Preachers on Preaching

Matt talks to the pastor of First Grace UMC in New Orleans about merging a black church and a white church together, preaching in a racially diverse congregation, and how context informs mission.

Matt talks to Julian DeShazier, pastor and hip-hop emcee, about being an artist-preacher, churches nurturing their youth’s talents, and the pastor as custodian.

Matt talks to Doug Pagitt, founder of Solomon’s Porch, about embracing contemporary culture, a participatory approach to preaching, and everyone acting like pastors.

Matt talks to Bill Borden, who teaches psychiatry at the University of Chicago, about transference, unintentional provocations, and Donald Winnicott’s wisdom for preachers.

Matt talks to Emily Scott, pastor of Saint Lydia's church in Brooklyn, about dinner table liturgy, the immediacy of homiletic dialogue, and writing sermons to elicit storytelling.

Matt talks to the Union Theological Seminary president about the church and Trump, "unending" sermon endings, and her book Trauma and Grace.

Matt talks to the pastor of Hope CRC in Oak Forest, Illinois, about writing sermons as a person with ADD, being a theological outlier, and deep personal loss.

Matt talks to the chair of homiletics at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago about homiletical theory, teaching preaching as a preacher, and whether or not some students are "naturals."

Matt talks to the pastor of Riverside Church in Webster Groves, Missouri, about liberal-conservative distinctions, using failure well, and growing slower.

Matt talks to the senior minister of The Table UCC in La Mesa about being a black woman in a predominantly white congregation, owning guns and preaching against them, and the influence of standup comedy.

Matt talks to the senior minister of Tenth Church in Vancouver about Canadian evangelicalism, becoming a preacher, and swimming as sermon prep.

This episode consists of some of our favorite moments from the first 12 episodes, which aired in the fall of 2015. Matt will be back with new interviews with preachers starting next week.

Matt talks to the senior pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist in Philadelphia about being the first female pastor there, the clash between her Pentecostal background and her religious studies education, and the false choice between good news and lament.

Matt talks to the pastor of Arbor Dale Presbyterian in Banner Elk, North Carolina, about weekly preaching, the preaching persona, and Tee’s unique method of sermon prep.

Matt talks to the president of Sojourners about radical student politics, preaching at Davos, and activism as a form of proclamation.

Matt talks to the McCormick Theological Seminary professor about liberationist preaching, being a missionary in the U.S., and prophetic preaching vs. moralistic finger-wagging.

Matt talks to the founder of Mishkan Chicago about Protestant vs. Jewish preaching, how to avoid a cult of personality, and what churches can learn from a Jewish faith community’s success.

Matt talks to the writer and Yale Divinity School faculty member about poetry in preaching, whether scripture has unique revelatory power, naming the despair of churchgoers, and the centrality of Christ. 

Matt talks to the Judson Memorial Church pastor about her childhood in the LCMS, the unique challenges of preaching in New York, and instances when a pastoral care matter makes it straight into a sermon.

Matt talks to the Duke professor and former UMC bishop about resisting the temptation to close the gap between the Bible’s strange claims and a congregation’s expectations, and about following a really good preacher into a new church.