Back to main page

"A trust in yourself is the height not of pride but of piety."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sermons inspired by Emerson

A sermon is a community event that is shaped at the intersection of many different forces. Among the most obvious ones are:

• the minister's advertised topic, its possibilities as well as its boundaries;
• what the congregants know about the topic;
• what's happening in the preacher's interior world, not only during the week of preparation leading up to the preaching event, but also at the time of delivery;
• the pastoral needs of the congregants that the minister is aware of;
• what's happening in the local community as well as in the larger society;
• the relationship of minister and congregation, especially the level of trust in that relationship;
• the denominational affiliation of the congregation;
• what the sermon is meant to do; and
• the liturgical norms, order of service, and long-standing practices of the congregation.

The sermons presented here were prepared for three liberal Unitarian Universalist congregations in Eastern Kansas, all with long histories of lay-leadership. The membership tends to be fiercely independent, not inclined to defer to clergy, and eager to discuss their own point of view whenever somebody else's has received the benefit of a hearing. A minister who enters such a context has a special opportunity to give ministers "a good name." It also means that certain pastoral needs are almost always present, at least with long-time members. The other thing you need to know about the sermons that I've included on this site is that, given the long-standing lecture/discussion format of these historically lay-led congregations, my sermons are intended, among other things, to be a set-up, the lead-in, or, if you will, the provocation for the congregational discussion that will follow immediately upon the conclusion of my remarks and carry the congregation (and me) to the closing words of the service 15-20 minutes later.