I had a great time talking with Pod Only Knows out of Wesley Memorial UMC out of Wilmington. We touch on preaching, listening to preaching, and goings-on in the American church.

Psalm 66 is an invitation to worship God. But it’s not just an invitation for us: it’s an invitation for all of creation to join in praise unto our God.

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth!”

Thanks to A Sermon for Every Sunday for this sermon. I do hope you’ll enjoy!

C32: The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C (2019)

Here’s a a Pentecost Sunday sermon called “The Holy Spirit Helps Us” based on John 14:8-17. I ask the question: “How do we get to know God?”  Through Jesus!  “How do we continue getting to know God and God’s will for us and the world?”  Through the Holy Spirit! But what does the Holy Spirit do? I hope you hear the good news that we are not alone in this world!

C28: The Day of Pentecost, Year C (2019)

What a privilege it was to preach at Saint Peter’s Anglican Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina this weekend. The assigned gospel afforded me the opportunity to preach about the Holy Spirit

I had an enjoyable conversation with my good friend, James Howell, about the joys of biblical preaching. And afterwards, one of my star students, Taylor Pryde Barefoot talks about her ministry in Charlotte.

“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.

https://rickleejames.substack.com/p/episode-469-will-willimon-listeners?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo2NDkyODkzLCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MjQ3Mzc0MSwiXyI6InJJSWxjIiwiaWF0IjoxNjUyOTYxNTc3LCJleHAiOjE2NTI5NjUxNzcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzM0NzkiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.M9uay9jIfHP0iLbTXFSKtqTLr9OYThzH8yt3vkglg98&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&s=r#details

You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Listeners-Dare-Hearing-God-Sermon/dp/1791023983/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1648843001&refinements=p_66%3A9781791023980&s=books&sr=1-1

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 my celebration of the ways in which God gets through to people through sermons. I offer help for listeners seeking to get more out of sermons and for preachers who must listen to their listeners. Christians are those who have dared to listen for a word from the Lord and have heard that word in Jesus Christ. Listening to sermons is a major way that God gets through to God’s people.

You can hear more about the book in the short video below!

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.