Every would-be religious leader must learn to speak from the heart, from personal experience, and yet with full appreciation for the audience, the occasion, and the necessary message. Despite the difficulties of life and the realities of injustice we must bring something akin to ‘good news’ to the weary. This experiential course will encourage practices that contribute to conceiving, developing, writing and extemporizing sermons and other public utterances grounded in personal authenticity, full of moral authority, and aimed at transformative effectiveness. The instructor has led the UUA, congregations in every part of the US, taught the practice of ministry in multiple seminaries — and written a number of books, none of which will be assigned! Humor, self-awareness, presence, and persuasive power will be the hallmarks of this course in practical homiletics.
