The homilies in this blog are the posts. They should not be seen as sermons to be preached. They are designed to be thought-provoking and sermon starters. If used as sermon material it is expected that they will be expanded upon and enriched with the preacher’s insights on the needs and concerns of the local congregation.
Sermons require a great deal of preparation. The busy pastor has much work to do outside of sermon preparation. One of the hardest things parts of any sermon is simply getting started. The lectionary, of course, is helpful. It suggests certain themes based on the appointed readings. The Holy Spirit will bring out one or two of these themes and will speak directly to you about them.
Time must be set aside for prayerful reading of the scriptures and personal reflection. (Careful exegesis should not be overlooked.) The ideal situation is when the preacher is able to extract a kernel of revelation by the Spirit on which to build the sermon. In this way the preaching becomes more than a sermon. It will be a prophetic word with divine wisdom. These homilies attempt to be such a kernel which the writer believes has been received from God. The homilies are incomplete, but they may suggest some food for thought. It the preacher is already rushed, they will help in providing a starting point – nothing more.
Homilies are provided for Sundays and major Holy Days. Please feel free to use them to assist you in your sermon preparation. Please do not copy these homilies verbatim. They were not designed to be read aloud or published in any way.
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Preaching the Lectionary 