What does “faith” mean?
Please note, this post has been re-posted from an earlier blog that was maintained by the Faithful Preaching Project before it became part of the Sharing Faith Initiative. These posts have been re-shared to maintain the full story of the grant initiative.
In our last newsletter, we asked our correspondents to share stories about sermons and faith and Rev. Dewey Johnson (MDiv'75) shared this memory:
Dr. Stuart Currie once sponsored a contest amongst seminary professors as to what a sermon was. Very few responded. His definition is this: "A sermon is an address based upon scripture that presents the good news in such a way that the hearer is called upon to respond in faith."
Do you have more stories that you’d like preachers to know about the connection between faith and preaching, or how you experienced faith in a sermon? Please send your words (100-150 total) our way and they just may make it into a future newsletter!
Our Clergy Cohort has met online this summer, discussing preaching, coaching, and faith, among other things. Participants discussed the importance of faith and its multifaceted nature, and how to listen for the “sound of the genuine” as suggested by Howard Thurman. The coaches brainstormed ideas of what faith might mean and shared their list with the group:
“Faith” can be experienced as
Belief
Feeling dependent
Trust
Way of Life
Ritual
Relationship
Loyalty
Peace
Vulnerability
Tradition
Optimism
Judgment
Justice
Salvation
Redemption
Individual or Communal
Worship
Devotion
Prayer
Bible-reading
Meditation
Being in nature
Both FPP cohorts - Clergy and Lay Preacher - will be in full swing by September!
In addition to the excitement around our two cohorts of preachers, the Faithful Preaching Project looks forward to our first preaching workshop this fall…and you are invited to attend. The workshop is free and open to all interested preachers. The workshop will be held in person on campus and streamed to Zoom for an interactive online experience. We hope you can join us!
Workshop Title: "Preacher and Artist: Using Actor Training Methodology for Embodied Preaching"
Date: Saturday, November 2, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Lunch break from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.)
Description
Wrapped in humbled flesh, preachers are bodied vessels who miraculously proclaim, “Thus saith the Lord.” How can embodied practices expand the holistic spiritual practice of preaching preparation and proclamation? How can these practices form the preacher? This session will introduce activities based on actor training methodology that put theology and theories of embodied preaching on their feet. Participants are invited to explore enhancing their biblical, theological, and practical preaching practices with holistic embodiment techniques.
About the Workshop Facilitator
Rev. Dr. Jaclyn P. Williams is a professor of the practice of preaching and chaplaincy in the School of Mission and Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in California. With degrees in both theology and theater, Dr. Williams has also worked as a professional actor and performing artist. Her research interests include incarnational and embodied preaching, performing artist training as spiritual practice, and resiliency resources in pastoral and spiritual care practice. Dr. Williams is a chaplain and an ordained American Baptist minister.
Ways to attend the workshop
Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
1) In-Person on the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Campus
Dr. Williams will be on campus at Austin Seminary to lead the workshop. The in-person component will be held in Wright Hall of the Mary B. and Robert J. Wright Learning and Information Center, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m. Attendance is free and lunch will be provided.
Our in-person capacity is limited to 100 people, so if you know that you want to attend on campus, book now! If you are unsure if you can make it in person, please register online so that space can be available for someone attending in-person.
Click here to register for IN-PERSON Workshop
2) Online through Zoom
The workshop will be available for interactive online attendance through Zoom. Online participants will receive digital worksheets by email and be invited to participate in break-out discussion groups over Zoom. The workshop will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. Attendance is free and a lunch break will be from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
We’d like to take a minute to send a word of thanks to some of the Austin Seminary employees who really helped us get the Faithful Preaching Project up and running this year:
Jeff Sanchez: initial setting up with website, blog, and newsletter
David Perry: connecting us with laptops and IT support
JR Barden: assisting with workshop registrations and member data
Rodrigo Leal: setting up our online class portals
Thank you for all of your great help as we launched our project!