Tag: advice-for-a-sermon

  • Preaching Paths  1 March 2026

     Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological  Seminary                   The encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, a leading Jerusalem Pharisee, is presented as a dialogue—even a sort of interview. Nicodemus’s queries are so brief as to function simply as prompts for sections of Jesus’ discourse, the first of several such discourses in John’s gospel.                   In…

  • Preaching Paths 8 February 2026 5th Sunday after Epiphany

    Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel text, Mt 5:13-20, introduces two well-known themes in the Sermon on the Mount. In vv 13-16, Jesus uses metaphors of salt and light to describe his disciples’ role as witnesses to the reign of heaven he ushers into the world. Vv 17-20 concern upholding Jewish…

  • Preaching Paths 1 February 2026

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-12,  open the three-chapter “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew (chapters 5-7). These promises of blessing to the “poor in spirit,” the “pure in heart,” the “meek,” mourners, and “peacemakers” have been beloved to Christians down the centuries. At the end of time, says…

  • Preaching Paths 25 January 2026, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Yr A

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s Gospel reading, Mt 4:12-23, opens with the inauguration of Jesus’ preaching and healing ministry. After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (4:1-11), he learns that John the Baptist has been arrested and thrown into prison by Herod. Jesus, recognizing that it is dangerous to preach news of…

  • Preaching Paths 18 January 2026 Second Sunday after the Epiphany Yr A

    Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Today’s gospel reading, John 1:29-42, is part of the “bridge” that connects the opening prologue of the gospel (1:1-18) to the Book of “Signs” (miraculous acts), and accompanying discourses, that comprise much of this gospel. After clarifying in 1:19-28 that he himself is not the Messiah, John…

  • Preaching Paths 11 Jan 2026 Baptism of Our Lord Yr A

    Sally A Brown, Professor of Preaching Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary We learn in the verses immediately preceding today’s text that crowds gathered at the Jordan both fascinated and terrified by John’s message of an imminent divine epiphany, a day of reckoning. John adjures them to “repent and be baptized.” According to Jewish law, one could…

  • Preaching Paths 4 January 2026, 2nd Sunday after Christmas, Yr A

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Through Advent, Christmas Day, and the first Sunday of Christmastide, the preacher’s task has been to trace the ministry of John the Baptist, as well as Joseph’s crucial role, in the story of the arrival of Jesus, God’s Anointed One (Messiah). This week, we turn to John’s…

  • Preaching Paths, 28 December 2025, First Sunday after Christmas Yr A

    Sally A. Brown, Professor of Preaching and Worship Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary On the first Sunday after Christmas, the designers of the lectionary present us—rather awkwardly—with Matthew 2:13-23, the story of Herod’s slaughter of every baby boy in Bethlehem, aged two or younger. We learn, too, how Joseph is guided in dreams to take two…

  • Preaching Paths 14 December 2025 Advent 3 Year A

    Sally A Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary The gospel reading for this third Sunday in Advent, Year A, Mt 11:2-11, can be jarring for preachers, to say nothing of their prospective listeners. What merit is there in forcing ourselves to grapple with the consternation of John the Baptist, locked and silenced in Herod’s prison,…

  • Preaching Paths 7 December 2025 Advent 2 Year A

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Once again, as is customary on the Second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist strides into our December landscapes of twinkling, colored lights like an unwelcome guest at a party. He is dressed in the shaggy pelt of a camel. He prefers locusts to Christmas sweets (Mt…