Whatever Happened to Delight?: Preaching the Gospel in Poetry and Parables

Preaching is an art, J. Barrie Shepherd argues, and the sermon is an art form, an exercise in creativity and imagination. But all too often preaching suffers from a lack of imagination and a loss of the joy and wonder that attracted the crowds to Jesus' words two thousand years ago. In this book, based on his 2003 Beecher Lectures at Yale Divinity School, Shepherd hopes to encourage the preacher toward a more creative vision for the sermon. His approach is spontaneous, eclectic, intuitive, and daring. Shepherd's purpose is to encourage the preacher to think of life as filled with God's presence, to search for the presence, and to use images and words to unveil that presence. The end result is a sermon that is full of astonishment and delight.

Author: J. Barrie Shepherd
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Published: 06/06/2006
Pages: 168
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.54lbs
Size: 8.48h x 5.98w x 0.41d
ISBN: 9780664227814

Review Citation(s):
Christian Century 03/06/2007 pg. 42

About the Author
Shepherd, J. Barrie: - J. Barrie Shepherd retired in 2000 after serving as Senior Minister of the historic First Presbyterian Church in New York City. An author and poet, he has written twelve books, and more than 400 of his poems have appeared in sacred and secular publications.