Feasting in a Famine of the Word

The Lord warns of a ""famine . . . of hearing the word of the Lord"" (Amos 8:11). Has this warning come to pass in our day? There is no shortage of preachers, but how often do they miss the mark in actually delivering the word of God to their hearers, leaving them hungry? The authors of these essays seek to equip preachers with resources to offer their hearers a rich feast from the word of the Lord. Writing from a Lutheran perspective, contributors from across the globe provide a fresh approach to preaching. These authors represent seasoned pastors and professors as well as young scholars. All are actively preaching and teaching God's word on a regular basis. This book covers a wide range of topics relating to preaching--from the scriptural background and hermeneutical issues to historical examples of notable preachers, and also practical guides to crafting and delivering a sermon. These essays will assist preachers in proclaiming God's word in a manner that provides a feast for those living in a famine-stricken world. ""It's no secret that preaching has fallen on hard times in our day. But help is on the way. In this book preachers will be both challenged and equipped for a task humanly impossible: to faithfully proclaim glad tidings in a world of hurt and despair. Woven like a golden thread throughout is the distinctly Lutheran conviction that the Word of God is living and active to both kill and make alive in Christ Jesus."" --Harold L. Senkbeil, Executive Director for Spiritual Care, Doxology: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel Mark W. Birkholz is Pastor of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Jacob Corzine is Campus Minister at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa. Jonathan Mumme is Assistant Professor of Theology at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin.