Getting Started

There's a deep well, after doing this for 45 years, but the well is mostly a taken-apart listing, since every sermon is re-written for every new situation. And radically.

So, for this year, I stack the books. Christian Believer (by UMPublishing) is for theme-based theology, the reading guide that accompanies it for anecdotes and historical reference. Oxford Annotated Bible is the basic, a couple of newer translations, and King James for some of the magnificent poetic expressions.

Sounds pretty ordinary, but then preaching has to "seem" ordinary, even when there are subtleties. G. Ray Jordan, another generation's "preacher of note" used to say: "The giraffes can reach what they want, just make sure you feed the sheep. But, make sure, when you get it down there, make sure it is still fodder."

I'm doing Advent this month, and I'll post (or at least intend to post) four reflections per week, on the four lessons. For reference, I'll go to the Vanderbilt Library lectionary pages. Good art work and poetry there, as well.

If you're so motivated, a comment or response might shape the future of these small pages. Illustrations come from life, so there will be some, but you have better ones.

Thanks for looking in.

Bryan