Tag: preaching
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Stephen King’s Advice for Preachers
Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing, is popular among writers seeking to improve their craft. But it wasn’t until I read Maggie Zhang’s article, “22 Lessons from Stephen King on how to be a great writer”, that I realized preachers could learn a lot from King too. Read the full list of practical advice for yourself. […]
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In the Valley of the Creative Process
I am in the middle of writing my sermon for our upcoming Baccalaureate service. I have a great beginning, a muddled mess for a middle and no conclusion. Yet the day is fast approaching when I must deliver this creative work. So I am feeling anxious. Last week I listened to a podcast on “Overcoming […]
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Refusing to let God Vanish
A poet friend posted this quote to Facebook last week. It was the anniversary of a difficult miscarriage and she posted this as a prayer that her grief enlarges instead of diminishes her. This struck me as a beautiful sentiment and so typical of a poet. I keep turning to the poets for the way […]
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Bringing it on Home: How to Write a Good Ending
I have written and rewritten the ending to a new article about a hundred times and it still isn’t right. So I decided to pull one of my favorite writing books off the shelf for help and guidance. One of my teachers at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival told me about William Zinsser’s “On Writing […]
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Pulpit Courage
I have been thinking lately about Dr. Brad Braxton’s comment that “the American pulpit could use a healthy dose of courage” as I contemplate two upcoming sermons. I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Braxton, but my inner editor is already shooting off warning flares about some of the things I plan to say. This Sunday I […]
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A Preacher’s Anxiety
I’m excited to share another article of mine published in the June 24th issue of The Christian Century, A Preacher’s Anxiety: Between Panic and Pride. All my life I have wanted to write for this extraordinary magazine. Still hard to believe this is real!
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Preaching Death
Although I love to write, the sermons I post here on my blog are meant to be heard. So instead of posting the text for my most recent sermon, I decided to share the podcast. You can hear me preaching my Ash Wednesday sermon by following this link. The sermon is called “Choose Life” and it […]
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A New Mantra: No Big Deal
I preached a dog of a sermon this past Sunday. Walking that dog for fifteen minutes in front of my small congregation was exhausting. I was working hard to connect—but since I was disconnected from my sermon, so was the congregation. Some people politely feigned attention, which I appreciated. Others stared out the church windows […]
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Following a Star–A Christmas Sermon
What follows is my sermon, “Following a Star” from our Monmouth College Christmas Convocation based on Matthew 2:1-12. Writing a sermon for me is like following a star that has suddenly risen in the night sky. When I begin this journey, scripture text in hand, I have no idea where I am being led. I have […]
Teri McDowell Ott 