuing another line of work. Then, my brother gave me a copy of Wishcraft. The book was transformative. It helped me step back from my
Hope for Easter
My eldest is a high school senior, the class of ’24, that endured an entirely remote freshman year. We were looking forward to her last round of exams, the decision of which college to attend, prom, graduation, and a lot what my daughter’s circle of friends has dubbed the senior sillies. Her friends are an amazing group—the kind that gives all who know them hope for the future—and their laughter delights us whenever they gather. However, nearly two weeks ago, the ground under their feet shifted and...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: The Truth of Stories
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday. Here is this week’s reading from the gospel of Mark 15:2-5:
Preaching that Connects Creation Care to Climate Change
...only 4 percent of evangelical Protestants who attend religious services regularly remember hearing “a great deal” of sermons discussing climate change, while 20 percent said some of the time. About 13 percent of mainline Protestants and Black Protestants said they heard sermons on climate change quite a bit. What’s more, congregants say they talk about climate change with other churchgoers even less than they heard messages about it from the pulpit...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Salvation
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the gospel of John 12:24-25:
How Do You Know What to Say Yes To and What to Say No To?
Life in ministry can feel like a barrage of requests and needs. Everyone wants a piece of you. And as you look around, you see so much that needs to be done. You’ve got to get to the hospital to visit someone. There’s a board meeting on Tuesday. And people are saying, “We should be doing (fill-in-the-blank).” Or, “We used to do (fill-in-the-blank), and we should start that up again.” Or, “you should visit (fill-in-the-blank).” Not to mention the denominational commitments and requests.
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Grace
In our blog post every Monday we will select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday we will celebrate The Fourth Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Ephesians 2:1-9:
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Foolishness
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Third Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of 1 Corinthians 1:18-25:
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Abraham, Sarah, and Laughter
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Second Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Genesis 17:1-7, 15-17
The Father God who is no God-Father
In the course of a family household, there are characteristically two most demanding, most rewarding relationships: the relationship of marital partners and the relationship of parent and child. In Fences, the groundbreaking and oft-adapted play by August Wilson, Troy is the main character. He is a steady, reliable Black garbage collector who does his work every day, loves his family, and seeks out chances for small gains. In the play, Troy has a tangle with both of these primary relationships...
Frederick Buechner Sermon Illustration: Noah
In our blog post every Monday we select a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday, and pair it with a Frederick Buechner reading on the same topic. Next Sunday, we will celebrate the First Sunday in Lent. Here is this week’s reading from the book of Genesis 9:8-17