When I was a child we nearly always called the minister of our church “the preacher.” Later, when I went to seminary to become a minister myself, that’s what I most wanted to be—"the preacher.” In fact, preaching became so important to me that, a few years after finishing seminary, I went on and completed a Doctor of Ministry in homiletics (preaching).

 

I have been formed as a preacher by the Reformed and Dominican (Catholic) traditions, which is to say that I take the biblical text and its theological implications quite seriously. My time among the Dominicans and my years in spiritual direction have also taught me to approach the text not only with the rigorous study that is so valued in the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition, but also with an attitude of profound prayer.  I try never to preach without first hearing a Word for myself in the text. I also take seriously the hearers’ need not to be bored! I prepare to preach with the words of one of my seminary professors ringing in my ears— “Don’t be boring! Don’t be boring! Be wrong! But don’t be boring!” 

 

After preaching for 25 years in pastoral ministry, I became more of a free-range preacher. I am available now to preach in varieties of contexts and have the freedom to travel in order to do so.