Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart
Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart

Author: Donna Giver-Johnston

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2021-08-10

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 150646324X

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Words bombard us every day. Words can be noisy and cheap. And yet, words are all preachers have. In Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart, Donna Giver-Johnston addresses the question: How do you capture ears in an era of noise? Many preachers want to get away from their notes and make a more personal connection with their listeners, but they have not been mentored in methods that enable them to do that. Grounded in a theology of incarnation and articulation and coupled with an awareness of what listeners most need and want to hear, Giver-Johnston explains how preachers can communicate more effectively--how they can write sermons for the ear, with the fewest, most impactful words to craft a memorable message. She also provides guidance on how to preach sermons by heart, without notes, to communicate a message that captures the ears and hearts of listeners. In a time when attention spans are shortening and church participation is declining, this book provides a proven method for preachers to communicate in ways that are meaningful and memorable to aching ears today and that can change the world for good, and for God, one longing heart at a time.

Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart
Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart

Author: Donna Giver-Johnston

Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers

Published: 2021-08-10

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 1506463231

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In Writing for the Ear, Preaching from the Heart, Donna Giver-Johnston teaches preachers how to communicate effectively--how to get away from their notes and make a more personal connection with their listeners. Grounded in a theology of the incarnation, she offers a step-by-step method for writing sermons with the fewest, most impactful and memorable words and delivered by heart to communicate a message that captures the ears and hearts of listeners.

Just Say the Word!
Just Say the Word!

Author: G. Robert Jacks

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9780802842626

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"Over the years, I've heard some wonderful sermons," writes G. Robert Jacks. "I've also heard some duds. Some have been so extemporaneous they sounded as if the preacher hadn't prepared anything. Some have been such wondrously crafted literary pieces they sounded as if the preacher wanted to sound wondrously crafted and literary. Some have sounded as though the preacher were giving a lecture or reading a term paper. That's because the preacher had written a lecture or term paper. And some have captured the attention and the imagination and set the spark to ignite faith in the hearer. That's because they were written to be listened to, and to appeal to the sense-world of the hearers." Drawing on nearly thirty years of experience in critiquing sermon delivery, Jacks here offers a practical, hands-on approach to writing sermons that consider listeners first. Jacks gives samples and examples of writing that effectively captures and holds an audience's attention, and he offers practical tips and suggestions intended to help each of us find a preaching style and voice of our own. He also shows how to translate the jargon of theological textbooks into everyday language, suggests methods for rewriting sermons to avoid some of the pomposity of sermonic proclamation, and demonstrates ways to retell biblical narratives in fresh and imaginative ways. Just Say the Word! Writing for the Ear is a valuable resource that will help pastors and lay leaders communicate as effectively as possible the faith that is ours to share.

Preaching as Testimony
Preaching as Testimony

Author: Anna Carter Florence

Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp

Published: 2007-01-01

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 0664223907

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By exploring the historical, theoretical, and practical elements of the tradition of testimony, Anna Carter Florence seeks in this much-anticipated book to establish the historical and contemporary validity of women's preaching and to introduce testimony to a new generation of preachers and teachers. She begins with the stories of three women whose preaching was often described as testimony: Anne Marbury Hutchinson, Sarah Osborn, and Jarena Lee. Then, she examines biblical and theological perspectives on testimony. Finally, she explores how testimony plays out in a preacher's life, offering constructive proposals for preaching as well as helpful guidelines, direction, and exercises.

Preacher, Can You Hear Us Listening?
Preacher, Can You Hear Us Listening?

Author: Roger E. Van Harn

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2005-02-03

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 9780802828651

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Everyone knows that pulpits are for preaching and pews are for listening to sermons. This obvious scenario, however, masks an essentialprerequisite for faithful, fruitful preaching -- namely, that preachers listen to God and to their people before they speak. Roger Van Harn here puts forth pointed questions that sermon listeners really ask of preachers: Why should we listen to sermons? Doesevery sermon need a Bible text? How can a sermon be the word of God? Do you preach for the church or the world? Van Harn grapples withand discusses such questions, giving preachers fresh insights into the needs and desires of congregations. Preacher, Can You Hear Us Listening? will foster an ongoing dialogue between pulpit and pew and sharpen listening skills in both directions.

A Lay Preacher's Guide
A Lay Preacher's Guide

Author: Karoline M. Lewis

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2020-05-05

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 150646274X

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In A Lay Preacher's Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon, Karoline M. Lewis provides lay preachers with an essential and accessible guide to the basics of Sunday morning preaching. Laypeople are increasingly called to serve congregations and are preaching regularly. But often they do not have immediate, reliable, or trusted access to homiletical instruction or support for their preaching. As a result, these church leaders--feeling called to ministry and to preach, and affirmed by denominational leaders to do so--are left on their own to figure out how to preach. In A Lay Preacher's Guide, Lewis gives this unique subset of preachers the foundations of biblical preaching, so they can preach faithfully in their unique contexts. She lays out in a concise and clear format the steps to preaching a faithful sermon, a process that can be immediately applied to weekly sermon preparation. This book is a go-to resource for lay preachers, providing a basic course for faithful preaching.

For Every Matter under Heaven
For Every Matter under Heaven

Author: Beverly Zink-Sawyer

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2022-12-08

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 1506465803

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"For everything there is a season," as the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, and that includes preaching. Beyond ordinary Sunday morning worship, many other "seasons"--special occasions--arise for preaching in the life of the church, whether by virtue of the secular calendar or celebrations or circumstances in the congregation or community. For Every Matter under Heaven: Preaching on Special Occasions offers preachers a process for creating sermons that are biblically grounded and relevant to the occasion. Two obvious occasions of this sort are weddings and funerals; however, church anniversaries, dedications of new buildings or furnishings, commitment of pledges in stewardship season, and ordination and installation services also call for preaching on a special theme or topic. In addition, some congregations acknowledge secular holidays, such as the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving Day, in worship. Pastors are often called on to preach at events outside the church. And all congregations face local or national tragedies and crises that call for a word from the Lord. These occasions require a different kind of sermon--or at least a different process of preparation. Most preachers have been taught that sermons begin with a biblical text, usually a text prescribed by a standard lectionary. Beverly Zink-Sawyer and Donna Giver-Johnston offer preachers a process for finding appropriate sermon texts for special occasions by considering the occasion itself, the listeners who might be gathered, and the ways God is at work in that time and place. Through this process, preachers can offer a word for every matter under heaven.

Her Preaching Body
Her Preaching Body

Author: Amy Peed McCullough

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2018-05-16

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 1498291643

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The preacher's body is a tool for proclamation, a vehicle by which a sermon comes to life. Female preachers, engaged in a task not long their own, know well the added attention directed to their physicality. They can experience ordinary decisions about attire, accessories, hairstyles, and movement as complex, and occasionally precarious, choices around how to bring flesh to their sermons. They can also experience the extraordinary power of their bodies, when materiality weighs in on the message. McCullough explores the every-Sunday bodily decisions of contemporary female preachers, with an eye to uncovering the meanings about body, preaching, and God alive underneath. Ultimately, she argues for a renewed understanding of embodiment, in which one's living body, inescapably intertwined with her preaching, becomes the avenue for greater knowledge about how to preach and deeper insight into the faith professed.

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing

Author: Sally Lloyd-Jones

Publisher: Zonderkidz

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0310740517

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From Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago, the creators of the bestselling The Jesus Storybook Bible, comes a gorgeous and innovative collection of 101 simple-yet-profound thoughts on faith, to turn the reader’s eyes toward the God who loves them with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing shares: Profound spiritual truths from the Bible in a conversational tone—drawing insights from creation, history, and science The writings of great thinkers, preachers, writers, and more—to remind children that God loves them with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love This wonderful collection: Contains 101 readings on a variety of topics that will help you and your children look at the world in a new, fresh way Teaches children ages six and up about God’s love through word and image Is perfect for family devotions, bedtime, story time, or even as an inspirational companion to The Jesus Storybook Bible Includes beautiful, colorful artwork on every page Has a sturdy binding and pages that hold up to years of daily use, even with little hands Makes a wonderful gift for Christmas, Easter, baptisms, and birthdays

Preaching the Headlines
Preaching the Headlines

Author: Lisa L. Thompson

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2021-08-31

Total Pages: 155

ISBN-13: 1506453864

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The headlines are where daily life meets the public square--be it through social-media feeds, news outlets, or daily chatter. Preachers often feel stuck when met with quickly shifting and dense media topics. If and when preachers determine it is appropriate to address issues that arise in the news cycle, they are often at a loss for how to speak about these issues from the pulpit. When preachers understand that a responsibility to sustain life is embedded in the purposes of preaching, they discover greater fluidity between the everyday world, the biblical text, and preaching itself. Preaching the Headlines engages the intersections of social and religious discourse for the purpose of helping communities attend to everyday issues as matters of faith and faith as a practical, everyday aspect of life.This book reframes preaching as an ongoing conversation between the modern world and the world of the text, exploring where the divides between the two may be less rigid than we acknowledge. In preaching, the preacher uses what they know about life as a bridge to the text, while life in the text provides the bridge back to faith in the contemporary world.