"It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless
our walking is our preaching."
- St. Francis of Assisi

Preaching as an Art of Resistance, Christine Smith, Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996
In the Arts of Ministry, ed. Christie Cozad Nueger.  Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press,
1996: 39-59.

Peaching Justice: Ehnic and Cultural Perspectives, Cleveland, Ohio: United Church Press, 1998

Risking the Terror: Resurrection in This Life. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2001

Weaving the Sermon Preaching in a Feminist Perspective. Louisville: Westminster/ John Knox press, 1989

The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance, Soelle, Dorothy.  Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001

Pastor’s Pointers
www.mumac.org/ppress.html
This is a page of sermon, worship, and bible links of the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in MN.

Sermon Central
www.sermoncentral.com
This site of the United Church of Christ is a comprehensive resource site for worship, Bible study, and sermon preparation.

Mark your calendar early...
Contemplation and the Just Word presented by Barbara Reid, OP
May 17, 2008, 8:30-11: 30 a.m. at Siena Center, 5635 Erie Street, Racine, WI 53402 . For information, please call S. Mary Michna at 639-4100. 

Resources Recommended by Greg Heille, OP

Burghardt S.J. Walter, Let Justice Roll Down Like Water: Biblical Justice Homilies throughout the Year, New York, Paulist Press, 1998

Preaching the Just Word. New Haven, CT: YaleUniversity Press, 1996

Campbell, Charles L. The Word Before the Powers: an Ethic of Preaching.
Louisville; Westminster John Knox Press, 2002

Goodpreacher.com  is a treasurechest of scholarship and story by renouned preachers like Jim Wallis, Walter Brueggmann and Fred Craddock. 

The Practical Prophet

Paperback  $19.95 plus shipping and handling
The book contains much helpful information on the art of preaching, prophetic preaching, ministries of mercy and other topics.
The Practical Prophet - Pastoral Writings of Bishop Ken Untener
Published by Paulist Press, 997 Macarthur Blvd.Mahweh, NJ 07430
Copyright 2007 by Bishop Gumbleton. 
Hopeful Imagination: Prophetic Voices in Exile, Philadelphia:Fortress press, 1986
Journeying with Matthew - preparation for each Sunday Liturgy by
Jennifer Christ, Paulist Press, 1991

The Fundamental Mistakes of Preaching

(We highly recommend for your use as preachers of the Word, a recent book entitled Bishop Ken Untener: The Practical Prophet. It is published by Paulist Press. Cost of the book is $19.95 plus S and H. www.paulistpress.com).

Permission: Excerpt from The Practical Prophet, by Ken Untener, copyright 2007 by Thomas J. Gumbleton. Used with permission of Paulist Press, Inc. New York/Mahwah, N.J. www.paulistpress.com

Bishop Untener starts out by offering two recommendations:
"Don't act as if you were superior to your material."
"Don't give the impression that your own conversion is complete."

Here are his eight points to consider:

1. NEGLECTING THE GREAT MYSTERIES - Do not neglect the great mysteries in your preaching. They include death, Resurrection, sin and grace, the Spirit, redemption and the mystery of God. Homilies are meant to go to the root of what it means to be a Christian and live a Christian life. We need to point out what underlies it all and refer to the power of the Resurrection always available to us.

2. PREACHING AS THOUGH WE GET TO CHOOSE WHAT TO SAY - Remember we are not just preaching our own message. We are preaching what Jesus taught and what he has handed on to the church. Discern what the Lord is doing/speaking through this event. Remember we are all instruments through which the Word of the Lord is spoken and discerned.

3. USING SCRIPTURE AS A PLATFORM TO TEACH AND MORALIZE  - We need to connect with the real lives of people in the pew. That means more than connecting with the happenings in their daily lives. It means reaching down into the hungers and questions in their hearts. We try to let God's grace open us to deeper questions and meaning. We don't change people's conduct by telling them what to do. We help them see things differently. Then they will act differently.

4. NEGLECTING THE OLD TESTAMENT - It is important to bring the message of the Old Testament into the homily. It gives us insight into how the people endured suffering and hardships and kept their faith. They trusted God as the faithful One and knew they would never walk alone.

5. GIVING A TALK RATHER THAN TALKING TO THE PEOPLE - Some homilies could just as well be from a taped message. Many homilies have too many thoughts . One thought with depth is much better than a string of thoughts put together. People thirst for a live message from the heart of the preacher. When you preach, speak from the heart.

6. BURYING OUR LEAD  - The opening words of the homily should have a direct connection with the theme of the homily. Many do a beginning that  is quite interesting but has little connection to the rest of the homily. The opening words should relate to and lead into the homily. It should be part of the flow of the Word of God and not have inappropriate interruptions inserted.

7. FAILURE TO EDIT  - Editing is more than touch-up work on your homily. Most good writing involved major changes along the way. Some may have to be deleted and words or sentences may need to be reordered. If possible, have a journalist review your transcript. Editing may make the difference between a mediocre and an excellent homily.

8 PICTURE THE HOMILY AS ONE EVENT.  - Remember the homily is just one part of the liturgy, but only one part. Rather than trying to seize the whole event, craft a jewel of a homily that is part of the whole. 

Feedback given to homilists may help them survive but not improve. Homilists need hands-on help to keep them moving in a positive direction.

Online Lectionary Preaching Tools

Mennolink: Preaching and Teaching Resources
http://pastors.mennolink.org/preaching.html
This Mennonite preaching page includes Bible and translation commentaries, and other helps.

Living Web Lectionary Project
www.livingweb.com/lectionary
This gathering of online lectionary materials includes lectionaries themselves (Revised Common, Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, Coptic, Armenian, East Syrian, and others), commentaries, discussion groups and other resources related to understanding or preaching the lectionary.

Preaching the Lectionary: the McGregor Page

www.webspawner.com/users/mcgregorpage
This site, also available by email service, is dedicated to homilies for young adults and children. the homilies are short, fun, and well done. The adult page is insightful. The children's page is direct and applicable.

Proclaiming The Word

www.monksonline.org/homilies/htm
This is a web site of the cistercian Monks of Our Lady of Spring Bank, Sparta, WI, offering an extensive archive of homilies dating back to 1999. It also offers a direct link to the Lectionary.

Sermons and Sermon-Lectionary Resources by Rev. Richard J. Fairchild

www.rockies.net - spirit/sermons.trml
This extensive collection by Rev. Richard Fairchild (United Church of Canada) includes year A,B,C, Easter, Christmas, Seasonal, Special occasions, etc., and is based on the Revised Common Lectionary. The site also includes children's stories, hymns, journals and more.

The Text This Week
www.textweek.com
This is an ecumenical Revised Common Lectionary site which includes links and general resources for each Sunday, including stories, movie connnections, artwork and reflections and questions to enhance prayer and study.

The Living Pulpit is an excellent resource for Preachers.
It is available at Siena Center Library.  For information about ordering contact www.pulpit.org or write to Living Pulpit, Subscription Services at PO Box 3000, Denville, NJ 07834.

Dominican Greeting Cards
Please check out Sr. Lucy Edelbeck's greeting cards created for the Dominican celebration of 800 years of Dominican life and ministry. Sr. Lucy can be reached at Lucy's Cards, 553 N. 31st. St., Milwaukee, WI 53208
ledelbec@sbcglobal.net

Leccionario Espanol/Lectionary.org
www.lectionary.org/espanol.htm
This is an exciting web page for the Spanish speaking homily writer. It provides a great variety of insights, fresh ideas, and different exegetical works on the Sunday readings. The site is based on the Revised Common  Lectionary.

Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons
www.lectionarystudies.com
This site gives access to Lectionary Bible Studies and Lectionary sermons on readings set by the Revised Common Lectionary, along with studies on theology, liturgy and the Anglican Church. A section on Greek gives background to the original words in the text as they are translated and defined. Discussion questions are also provided.

Fr. Greg Heille, O.P., Central Province Promoter of Preaching wrote:
I hope many of you will enjoy Anna Carter Florence's "Preaching as Testimony" as much as I have. Florence is a Presbyterian preacher from Georgia who writes about Anne Marbury Hutchinson (1591-1643), Sarah Osborn (1714-1796), and Jarena Lee (1783 - ?) and a long tradition of Christian preachers who preach not so much from a position of power (ordination and a pulpit) but in compelling testimony to the experience of God, whom they have encountered. Florence writes, "Christian witness will always hinge on the question, "Can we really say that, even though we have no proof beyond what we have seen and believed?" Somehwere between the question and the answer is where Christian preaching locates itself - again and again and again." I really like Anna Carter Florence, both personally and in print. I recommend this theological reflection on preaching to Dominican preachers, for our compelling vocation is to preach not from places of power but from what we have seen and believed. (Westminster John Knox Press, 2007 , ISBN 0664223907)

Irish Dominicans share information on their website: www.goodnews.ie . They have commentaries on the daily Scripture readings, questions from their participants, and unfolding the story of Jesus.
- S. Brenda 

Special thanks to S. Ann Pratt, OP for sharing information on these preaching resources gathered by members of the Advanced Preaching class at Aquinas Inst. in 2002. Compiled by Fr. Greg Heille, O.P.

Basic Preaching Resources: gateway of bible links and resources for preaching: www.pitts.emory.edu/theotech/preachinglite.html
 
America Magazine: Follow the link: The Word
www.americamagazine.org Also appears weekly in America Magazine.

Sermon Writer

Sermon Writer - What does it take to write a good sermon? Do we have that kind of time? SermonWriter can help. SermonWriter is delivered weekly by email and on the web. Charge is $39.95 a year. Go to www.sermonwriter.com. You can get a free sample by email.

Living Pulpit is publishly quarterly and is available from Living Pulpit, Inc. 40 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042. $39 per year.

Three Questions for a Homilist

Fr. Joseph Powers, SJ once said that if we answer NO to any of these questions, we have work to do.

1. Does my homily (or presentation) come from my faith?

2. Does it communicate my faith?

3. Does it evoke or challenge my faith and that of the listener?

We remember we preach not only to others but to ourselves. The homily should help the preacher become a better person because it applies to him/her too.

(Quoted from the book If You Preach it, They Will Come by Rev. Eduardo Samaniego, SJ. Resource Publication, San Jose, CA)

If You Preach it, They Will Come

"If You Preach it, They Will Come." Book by Rev. Eduardo Samaniego, SJ
Resource Publication, Inc., 160 E. Virginia St., #290, San Jose, CA 95112
Cost is $23.95.
"Your worshipping assembly is hungry for relevance and inspiration - if you preach the Word like this, they will come to deeper faith! The author shares tips for effective preaching and guarantees an interesting, provocative and faith-evoking homily." 

If you want to purchase a "First Impression" CD for Cycle C,please send a check made out to "Dominican Friars of Raleigh" and mail it to:
Preaching Resources, Dominican Friars,
PO Box 12927
Raleigh, NC 27605.
They contain reflections for each of the Sunday readings and for major feast days.

Quotable - From Fr. Jude Siciliano,OP
The congregation is entitled to a homily that contains something memorable, something that illumines the Gospel and our lives, something that  acccentuates the spirit of the Gospel and offers possible personal application, something that can serve as a touchstone for further rumination... the homily is nothing more than a statement of faith by a faithful person to other persons of faith. The homiletic art consists in drawing hearers more deeply into the presence of Christ as manifest in the readings. As one authority put it, "the homily is not so much on the Scriptures as from and through them." This can be done very effectively through simple examples, simple words. It presupposes that the homilist is captivated by the power of the word of God, and has the charism to transform insight into effective preaching. The homilist is to be a medium, a vehicle through whom the presence of Christ may shine.

The Funeral Liturgy and Preaching the Funeral Homily

August 2006 - presented by Preaching Committee
Resources available:
Postmodern Worship and the Arts, edited by Doug Adams and Michael Moynahan, SJ, 2002
Preaching the Funeral Homily, by Rev. R.C. Sonefeld, 2000
The two books above are available from Resource Publications, Inc., 160 East Virginia St., #290,  San Jose, CA 95112

Funeral Liturgies by Flor McCarthy, SDB, Dominican Publications, Ireland, 2003 Reprint.

----

A funeral is often a public event as well as a private event. Integrating the life of the deceased person with the Paschal Mystery is a challenge to the celebrant and to the homilist. That is what the congregation expects. Giving a generic "one size fits all" homily is not a good fit. What is the meaning of the event? What is the composition of those present at the funeral liturgy? What are the mourners feeling? Guilt, sadness, relief, loss, gratitude, loneliness, pain and more! The essential task of the preacher is to proclaim the Good News of eternal life, which Christ has gained for us.

The Scripture readings should be carefully chosen with the promise of new life as well as the deceased person and their loved ones in mind. The circumstances surrounding the person's death is also a factor to be considered.

The preacher is to avoid two extremes in the homily. One is doing a homily that is only a eulogy without reference to the Scripture readings. The second is making the homily so general without any reference to the person's life whose resurrections is being celebrated. The homily should be aimed somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. The homilist can draw inspiration from the person's life and show how the meaning of the scripture passage was lived out in the life of the deceased. It can be an illustration of courage, faith, hope and love or some other examples. The homilist is to hold up hope around these ideas:
Life is changed, not taken away. We transcend death by dying and rising with Christ. Faith is the answer to questions about our eternal destiny. We must be careful not to convey the idea that eternal life can be earned by our own efforts. It is a gift, not a wage for our good deeds. The symbols used in the liturgy can also be incorporated - such as holy water, the covering of the casket - the pall, the cross and Paschal Candle.

We live in a culture that denies death. The homily is a time to talk about death in a faith context and to offer hope to the participants and challenge them to look at the deeper meaning of life. The homilist should avoid exaggeration in speaking about the deceased. leave canonization up to the church.

In summary, the presider and homilist can consider this:
Be yourself. Be simple. Keep listeners in mind. Confidentiality is the privilege of the deceased and family members. Don't rush the mourners. Offer the grieving persons hope.

Justice

S. Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP offers these suggestions for weaving in justice:
When choosing names, examples, stories, look for those which are the experiences of people of color, other countries, economic realities. Use words with power and color.
Examples of themes to be woven in:
- Human Dignity
- Celebration of Diversity
- Embracing cultures 
- Basic human needs, common good, family, local and global issues
- Just wage 
- Option for the poor
- Sharing power

The challenge of prophetic preaching is 
- to be true to the gospel message
- to be true to the socio-economic and political realities of the justice issues at hand
- to offer a word of truth, hope and reassurance to a community of faith that desperately needs to hear it

S. Regina Williams shared this on Preaching:
I believe that the homily is an act of sacred imagination, through which the preacher strives to make God real, living and concrete to a particular people, at a specific point in time, or order to inspire, comfort, and challenge them with the delights and demands of Christian discipleship. The goal of this act of sacred imagination is not to solve or resolve complex issues or questions surrounding the role of women in the church, solve the dilemmas of citizens dealing with the reality of unjust political practices, or provide the definitive path back to faith for those whose trust in religious leadership has been severely strained. Not only would the attempt violate the purpose of liturgical preaching, it is an impossibility in the time typically allotted for a Sunday homily. The goal of the homily is both simpler and more demanding, namely to place the community's burdens and challenges in the light of the Gospels and under the lens of faith.
By Bryan N. Massingale, in PREACH, January-February, 2005, pages 16 ff. (Available in Siena Center Library) 

For Lectors

STOP READING AND START PROCLAIMING  is a brand new publication that will be useful to lectors at the liturgy to be more effective proclaimers of the Word of God. "What is crucial is the role of the effective proclaimers who can "speak to the weary a word that will rouse them."   Is. 50:4 This requires that they be prepared effectively. Steps to that kind of preparation are outlined in the book. 

Stop Reading and Start Proclaiming can be purchased from Resource Publications, 160 East Virginia St., # 290, San Jose, CA 95112. Cost is  $23.95 plus Postage and Handling. Author is Douglas Leal, a Liturgical Planner and Lector Trainer in New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Preaching Committee also has the book available for local use.

PREACHING THE NEW LECTIONARY
Dianne Bergant, OP and Fr. Richard Fragomeni  covers Cycle A, B and C. available from Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN 56321. (3 separate books, one for each Cycle.)
Availabe in Siena Center Library. 

Web Sites

Some web sites worth surfing:
www.creighton.edu/collaborativeMinistry  -   Meditation and Scripture
www.jesuit.ie/prayer  -  Irish Jesuits
www.soulsearching.ie.sphome.shtml  -   Irish Jesuits for young adults and youth
www.praythenews.com  -  Indianapolis Carmelites

Preach

PREACH: Enlivening the Pastoral Art
It comes out six times a year and is published by J. S. Paluch Co., Inc., World Library Publications, 3708 River Road, Suite 400, Franklin Park, Illinois 60131-2158

There is a wide range of articles that pertain to formal preaching, people in the pew, living as disciples and more. It follows the liturgical seasons and is very readable and interesting.
Subscription rate is $42 a year prepaid.

Fr. Joe Juknialis of the Preaching Institute of St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, WI, offers this advice:

"Effective liturgical preaching is both communal and personal. So one should never presume to tell another what to preach. Only God's Spirit may do that. Thus, my working presumptions are that:

- professional preachers know how to prepare a homily;

- the best homilies flow from a preacher's own prayer;

- canned homilies should be preserved in the can and remain unopened;

- a homily is not the place for statistics regarding violence in our
  communities - there are other sources for this;

- homilies should speak to one's heart (along with having something
   worthwhile to say);

- while effective preaching does not shrink from identifying the destructive
  dynamics of our lives, namely sin, its primary purpose is to name the
  movement of God in the midst."

If you have a question, concern or name of a resource to share, please send it to: Preaching, c/o Brenda Walsh, O.P. 5635 Erie Street, Racine, WI 53402; or to bwalsh@racinedominicans.org