Spring 2020/Pasadena

PR536

Lamb

PR536: PREACHING FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE (4 Units: 160 hours). Lisa Lamb.

DESCRIPTION: PR536 is a 4-unit practicum in preaching that follows PR500 in the sequence of required preaching courses. The course provides students with an opportunity to work the “Developing” and “Mastery” levels of competence by preparing, preaching, listening to, responding to, and assessing sermons, with a particular emphasis on the skills of storytelling, metaphor, and personal witness to form vibrant communities of disciples marked by faith, hope, and love. Instructors lead students through the following steps: assessing one’s prior preaching experience; setting personal goals for the class; preparing and preaching sermons; receiving feedback on sermons and engaging in self - assessment; making specific plans for continued growth and improvement; reflecting on one’s experience during the class; setting goals for continued learning and growth in preaching after completion of the class.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course students will have demonstrated (1) competence in biblical interpretation through faithful use of the whole canon of Scripture in proclaiming the gospel; (2) capacities for engaging listeners in preaching as a formative activity in the context of worship; (3) an understanding of how the theology of the Church and its historical developments, including the practice of preaching, inform the proclamation of the gospel in the present; (4) competence in preaching as a theologically reflective practice that serves the Church’s vocation of proclaiming the gospel in the whole of life, and (5) growing competence in crafting language well, in particular images and stories which enhance the effectiveness of their sermons.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: Addresses the MDiv PLO that states “Students will have demonstrated capacities for being theologically reflective practitioners for Christian ministries.”

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion.

REQUIRED READING: 800 pages required

Hoezee, Scott. Actuality: Real Life Stories for Sermons that Matter. Abingdon Press,2014. ISBN: 978-1426765933, Pub. Price $19.99. [100 pp.] Available as an e-book on Amazon.

King, Martin Luther. Strength to Love. Fortress Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0800697402. Pub. Price $24.00. (Any edition of this OR: A Gift of Love, Penguin/Random House, 2012, which is same collection of sermons. ISBN:978-0807000632. Pub. Price $16.00) [100 pp.]. A Gift of Love is available as an e-book from the Fuller Library and also as a Kindle e-book.

McEntyre, Marilyn. Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. William B. Eerdmans, 2009. ISBN: 978-0802848642, Pub. Price $19.00 [150 pp.] Kindle edition available.

Pieper, Josef. On Hope. Ignatius Press, 1986. ISBN: 978-1681493619. Kindle edition available, $9.95. [100 pp.]

Ryken, Leland. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. InterVarsity Press, 1998. ISBN: 978-0830814510, Pub. Price $60.00. Kindle edition available, $34.99. [50 pp. assigned.] Available as an e-book from Fuller Library.

Willobee, Sondra. The Write Stuff: Crafting Sermons that Capture and Convince. Westminster John Knox, 2009. ISBN: 978-0664232818, Pub. Price: $20.00. Kindle edition available. [100 pp. assigned.]

Wilson-Kastner, Paula. Imagery for Preaching. Fortress Press, 1989. ISBN: 978-0800611507. Out of print but available in Pasadena Reserves, and used on Amazon and Alibris. [100 pp. assigned]

Three articles will be made available with digital links, and a selection of poems and sermons will be in a resource area of the Canvas page. [100 pp. total.]

(It is also assumed that students will read 30+ pages of scholarly reading in preparation for each sermon, which will be documented in the bibliography of their exegetical notes).

RECOMMENDED READING:

Austin, Michael, and Geivett, R. Douglas. Being Good: Christian Virtues for Everyday Life. William B. Eerdmans, 2012. ISBN: 978-0802865656, Pub. Price $26.00 [200 pp.]

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, ed. Isabel Best. Collected Sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Fortress Press, 2012. E-book through Fuller Library: ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/fuller/detail.action?docID=1084792.

Buechner, Frederick. Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale. Harper and Row, 1977. ISBN: 978-0060611569, Pub. Price $17.99.

Donoghue, Denis. Metaphor. Harvard University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780674430662. Pub. Price $24.95. Available in Fuller Library as an e-book.

Lischer, Richard. The End of Words. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802862808, Pub. Price $16.00.

Lowry, Eugene. The Homiletical Plot: The Sermon as Narrative Art Form. John Knox Press, 1975. ISBN: 978-0664222642, Pub. Price $25.00.

Taylor, Barbara Brown. The Seeds of Heaven: Sermons on the Gospel of Matthew. Westminster John Knox Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0664228866, Pub. Price $18.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 800 pages of required reading (12%). [This assignment is related to outcomes # 1, 2, 3, 4] [40 hours]. This will be assessed by one book report and two Canvas posts.
2. Prepare and preach three (3) sermons and provide exegetical notes and self-assessment for each. First sermon will have the goal of strengthening faith in listeners and will incorporate a metaphor, ideally working with an image in the Scriptural text. Second sermon will have the goal of nurturing hope and will include a moment of personal witness. Third sermon will have the goal of inspiring listeners to love God and/or people more, and a portion of the sermon will tell a true story (current or historical). (66%). Students will choose at least one sermon to deliver from only one page of notes (400 words maximum). As time allows, students are encouraged to integrate some art, song, etc. into their sermons. [This assignment is related to outcomes #1, 2, 4]. [66 hours].
3. Write self-evaluations of first two sermons. (10% total). [This assignment is related to outcome #4] [4 hours].
4. Word of Witness: Write and deliver a five-minute testimony of a time when faith, hope, or love was tested and strengthened through an event in the student’s life. Students will share this in class our second meeting, with minimal notes (one small card). (2%). [This assignment is related to outcome # 4] [2 hours].
5. Write a 1200-word paper that first reflects theologically on the third sermon in light of the course objectives and readings. The paper will then reflect theologically on the student’s vocational plans to serve God’s mission through the ministry of the Word, and the church’s calling to proclaim the gospel in all of life. The paper will integrate course content, and will conclude with goals for continued growth in the practice of preaching. (10%). [This assignment is related to outcomes # 1, 4]. [8 hours]. This is the Signature Assignment. Please see Signature Assignment Rubric for more information.
6. Attend and/or participate in all class sessions, which will include peer and professor evaluations and responses to sermons. Due to the practicum nature of this course, students may not miss more than four hours of class for any reason and pass this course. First excused absence with work made up will not be penalized; second is penalized, third is not allowed. [This assignment is related to outcomes # 1, 2, 3, 4]. [40 hours].

PREREQUISITES: PR500. It is recommended that students take preaching courses towards the end of their program.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the P1 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets the core requirement in Preaching and Communication (MIN2) in the 144 MDiv program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.