How to Preach the Miracles By: John E. Sumwalt

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Home » New Arrivals » How to Preach the Miracles

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How to Preach the Miracles
Why People Don't Believe Them and What You Can Do About It - Cycle A
By: John E. Sumwalt
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"How to Preach the Miracles by John Sumwalt is a lectionary book based on Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Here are some of the highlights of this lectionary book:
-  Miracles of jesus
- Preaching of miracle stories
-  Storyteller's perspective to nine miracle passages in Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary
- Numerous illustrations and tellable sermon stories, including over 30 contemporary accounts of miracles

With contemporary stories and insight into ancient texts, John Sumwalt invites readers into the mystery of God's active, palpable presence in the world. When we decide to live in God's presence, we are in position to see, hear, believe, and experience the miraculous in our daily lives.
Bishop Rueben P. Job
Author of Living Fully, Dying Well
Former editor, The Upper Room

Since modern culture explains the world through scientific rationalism, there are many people in our pews who are skeptical about miracles. No matter how credible the source, our society tends to view those who speak of miracles as purveyors of superstition and magical thinking. That presents a significant problem when discussing the resurrection and the other miracles recorded in scripture -- so what can the preacher do?

John Sumwalt says the answer is to ""begin, like Jesus did, by telling stories of the mysterious, saving presence of God. This is the realm in which Jesus did his miracle work, a dimension of reality that is readily accessible to all who are hungry for it. Tell the miracle stories from the Bible along with those that are happening in our own time."" In this fascinating volume, Sumwalt brings a storyteller's perspective to nine miracle passages in Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. His rich biblical commentary is filled with numerous illustrations and tellable sermon stories, including over 30 contemporary accounts of miracles.

In this beautifully written book, John Sumwalt shows you how to preach the miracle stories in ways that reach modern congregations. Full of warm and engaging stories, it reaches straight for the heart. This is a wonderful book that will connect you and your congregation to the scriptures in fresh ways. It's certain to warm the heart of anyone who reads it. I look forward to using it over and over again as a source for my sermons.
Deacon Eddie Ensley
Author of Prayer That Relieves Stress and Worry

From the Athor:
Preaching is miracle work for both the preacher and the congregation. For one thing, it�s a miracle that anyone chooses to preach, and it�s a miracle that anyone chooses to listen... And, for another thing, miracles happen when miracles are preached.

When I preach about miracles I assume about half of the three hundred listeners present in our services on an average Sunday morning, believe in miracles and about two thirds do not. I was never very good at math, but in this case there is some logic to my nonsense. Let's call it ""the miracle gap."" Many of those who say they believe in miracles on a Sunday morning in church would give a different answer if asked by a co-worker at the water cooler on Monday morning or at the bar after a round of golf on Saturday. Most of us who live in North America keep our religious beliefs and our every day basic assumptions about what is real in separate compartments.

I also know that of the one-half to two-thirds of those present who don't believe in miracles, some of them will bristle at the very mention of the idea. Those who speak of miracles in our scientific age are viewed by some as purveyors of superstition and magical thinking. �Just the facts, Ma�am.� Get someone to crunch the numbers, then get back to us. What�s the bottom line? That�s all we need to know. There is little room for mystery in the laboratory or the boardroom, and those who live in those worlds during the week don�t like to have it spooned out to them on Sunday mornings in church.

All of us who live in this age of reason and progress are tempted to believe it is only a matter of time before we will indeed know how to �figure everything out.� It takes a lot to knock us off our high-tech high horses. A 9/11 or a Katrina give us pause for a little while; churches fill up for a few Sundays and every one sings �God Bless America� with more fervor, but in a few days or weeks we are back on our high speed browsers, Googling our way through cyberspace, searching endlessly for the perfect site that will provide whatever is missing in our lives that will make us whole. And, ironically, this is the entry point for those of us who preach miracles.

People come to worship with deep yearnings for the holy--a longing for something they cannot name--and a feeble hope that maybe, just maybe, there really is a God who is rooting for them, and then go home to football and NASCAR, and a culture that is both oblivious and hostile to the idea of miracles. We become discouraged, cynical, our senses dulled by the mind numbing rationalism that pervades modern living; we don�t see the divine shining through all things. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, �If people don�t want to open their eyes and see the light, there is nothing we can do to stop them.�

What is the preacher of miracles to do? We can begin, like Jesus did, by telling stories of the mysterious, saving presence of God. This is the realm in which Jesus did his miracle work, a dimension of reality that cannot be Googled or downloaded, but is readily accessible to those who are hungry for it.

The task of the miracle preacher is to invite people to enter fully into this mystery that Jesus embodied, into the Spirit world in which we all live, but which few of us are able or willing to see.

Sincerely,
John Sumwalt

John E. Sumwalt is the lead pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in suburban Milwaukee. A noted storyteller and seminar leader, he is the author of nine christian books, including the acclaimed Visions series (CSS). John and his wife, Jo Perry-Sumwalt, served for three years as co-editors of the online service StoryShare www.sermonsuite.com.

How to Preach the Miracles is a Lectionary book based on Cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. "

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Customer Reviews:

Average Rating: 5 Star(s)

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Reviewed by Rev. Dr. George H. Carpenter Mechanicsburg, PA , February, 01 2008
[ Foreward by Bishop Rueben Job]
John Sumwalt and Bishop Job acknowledge a strange silence in the church's message when miraculous events are involved. As a preacher coming through seminary in the early sixties, I understand the silence. We live in a scientific world, rooted in empirical data, that seeks an explanation for that which seems beyond belief. Miracles, especially those performed by Jesus, present difficulties to be explained or, in some cases, danced around in sermons. Sumwalt provides a different vision. He unites serious biblical interpretation with a unique storytelling method in bringing a fresh perspective to these texts... I appreciate Sumwalt's willingness to approach a text from more than one angle... He has collected stories from a variety of sources to include from each text.

by Rev. Dr. George H. Carpenter
Mechanicsburg, PA
From Worship Arts; A Publication of The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, January-February, 2008, p27.

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How to Preach the Miracles
John E. Sumwalt

CSS Price: $19.95
e-book Price: $16.96

Lectionary Preaching Workbook (binder)
Russell F. Anderson

CSS Price: $49.95
e-book Price: $40.76

Sermons on the Gospel Readings
"Charles L. Aaron Jr., Lee Griess, Mark Ellingsen, Wayne Brouwer, Chris Ewing"

CSS Price: $37.95
e-book Price: $32.26

Sermons on the Second Readings
"John N. Brittain, David O. Bales, Steven E. Albertin, Larry Lange, Mary S. Lautensleger"

CSS Price: $37.95
e-book Price: $32.26

Sermons on the First Readings
"Tony S. Everett, Schuyler Rhodes, Stan Purdum, David J. Kalas, Timothy J. Smith"

CSS Price: $37.95
e-book Price: $32.26

Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit
David E. Leininger

CSS Price: $16.95
e-book Price: $14.41

Lectionary Worship Aids
Thom M. Shuman

CSS Price: $18.95
e-book Price: $16.11

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