Throughout the history of the church, preachers have used epiclesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit, as a clear sign that the spoken word is impotent without the blessing of… read more

Every morning we wake up, it's 2008. We can wish it was 1952. We may long for the good old days. But like it or not, God has ordained that our preaching will be leveraged against… read more

As I write these words, Jeremiah Wright, the former pastor of Barack Obama and fiery prophetic preacher of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, is front page news across the… read more

I remember sitting in front of  a little Macintosh computer in the parsonage office, a small 900 square foot dwelling in rural Tennessee, trying to figure out what to preach. … read more

On April 16, 2007, thirty-three lives were violently lost on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, where as I serve as a United Methodist pastor. That Monday was… read more

What do you say or do when people's lives are falling apart? Feeling put on the spot may be uncomfortable, but as clergy and leaders, it is our role to have words and actions… read more

For a minute I thought I would have to run for the portable defibrillator! LeeAnn Inman, who had just recently joined our staff as the Minister of Spiritual Formation, looked like … read more

Renowned author Henri Nouwen used the book In Memoriam to tell the story of his mother's death and his consuming grief. Somebody asked Nouwen, “Why do you do this? Why are… read more

Preaching is a unique discipline that can be shaped or fashioned in the context of one's personality and rhetorical ability. No matter how gifted one is in delivering the word of… read more

Updated with a printable sheet of wallet cards—see download below! Soon Christmas inventory will fill store shelves. Long before Halloween or Election Day, holiday shopping … read more