As a semi-regular feature, Pray Tell will be running “Thoughts on This Sunday,” which will be some rather informal remarks on the readings for the upcoming Sunday. These are not complete homilies or even comprehensive notes on the readings, but simply some ideas or texts to get the homiletic juices flowing.
Archive for category Homiletics
Teaching at Mass, or teaching through the Mass?
Arguing with God
Aug 3
There are a few “arguments with God” in the Bible. I have always found these stories fascinating. In the Hebrew Bible, the protagonist is a chosen friend of God, holy and righteous. When the LORD threatens destruction to human life, the protagonist protests and attempts to persuade God. The human protagonist in these stories temporarily appears to have a better grip on God’s essential character – righteous, generous, and merciful – than the LORD himself! On August 14, we meet a New Testament version in the person of the Canaanite woman.
Smarter Than You Think
May 13
“Sheep can perform executive cognitive tasks that have never been shown to exist in any other large animals apart from monkeys.”
Are the future actions mentioned in Llovera’s interview with Tornielli just the final convulsions of an unhappy reign, or might they actually come to pass?
Congregations gone wild
Aug 8
The unspoken reason why American clergy are burned out is that their congregations want sermons that entertain rather than offer moral counsel.
Could it be that it doesn’t matter how well or poorly prepared or preached a homily is, since the homilist is acting not as himself but in persona Christi? I don’t buy it.
Unholy Trinity
May 31
Let me end by quoting from the well-loved Athanasian Creed; so beloved in church lore that it’s relegated to page 846 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Preaching Easter Eve
Mar 11
Preparing to preach for the Easter Vigil? Preaching the rites of the Holy Night might just be the way to go!