Author: Administrador

Nathan Aaseng If Christian traditions exist to help us remember things that should never be forgotten, such as the grace of God, the life and passion of Christ, the promises of forgiveness and new life, then what is the role of the preacher in preserving memories? As a storyteller. My confirmation students have noticed that … Continue reading “Memory Aid”

Patricia Tull In 1970, in the midst of the Vietnam War, when V-8 engines ruled, gas mileage was low, industrial pollution hovered over most American cities, the first Earth Day swept across the nation. United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the day as a teach-in, organized locally across the country, to focus on ecological needs. … Continue reading “Easter Green”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher, Our word “Lent,” as you know, comes from the German and Dutch words for spring (Lenz and Lente) which themselves derive from the Germanic root for long because in the spring the days get longer. After reading the story appointed for this week, I’ve wondered whether or not the folks … Continue reading “Identity Theft, Part 2”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher, Do we ask too little of our people? I ask that question with no small amount of trepidation. The churches of the Reformation, after all, have found their center of gravity and indeed reason for being by announcing that God provides all that is necessary for life and accomplishes all … Continue reading “Present-tense Salvation”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher, A few years ago I was visiting a congregation in downtown Washington, D.C. on Palm Sunday. It gathers for worship in a historic and challenged urban environment and has a remarkable history of social concern and activism. On Palm Sunday, the tradition of the congregation is to march with palms, … Continue reading “The Question of the Day”

Karyn Wiseman Preachers, when preparing to preach, have been getting help and insights from other sources almost from the beginning — from the Biblical text itself, from the people around them, and from the context where they were to preach. Preachers do not typically walk into a pulpit with no outside help. Whether they are … Continue reading “Crowd-Sourced Preaching”

Nathan Aaseng I hate being wrong. I really hate being wrong in public. I really, really hate being the one to prove myself wrong in public. Unfortunately, that is the purpose of this article. Last month, when listing the many rhetorical and oratorical techniques that do not work as well as a story in driving … Continue reading “The Footwasher’s Hall of Fame”

David Lose Dear Working Preacher, There are moments when it feels like Matthew is almost working at cross purposes. On the one hand, the message delivered by the angels is clear, succinct, and compelling: “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he … Continue reading “Easter Courage”

Kae Evensen Without small birds, the world would be very quiet. In fact, it would hardly make a sound. In January the northern hemisphere is locked in silence, and in a sense, that emptiness in itself is a beauty. And it is beauty of another kind when the birds return, as they might be one … Continue reading “The Year of Matthew or When Small Birds Return”

Patricia Tull Few people thrive on conflict. Yet leadership can bring us face to face with it in unexpected moments. What motivates normal people to overcome fear when confronting potential controversy? The sequence of passages from Acts leading from Easter to Pentecost narrates stories of individual and communal valor in the face of perilous opposition. … Continue reading “Courage to Follow, Courage to Lead”