Dear Partner in Preaching, If there was ever a parable that helped make the faith we preach on Sunday useful to our people Monday through Saturday, this is probably it. Before jumping into the parable itself, though, I should probably say a word about what I mean by “useful.” Some, I know, may object to such a pragmatic, even utilitarian word to talk about the faith. After all, shouldn’t we believe just because, well, we should, without seeking any tangible benefit and outcome? Maybe, at least in an ideal world. But one of things I’ve learned both through parish ministry and, more recently, through research on congregational vibrancy...

You may have heard that television personality and media mogul Oprah Winfrey caused a stir recently when she seemed to dismiss Diana Nyad’s claim that she was an atheist. Nyad, who had recently completed a 53-hour solo swim from Cuba to Florida, appeared on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday program. At point during the interview she said, “I can stand at the beach’s edge with the most devout Christian, Jew, Buddhist, go on down the line, and weep with the beauty of this universe and be moved by all of humanity. All the billions of people who have lived before us, who have loved and hurt and suffered. So to me, my definition of God is...