I will be making a presentation to a seminary class

I will be making a presentation to a seminary class in preaching in a couple days. Dr. Shauna Hannan’s invitation to talk with her basic homiletics class at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary honors and excites me. Christian Proclamation is the course title, and Dr. Hannan has asked me to use my Sunday by Sunday series and writing experiences to talk about "Preaching and the Christian Year" and "Scripture and Preaching." The 32 students represent several denominations, some with strong liturgical traditions and others more free wheeling in worship.

Already, I have great admiration for these future preachers even though I haven’t met most of them. What courage, to be willing to proclaim the Word of God! Their presence in seminary indicates a seriousness about the disciplines required to perform this holy task: deep study of Scripture; prayer; contextual awareness and sensitivity; devotion to a God who creates, loves, saves, sustains, and inspires us; and enthusiasm about sharing that great news.

My input is only part of the experience, of course. Another part of the equation is the students, and I am eager to hear their responses and observations. And then, there is the presence and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I expect that we will have great fun as we learn together and share the joy of our common faith.

I’m a bit apprehensive about the opportunity--about being well-prepared and relevant. But, again, it doesn’t all depend on me. This thought from Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki in The Whispered Word, quoted in one of the course textbooks is calming and helps us maintain a proper perspective on our efforts: “For all you know, God may find a mustard seed in your miserable sermon for someone’s consolation…”

On Friday, I’ll blog about what happened!