Author Archives: willwillimon

“Listening is a human skill, but as God’s word is proclaimed, the hearer experiences a vocal mix of preacher, listener, and God.” Thanks, Rick, for having me on to talk about Listeners Dare. You can listen to our conversation below.

“The gospel is news that passes from the lips of one who has heard to the ears of one who has not yet heard, then (God willing) it burrows in the soul, energizing the hands in daring response to a word received. Preaching is instigated by an astounding claim: Good news; God has spoken toContinue reading “Listeners Dare on Crackers & Grape Juice”

This month, Abindgon Press publishes my new book, Listeners Dare: Hearing God in the Sermon. It’s my attempt to think about preaching from the listener’s perspective and to give sermon listeners help in getting more out of sermons.  In five decades of preaching and teaching preaching, I’ve learned to respect preaching as a demanding practice for listeners. Listeners Dare is myContinue reading “Release of Listeners Dare: Hearing God in the Sermon”

It was great to be preaching in one of my favorite churches, Grace Church Cathedral in Charleston, a vibrant church that is leading the way for episcopal renewal. It was low Sunday and the churches year, the Sunday after Easter, but few services at Grace are low!

I was part of the video sermon at White Plains United Methodist Church in Raleigh this past Sunday. Here’s a portion of that interview.

I had the opportunity to join Rev. Will Wold on “Preacher Lab” last week to talk all things preaching: using Scripture, preaching length, the use of humor, and even “mic drop” endings. Thanks again for having me on. Hope you’ll listen and enjoy. You can listen to it on any podcast streaming service by searchingContinue reading ““Preacher Lab” with Will Wold”

It can be a strange thing to preach in your hometown for your home congregation. Jesus himself ran into a little, uh, flack in his own homecoming sermon in Luke’s Gospel. I hope you’ll watch and enjoy!

I hope you’ll watch this sermon on “vocation,” a word in the Christian vocabulary that often prompts a number of questions for us as Christ-followers. Let’s see what Luke’s Gospel has for us in defining this term…

Here’s a sermon for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. I try to channel Jesus’ own spirit of stirring up a congregation to think differently as is present to us in Luke’s Gospel, the fourth chapter. Join me in seeing the congregation’s response to Preacher Jesus. Enjoy!

When the news of Bishop Tutu’s death reached me, my mind went back to 1986 when Bishop Tutu honored me and Duke Chapel by a visit. The regional TV was eager to broadcast. Trouble was, Bishop Tutu was delayed in Atlanta while meeting with Coretta Scott King and so we started the service that night,Continue reading “In Memory of Archbishop Desmond Tutu”