John 1:1-18 Dear Partner in Preaching, One of the things I love about the biblical story is that it tells the truth. Which is probably why I trust that it is, in turn, true. That is, apart from the many and varied questions of historical accuracy or authorial intent and elaboration – some of which are important and others less so – the biblical story points unfailingly to something that is true. And because it tells me the truth about our life in this world, I trust that its testimony about God is similarly trustworthy, reliable, and true. And that kind of truth-telling seems particularly important these days, when there is no...

Dear Partner in Preaching, Well, it was another thrilling match-up. All the players had prepared well, sparing no expense in terms of time and effort. The stakes were high; the competition was fierce; and the whole world watched…. And, no, I’m not talking about the Super Bowl, but rather the Super Bowl commercials! I have to admit, though, that as much as I found the Budweiser puppy endearing and the Katie Couric/Bryant Gumble BMW commercial clever, nothing really equaled the uplifting quality of last year’s Duracell commercial featuring Derrick Coleman of the Seattle Seahawks. Do you remember that one? At a young age, Derrick lost his...

Do you ever worry about your prayer life? Actually, let me phrase that another way. When on those occasional moments that you think about your prayer life, do you feel like it’s inadequate? If so, then you’re in the same boat that I am. And, as it turns out, with Frederick Buechner as well. I take some comfort in that, as Buechner is one of my favorite authors and theologians. (His book Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale is one of my favorite reads of all time, any genre, and absolutely my favorite book on preaching.) And so to hear him describe his prayers as scattered and as mumbles and to confess his own...

For the last several days, I have been participating in the Toronto Preaching Festival, sponsored by the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship and a number of local congregations. It’s been a marvelous event, and I highly recommend it to folks both north and south of the 49th parallel. One of the speakers yesterday mentioned Frederick Buechner, the Presbyterian minister and author who wrote what I still think is the finest book on preaching ever written. Titled simply Telling the Truth, it’s subtitle is as telling as it is evocative: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale. It’s a remarkable book, who lyrical prose, deep insights,...