Well, here we are. This is what it means to be a Christian preacher today. Count the cost, and then get to work, but don’t mistake what this means – this means we are winning. Bi-vocational pastors be warned – what you say from the pulpit on Sunday could get you fired from your public […]
Top 13 Reasons that Unchurched People Choose a Church
Research conducted by Thom Ranier As Orthodox Christians, we have #2 (Doctrines) nailed tight. #3 is a 50/50 for visitors, but 9 out of 10 is #1 – and that is us and our preaching. It is the one thing we have absolute control over! The next time you meet a clergyman who says preaching isn’t […]
D. Min. Distance Learning Program Applications Being Accepted
Finally a program for advanced homiletics study at an Orthodox institution. This is your chance. If you take preaching seriously, you should seriously read this and consider an application. St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary here is now accepting applications from priests, chaplains, and other professionals in ministry who want to earn an accredited Doctor of Ministry […]
Why Preachers, Priests & Leaders Need To Be Online
by Albert Mohler If you are not present on the Internet, you simply do not exist, as far as anyone under thirty is concerned…[the digital world] is one of the most important arenas of leadership our generation will ever experience. If you are satisfied to lead from the past, stay out of the digital world. […]
A Letter From One Of ‘The Folks’
I have learned over the years that the best feedback about preaching comes from ‘the folks’ – the ones who actually listen (not just hear). If you are not used to getting feedback from laypeople, other than an occasional ‘attaboy’ on Sundays, I strongly recommend it. Their insights cut right to the bone of what […]
Are You Part of the Problem, or Are You Part of the Solution? An Interview with Fr. Robert Taft
by Dcn. Andrei Psarev The legacy of Archimandrite Robert Taft S.J. is so significant that no one who is seriously interested in the evolution of the Divine Liturgy can afford to ignore it. In his interview the esteemed scholar, indeed, the “patriarch” of Byzantine liturgical studies, tells us about his life-long relations with representatives of the […]
Why the Wilderness?
by Fr. John A. Peck A sermon from 2009. Often the wilderness is a dangerous place, frought with danger, anxiety, vulnerability. Out there, we are usually the prey or the victim, but it is also the place where we encounter God. Why are we meeting God in the wilderness (where else?) We are, generally speaking, […]
The Agreeableness of Preaching in the Eyes of God
by Humbert of Romans CHAPTER ONE III. Its Agreeableness in the Eyes of God To understand how much the office of preachers is pleasing to God, it is necessary to note that their discourses are like hymns. Nehemiah reports that “the singers entered upon the possession of their cities” (II Esdras 7:73) on their return […]
If The World Had No Preachers: The Necessity of Preaching
by Humbert of Romans CHAPTER ONE II. Its Necessity To know how much preaching is necessary to the world, we should remember that the souls of the Saints in heaven lift their voices before the Lord in never-ending complaint of “those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 6:11). This cry, according to the commentators, is […]
The Qualities of Preaching
by Humbert of Romans Lately I’ve been inundated with statements by well-meaning folk who claim that preaching is not important. They don’t say it directly, but that is what they mean. Usually, they back up their statements with something like the falsely attributed ‘saying of St. Francis of Assissi’ – “Go into all the world […]