http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/476993803

Preaching through our troubles : how preachers use their sermons to heal in times of intense personal challenges

This project examined ways in which experienced preachers have used their regular Sunday sermons to work through their human struggles, both personal and professional. An examination of the current and past pastoral care and homiletical literature was conducted, followed by twenty interviews with experienced United Methodist elders who preach every Sunday. These preachers were suggested for this project by their district superintendents, their ecclesiastical supervisors, based on their understanding ofthe good to excellent quality of their preaching. The introduction defines the issue, asks questions that were answered in the course of the research, explains the genesis of this study, and describes the methodology used. The first chapter is a review ofthe pastoral care and homiletic literature,. Stress and burnout in preache~s inhibit the effectiveness of a clergy's work product and ability to care for the people they serve. Preaching to help both the congregation and the preacher's mental health was examined in the literature. The second chapter is an analysis of the interviews conducted of experienced preachers. Five major responses were identified, four of which indicate that preaching is valuable to the preacher both as a source of spiritual growth and also as a way of working through their own human struggles. All ofthe preachers were aware ofthe need for boundaries around sharing their struggles. All of the preachers were concerned about the scripture, their congregations' needs, and not making themselves the point of their sermons. The third chapter is an analysis of the sermons submitted, all of which are included in Appendix C. Each sermon was preached on a Sunday morning without regard to any further analysis. Each sennon was preached on a Sunday that immediately following a difficult life event in the life ofthe preacher was and prior to the complete integration of the event into the preacher's life and theology. These sennons are instructive insights into the theology of four very good, experienced, preachers. The fourth chapter includes a summation ofthe research results, recommendations for preachers, and direction for further study. It was discovered in both the literature and in interviews that preachers relate to the topics they preach about. Further, preachers can and do utilize their sennons to bring comfort and healing to the congregation and themselves as preacher.

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