Intercultural Preaching

April 25-26, 2022, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. EDT each day, online, Register by Clicking Here
Though preaching is one of the oldest Christian practices and has been a staple of worship for millennia, it is constantly in the process of change. Indeed, like the proverbial river that cannot be stepped into twice because the flow of the water is constantly remaking it, it is not possible to preach the same sermon twice. This is so because a sermon is made by the hearers and the time and place in which they receive the sermon. Even as preaching changes, it begs to be “rethought,” its habitual practices and status quo assumptions questioned and re-examined, while exploring the ever-new channels being carved by the Word in the midst of our lives.
Conference Description
The Centre for Religion and Its Contexts at Emmanuel College and Shining Waters Regional Council (The United Church of Canada) are pleased to host the second "Rethinking Preaching' Conference with this year's theme, “Intercultural Preaching.” The challenge of intercultural preaching in the midst of social crises defined by racism, colonialism, and ecological crisis has gripped preachers in all parts of the world. What’s more, online worship and the use of technology are on the rise and have contributed to cultural shifts that challenge long-held assumptions about worship. All prompts us to rethink preaching.
The Centre and Shining Waters invite seasoned and new preachers, students of homiletics, and participants who seek to “rethink preaching” to join our conference in 2022.
Our keynote speakers, Prof. Jerusha Neal (Duke Divinity School) and the Rev. Michael Blair (General Secretary of the United Church of Canada) will be joining us. These special guests along with two responders, four workshop leaders, and racialized preachers who engage in intercultural preaching research will help us rethink and explore intercultural preaching for today.
Fees and Registration
This year's conference will be held online via Zoom, April 25–26, 2022
Registration Fee
- $50 for the two days
- Free for pensioners and students
- Registration waivers available for those unable to pay the registration fee (visit the registration form for details)
Schedule: Monday, April 25, 2022
Time (EDT) |
Speaker |
Title and Abstract |
9– 9:30 a.m. |
Opening
|
|
9:30– 10:45 a.m. |
Dr. Jerusha Neal Keynote Lecture
Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai Response |
Intercultural Courage: Preaching at the Borders of Belonging "Intercultural relationships would easier to navigate if all they required was cultural competence. But intercultural communities do not thrive on knowledge alone. They require a humility born of courage – a recognition of our fully-human limits, our need for each other, and our ability to change. This is all the more true for the preacher. In a world of increasing polarization and inequity, preachers are negotiating complex, often contradictory, needs in their congregations. Preachers can be disheartened by how quickly we reach the borders of our understanding. Rather than ignoring these borders or being paralyzed by them, this workshop describes borders as revelatory sites of a deeper belonging. Drawing on years of preaching and teaching in intercultural spaces, including three years teaching preaching in the Fijian Islands, Jerusha Matsen Neal will invite preachers to practices of hospitality, dependence, and discernment in the courageous work of intercultural proclamation." |
11 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. |
Session 1 Workshops (register for one workshop only; these workshops will be offered again in Session 2) |
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Rev. Dr. Alan Lai
|
The Art of Using Images in Intercultural Preaching Visual art is a powerful medium in teaching, learning, and communication. Yet, in preaching, most ministers put more attention on theological thought, and on the written words. In this workshop, I share my ideas, processes, and offer examples on how I use visual images to strengthen teaching ministry in its various forms in intercultural communication; online and in-person deliveries. |
Dr. Dave M. Csinos
|
Intergenerational as Intercultural: Preaching with the Whole Church Intergenerational ministry, like all things "inter," involves bringing together people who think, act, and see the world in different ways. As such, it's more difficult that many realize! In this workshop, Dave Csinos draws from recent research with intergenerational preachers to explore how proclaiming the gospel in all-age contexts is a practice of intercultural preaching. Using best practices from creative practitioners of intergenerational preaching across the globe, he'll describe how ministers can broaden the scope of their preaching by empowering all members of faith communities to interpret, speak and experience the gospel together. |
|
12:30– 1:30 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
|
1:30- 3 p.m. |
Session 2 Workshops (register for one workshop only) |
|
|
Rev. Dr. Alan Lai
|
The Art of Using Images in Intercultural Preaching Visual art is a powerful medium in teaching, learning, and communication. Yet, in preaching, most ministers put more attention on theological thought, and on the written words. In this workshop, I share my ideas, processes, and offer examples on how I use visual images to strengthen teaching ministry in its various forms in intercultural communication; online and in-person deliveries. |
Dr. Dave Csinos
|
Intergenerational as Intercultural: Preaching with the Whole Church Intergenerational ministry, like all things "inter," involves bringing together people who think, act, and see the world in different ways. As such, it's more difficult that many realize! In this workshop, Dave Csinos draws from recent research with intergenerational preachers to explore how proclaiming the gospel in all-age contexts is a practice of intercultural preaching. Using best practices from creative practitioners of intergenerational preaching across the globe, he'll describe how ministers can broaden the scope of their preaching by empowering all members of faith communities to interpret, speak and experience the gospel together. |
|
3– 3:30 p.m. |
Break |
|
3:30– 5 p.m. |
Plenary Session Workshop leaders, respondent, and keynote speaker |
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Schedule: Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Time (EDT) |
Speaker |
Title and Abstract |
9– 10:45 a.m. |
Opening and Worship
Rev. Michael Blair, UCC General Secretary Preaching
Rev. Alcris Limongi Response
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|
11 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. |
Session 3 Workshops (register for one workshop only; these workshops will be offered again in Session 4) |
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Rev. Teresa Burnett-Cole
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Indigenous Spiritualities: Intercultural Gifts for Preaching It is complicated to speak of Indigenous ‘theologies’ as some argue such language is an instance of cross-cultural violence or appropriation. It is better to speak of Indigenous spiritualities – such language gives space to both those who struggle with Christianity and others who see their spiritual journey as cut from the whole bolt of life’s cloth. Indigenous spiritualities are contextual, oral, relational, and spiritual and, as such, offer distinctive approaches to worship and preaching. In this workshop we will explore Indigenous storytelling, the role of humour, the discipline of orality, extemporaneous approaches to presentation, language sensitivities, and relationality and trace how they each affect the practice of preaching. |
|
Rev. Eleanor Scarlett |
Race, Cultural Memory, and Intercultural Preaching This workshop will focus on preaching as it relates to current social and political issues. It will explore scriptures that are related to the Black experiences; that are deeply rooted in cultural memories for intercultural preaching. The workshop will explore how social media has highlighted issues of racism and inequalities that were once hidden, and has brought those issues to the forefront, through the birth of Black Lives Matter, a worldwide political movement. |
12:30– 1:30 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
|
1:30– 3 p.m. |
Session 4 Workshops (register for one workshop only) |
|
|
Rev. Teresa Burnett-Cole
|
Indigenous Spiritualities: Intercultural Gifts for Preaching It is complicated to speak of Indigenous ‘theologies’ as some argue such language is an instance of cross-cultural violence or appropriation. It is better to speak of Indigenous spiritualities – such language gives space to both those who struggle with Christianity and others who see their spiritual journey as cut from the whole bolt of life’s cloth. Indigenous spiritualities are contextual, oral, relational, and spiritual and, as such, offer distinctive approaches to worship and preaching. In this workshop we will explore Indigenous storytelling, the role of humour, the discipline of orality, extemporaneous approaches to presentation, language sensitivities, and relationality and trace how they each affect the practice of preaching. |
|
Rev. Eleanor Scarlett |
Race, Cultural Memory, and Intercultural Preaching This workshop will focus on preaching as it relates to current social and political issues. It will explore scriptures that are related to the Black experiences; that are deeply rooted in cultural memories for intercultural preaching. The workshop will explore how social media has highlighted issues of racism and inequalities that were once hidden, and has brought those issues to the forefront, through the birth of Black Lives Matter, a worldwide political movement. |
3– 3:15 p.m. |
Break |
|
3:15– 5 p.m. |
Plenary, Celebration and Closing |
Biographies
Michael Blair is a member of the Order of Ministry in The United Church of Canada (UCC) and currently serves the General Council of the UCC as General Secretary, a role he began on November 1, 2020. At the General Council Office, he has served as Executive Minister for Ethnic Ministry, Executive Minister of Communities in Ministry, and Executive Minister, Church in Mission. Before joining the General Council staff, Michael served as the Executive Director of the Toronto Christian Resource Centre (CRC), a ministry of the then Toronto South Presbytery, now Shining Waters Region. Michael was admitted to the Order of Ministry in 2010 and has previously served as a congregational minister of a number of Baptist churches in Toronto and St. Catherine’s, Ontario; a staff member with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Toronto; and as a community chaplain with the Ontario Multifaith Council’s Reintegration Program. In 2021. Michael was a speaker for the Gandier Lectureship at Emmanuel College.
Michiko Bown-Kai, a minister in the UCC, is passionate about social justice and creative expression. Michiko studied Social Justice and Peace Studies and Political Science at the University of Western Ontario before attending Emmanuel College for their Master of Divinity program. Over the past decade, Michiko has engaged in ministry in many forms: as a Sunday school coordinator, program coordinator at the UCC’s General Council Office, a youth group leader, an intern minister at East End United Regional Ministry, and most recently as the minister at Saint Luke’s United Church. Michiko is always excited to learn more cultures, languages, and nature. You can find Michiko biking, highland dancing, or befriending as many dogs as possible.
Teresa Burnett-Cole is the Coordinating Minister at Glebe-St. James United Church in Ottawa. She is currently waiting to defend her ThD in liturgical studies at Emmanuel College, The Toronto School of Theology. She studies intercultural worship with a particular emphasis on Indigenous worship styles. Teresa has served congregations in the Maritimes, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Christian Island, and now Ottawa. Teresa currently serves on the General Council Executive, keeping Indigenous issues at the forefront of the GCE’s perspective. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the UCC’s Worship resource Gathering. She has a passion for both creative liturgy and social justice.
David M. Csinos is Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Atlantic School of Theology, where he teaches and researches in the areas of homiletics, faith formation, leadership, and contemporary spirituality. He holds a PhD from the Toronto School of Theology (through Emmanuel College). He is the author or editor of several books, including A Gospel for All Ages: Teaching and Preaching with the Whole Church (forthcoming with Fortress Press).
Alan Lai earned a doctorate (EdD) in religion and education from Columbia University. He has been a church minister serving both Chinese-speaking and English-speaking congregations in Canada for over 30 years. He has also taught at Vancouver School of Theology and Wilfrid Laurier University in pastoral theology and global citizenship before serving his current congregation, South Arm United Church, in BC. Alan has published articles and chapters in books on Jewish-Christian relations and Chinese Christians in Canada. During the pandemic, Alan has been making pre-recorded videos and other theme-based videos for his congregation. He loves photography and music.
Alcris Limongi was born and raised in Venezuela. Race and racial identity were not at the front of her consciousness nor played a role in her perceived identity until she arrived in Canada in 1996. She joined the UCC around 1997 at Bloor Street United in Toronto. Since then, she has served the church in different roles as a General Council (GC) Staff (Racial Justice, Gender Justice, and Sexual Minorities Program Coordinator), as a volunteer in different GC committees, and as a Minister. At the moment, she is part of the General Council Anti-Racism Common Table and one of the facilitators of the Racial Justice training. Currently, she is in team ministry at Parkdale United Church in Ottawa, in the Algonquin nation traditional and unceded territory. Emmanuel College is her Alma Mater (Emm 0T6) for her MDiv, and once a ThD candidate in New Testament.
Jerusha Matsen Neal, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Duke Divinity School, is an ordained American Baptist Church (ABC-USA) pastor who has served as a Global Ministries mission partner in the Fiji Islands through the United Methodist Church. She has spent her ministry preaching in cross-cultural spaces and bridging denominational communities. God’s work in these in-between locations has convinced her that preaching matters now more than ever. Her recent book, The Overshadowed Preacher (Wm. B. Eerdmans), asks the sticky question of what we mean when we say preaching is “anointed.” It challenges preachers to leave behind their false shadows and be overshadowed by the Spirit of God. A former actress and playwright, she has authored a collection of dramatic monologues, Blessed: Monologues for Mary (2012). The book she is currently writing engages the witnesses of preachers in the South Pacific displaced by climate change.
Eleanor Scarlett was ordained by Toronto Conference (UCC) on June 2, 1996. She has served the Maritime Conference, Toronto, London, Hamilton, Shining Waters Regional Council, and now Horseshoes Falls Regional Council. As a Board member of the Interim Ministry’s Network, Eleanor serves on conference Planning Teams, the Credentialing Committee of the National Church, Member of Shining Waters Social, Ecological, and justice Commission. Eleanor was an active member of Sounding the Bamboo, a national racialized women gathering in the UCC and was a founding member and president of the Journeys of Black Peoples within the UCC. She is an alumni of Emmanuel College (Emm 9T6), and was co-valedictorian. She has just completed four years at Bolton United in Shining Waters Regional Council and is now serving at Sheridan United in Horseshoes Falls Regional Council as Intentional interim Minister.
Rethinking Preaching Conference 2021 Archives
Conference Description
Though preaching is one of the oldest Christian practices and has been a staple of worship for millennia, it is constantly in the process of change. Indeed, like the proverbial river that cannot be stepped into twice because the flow of the water is constantly remaking it, it is not possible to preach the same sermon twice. This is so because a sermon is made by the hearers and the time and place in which they receive the sermon. Even as preaching changes, it begs to be “rethought,” its habitual practices and status quo assumptions questioned and re-examined, while exploring the ever-new channels being carved by the Word in the midst of our lives.
Presently, a number of diverse topics have gripped preachers in newly urgent ways, such as racism and ecological well-being. Online worship and the use of technology during the pandemic is yet another topic that challenges us to rethink preaching.
The Centre for Religion and Its Contexts (Emmanuel College) and Shining Waters Regional Council (The United Church of Canada) invited seasoned and new preachers, students of homiletics, and participants who seek to “rethink preaching” by examining and exploring issues that are directly challenged in the wake of a number of social issues that have intensified during the global COVID moment. Our keynote speakers, Prof. Frank Thomas (Christian Theological Seminary) and Prof. Carolyn Helsel (Austin Theological Seminary), and 10 experienced workshop leaders helped us explore the changing contexts of preaching.
Schedule: Friday, August 20, 2021
Time (EDT) |
Speaker |
Workshop/Talk Description |
9–9:30 a.m.
|
Prof. HyeRan Kim-Cragg Rev. Dr. John H. Young Opening |
|
9:30–10:45 a.m. |
Prof. Frank Thomas Keynote Lecture |
Pandemic Preaching and the Unmasking of Tribal Gods Those that have confidence in preaching are often unsure and uncertain as to how and what to preach to a divided and discombobulated church and nation, given the reality and ramifications of systemic oppression, digital church, and the Covid-19 pandemic. These realities offer the preacher the opportunity to preach dangerous sermons that unmask tribal gods and reveal the God of the universe manifest in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. |
11 a.m.
|
Session 1 Workshops
|
|
|
Prof. Dorcas Gordon Feminism and Pandemic Preaching |
Wisdom for Times of Crisis Research indicates that COVID-19 has uncovered deep cracks in what is considered “normal.” The result is increased homelessness, unemployment, family violence, and ethical dilemmas. What will the “new normal” look like or value in terms of the economy, ecology, global politics? Many feel that the world is at a turning point and that wisdom and action is urgently needed. Research also shows that the pandemic has impacted women more than their male counterparts. Not only is there anxiety about the “new normal” there is also heightened financial stress in terms of employment and advancement opportunities, increased worry for the safety of their extended family – parents and children, and for the physical and mental health and well-being of their congregational family in a time of restrictions and lockdowns. Women who preach experience additional stress as they are called to prepare weekly sermons that affirm hope in the midst of the unknowns, the anxieties and fears of the present pandemic. What gives us strength for the task? What wisdom from our sisters, past and present, is available to us in this and other times of crisis? This workshop will draw on their insight for this unusual and challenging time. |
Rev. Hoeun Lee Technology and Preaching |
This workshop will focus on the following topics: 1. Media Literacy: “The Medium is the Message” 2. Representation Matters: “This is Not a Pipe” 3. The Grammar of Online Liturgical Communication: “The Online World is Our Parish” 4. Case Study & Discussion: Micro- & Macro-aggression in Online Worship & Preaching 5. Online Preaching Practice as Anti-Racist Resistance: Tactics to Use New Media Technology in Anti-Racist Preaching |
|
Prof. Kathy Black Disability/Illness and Preaching |
This workshop will address the impact of preaching (and worship) on persons who live with disabilities exploring biblical and theological perspectives as well as practical issues involving language, exegesis and sermon design. Is our preaching liberative or oppressive for persons with disabilities? As a result of the pandemic, how have the changes to worship and preaching made worship more or less accessible? |
|
Rev. Murray Pruden Embodied Exegesis and Preaching |
Collective Street & Community Theatre– the Act of Storytelling Collective theatre is a creative & experimental type of active movement through the arts. But most of all, within an Indigenous lens, creates the art of storytelling from a unique community perspective. From this active movement, a collective group displays their stories, images & performance to an audience. The work & themes created collectively in a group has an impact on others in sociopolitical themes. As activist & leaders we have an opportunity to share our stories through street theatre that influence an unspoken community message with 3 ideals- visibility, simplicity & promotion. |
|
Rev. Dr. David Kim-Cragg Storytelling and Preaching |
We Are the Stories We Preach This workshop will focus on stories for preaching in different forms. Each participant will be expected to tell a story from the Bible or a story about a story from the Bible. A story about the leader’s own journey of storytelling will be followed by a reflection on the power of stories to teach theology. Stories will be examined for how they can stand alone in a worship service or be incorporated into sermons or prayers. Reflection on how storytelling in worship has evolved during the COVID pandemic will also take place. Participants will be given an opportunity to share their own stories as well. By the end of our time together it is the objective of this workshop that all participants will have gained new insight and perspective on the role of stories in preaching and that each will have shared a story, thereby deepening their experience into the art of storytelling. |
|
12:30–2 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
|
2–3:30 p.m.
|
Session 2 Workshops
|
|
|
Prof. Dorcas Gordon Feminism and Pandemic Preaching |
Wisdom for Times of Crisis Research indicates that COVID-19 has uncovered deep cracks in what is considered “normal.” The result is increased homelessness, unemployment, family violence, and ethical dilemmas. What will the “new normal” look like or value in terms of the economy, ecology, global politics? Many feel that the world is at a turning point and that wisdom and action is urgently needed. Research also shows that the pandemic has impacted women more than their male counterparts. Not only is there anxiety about the “new normal” there is also heightened financial stress in terms of employment and advancement opportunities, increased worry for the safety of their extended family – parents and children, and for the physical and mental health and well-being of their congregational family in a time of restrictions and lockdowns. Women who preach experience additional stress as they are called to prepare weekly sermons that affirm hope in the midst of the unknowns, the anxieties and fears of the present pandemic. What gives us strength for the task? What wisdom from our sisters, past and present, is available to us in this and other times of crisis? This workshop will draw on their insight for this unusual and challenging time. |
Rev. Hoeun Lee Technology and Preaching |
This workshop will focus on the following topics: 1. Media Literacy: “The Medium is the Message” 2. Representation Matters: “This is Not a Pipe” 3. The Grammar of Online Liturgical Communication: “The Online World is Our Parish” 4. Case Study & Discussion: Micro- & Macro-aggression in Online Worship & Preaching 5. Online Preaching Practice as Anti-Racist Resistance: Tactics to Use New Media Technology in Anti-Racist Preaching |
|
Prof. Kathy Black Disability/Illness and Preaching |
This workshop will address the impact of preaching (and worship) on persons who live with disabilities exploring biblical and theological perspectives as well as practical issues involving language, exegesis and sermon design. Is our preaching liberative or oppressive for persons with disabilities? As a result of the pandemic, how have the changes to worship and preaching made worship more or less accessible? |
|
Rev. Murray Pruden Embodied Exegesis and Preaching |
Collective Street & Community Theatre– the act of Storytelling Collective theatre is a creative & experimental type of active movement through the arts. But most of all, within a Indigenous lens, creates the art of storytelling from a unique community perspective. From this active movement a collective group displays their stories, images & performance to an audience. The work & themes created collectively in a group has an impact on others in sociopolitical themes. As activist & leaders we have an opportunity to share our stories through street theatre that influence an unspoken community message with 3 ideals- visibility, simplicity & promotion. |
|
Rev. Dr. David Kim-Cragg Storytelling and Preaching |
We are the Stories We Preach This workshop will focus on stories for preaching in different forms. Each participant will be expected to tell a story from the Bible or a story about a story from the Bible. A story about the leader’s own journey of storytelling will be followed by a reflection on the power of stories to teach theology. Stories will be examined for how they can stand alone in a worship service or be incorporated into sermons or prayers. Reflection on how storytelling in worship has evolved during the COVID pandemic will be also take place. Participants will be given an opportunity to share their own stories as well. By the end of our time together it is the objective of this workshop that all participants will have gained new insight and perspective on the role of stories in preaching and that each will have shared a story, thereby deepening their experience into the art of storytelling. |
|
3:30–5 p.m. |
Caucus meeting
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Schedule: Saturday, August 21, 2021
Time (EDT) |
Speaker |
Workshop/Talk Description |
9–9:30 a.m.
|
Prof. HyeRan Kim-Cragg Opening |
|
9:30–10:45 |
Prof. Carolyn Helsel Keynote Lecture |
Preaching about racism: what does this look like and how do we do it well? Carolyn Helsel describes the process of preparing sermons that help congregants better understand racism, their own racialized identities, and the response of anti-racism work that comes from a vision of the gospel promise of beloved community. |
11 a.m.
|
Session 3 Workshops
|
|
|
Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey Decolonization/Reconciliation and Preaching |
Preaching that Interrupts, Provokes and Heals The Covid-19 Pandemic has wreak havoc all around the world. Beyond the tragic toll on Human life, the pandemic has also both exposed and escalated systemic inequities; particularly, systemic anti-Black Racism. We are being summoned by the Spirit of God to interrogate our preaching and theological assumptions. To what extent has our preaching been captive, inadvertently or intentionally, to colonizing, racist and privileged assumptions and interpretive proclamation? We will engage theologically with biblical narratives, texts and testimony that join with other ‘initiatives’ to interrupt, provoke and heal. |
Prof. Leah Schade Ecology and Preaching |
Creation-Crisis Preaching: Strategies, Tactics, and Text Studies Preaching “good news” in the face of environmental devastation, the climate crisis, and ecological injustice can feel overwhelming to clergy and congregations alike. Yet this is precisely the time when Creation-centered sermons are needed to ground ourselves in the magnificence and fragility of the world God has made. Rev. Dr. Leah Schade will introduce a three-fold approach for preaching that addresses environmental justice issues with a particular eye towards congregational context (geography, culture, community, political tensions, economics, etc.). The goal is to help preachers develop an environmentally-literate approach to preaching that honestly and creatively names the reality of our ecologically-violated world, while emphasizing a hope-filled “eco-resurrection” through Christ’s redemption of Creation. Participants will learn to use a “green lens” for interpreting and preaching biblical texts and apply the lens to upcoming lectionary passages. |
|
Rev. Sadekie Lyttle-Forbes What Makes the Message Stick? |
“Sticky Sermons” How often do we have preachers at the end of delivering a message, hear the comment “Good sermon today” or “That was what I needed to hear today.” Often it is said in passing without any opportunity for a deeper discussion about what made the sermon good for this person. One of the central purposes of preaching is to deliver a message that is not simply good for the persons listening in the moment, giving them something they needed to hear, but it should also be sticky enough that it stays with them as an enduring memory that becomes useful as they live out their faith in the world. During this pandemic, I became acutely aware of the need to ensure that sermons are sticky, because our hearers come to worship with the hunger for a word that will help them cope and process their experiences. How do we do that? We will explore some ingredients that used in combination help to give the sermon the stickiness it needs to have a lasting effect on the hearers. |
|
Prof. Ross Bartlett Lectionary and Preaching |
The lectionary has a long history as an aid to faithful reading of scripture. In recent generations, many traditions have begun to employ it as an aid to liturgical and homiletical planning and preparation. This workshop explores the benefits and challenges of the lectionary as a tool for preaching and the ways planning and texts can enrich the community of faith. |
|
Rev. Richard Choe Preaching without Notes |
The workshop will be on ways to prepare, construct, organize, and preach a sermon without notes. There will be a 20-minutes presentation and 70 minutes for the interactive conversation, discussions, and organizing a sermon utilizing resources from your life/ministry contexts. Using visual resources, poetry, and storytelling from your “cultural” contexts will be part of the workshop. |
|
12:30–2 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
|
2–3:30 p.m.
|
Session 4 Workshops
|
|
|
Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey Decolonization/Reconciliation and Preaching |
Preaching that Interrupts, Provokes and Heals The Covid-19 Pandemic has wreak havoc all around the world. Beyond the tragic toll on Human life, the pandemic has also both exposed and escalated systemic inequities; particularly, systemic anti-Black Racism. We are being summoned by the Spirit of God to interrogate our preaching and theological assumptions. To what extent has our preaching been captive, inadvertently or intentionally, to colonizing, racist and privileged assumptions and interpretive proclamation? We will engage theologically with biblical narratives, texts and testimony that join with other ‘initiatives’ to interrupt, provoke and heal. |
Prof. Leah Schade Ecology and Preaching |
Creation-Crisis Preaching: Strategies, Tactics, and Text Studies Preaching “good news” in the face of environmental devastation, the climate crisis, and ecological injustice can feel overwhelming to clergy and congregations alike. Yet this is precisely the time when Creation-centered sermons are needed to ground ourselves in the magnificence and fragility of the world God has made. Rev. Dr. Leah Schade will introduce a three-fold approach for preaching that addresses environmental justice issues with a particular eye towards congregational context (geography, culture, community, political tensions, economics, etc.). The goal is to help preachers develop an environmentally-literate approach to preaching that honestly and creatively names the reality of our ecologically-violated world, while emphasizing a hope-filled “eco-resurrection” through Christ’s redemption of Creation. Participants will learn to use a “green lens” for interpreting and preaching biblical texts and apply the lens to upcoming lectionary passages. |
|
Rev. Sadekie Lyttle-Forbes What Makes the Message Stick? |
“Sticky Sermons” How often do we have preachers at the end of delivering a message, hear the comment “Good sermon today” or “That was what I needed to hear today.” Often it is said in passing without any opportunity for a deeper discussion about what made the sermon good for this person. One of the central purposes of preaching is to deliver a message that is not simply good for the persons listening in the moment, giving them something they needed to hear, but it should also be sticky enough that it stays with them as an enduring memory that becomes useful as they live out their faith in the world. During this pandemic I became acutely aware of the need to ensure that sermons are sticky, because our hearers come to worship with the hunger for a word that will help them cope and process their experiences. How do we do that? We will explore some ingredients that used in combination help to give the sermon the stickiness is needs to have a lasting effect on the hearers. |
|
Prof. Ross Bartlett Lectionary and Preaching |
The lectionary has a long history as an aid to faithful reading of scripture. In recent generations, many traditions have begun to employ it as an aid to liturgical and homiletical planning and preparation. This workshop explores the benefits and challenges of the lectionary as a tool for preaching and the ways planning and texts can enrich the community of faith. |
|
Rev. Richard Choe Preaching without Notes |
The workshop will be on ways to prepare, construct, organize, and preach a sermon without notes. There will be a 20-minutes presentation and 70 minutes for the interactive conversation, discussions, and organizing a sermon utilizing resources from your life/ministry contexts. Using visual resources, poetry, and storytelling from your “cultural” contexts will be part of the workshop. |
|
3:30–5 p.m.
|
Plenary and Closing
|
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