Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

In my first sermon back after my sabbatical, I told you that I had spent part of the summer “developing a detailed proposal of a course I hope to teach at Duke Divinity School this spring called Preaching Grace on Special Occasions and planning 80% of the course.” I am happy to tell you that my offer has been accepted, and I will be a Visiting Professor at the Divinity School next semester! On Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:30 from January 15 to April 23, I will be teaching a maximum of 18 aspiring preachers, who will have already taken the basic preaching course.

I borrowed the name of the course from the subtitle of the book I am using as a basic textbook called, "What Makes This Day Different? Preaching Grace on Special Occasions." The course description in the catalogue reads: “Exploring and addressing the unique challenges and opportunities of preaching on occasions other than Sunday morning (including Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Easter, baptisms, social crises, etc.), with sustained focus on weddings and funerals.” The rationale I presented to the Academic Dean and the Curriculum Committee reads as follows:

Special worship occasions offer unique opportunities and challenges for the preacher. Whether marking individuals’ transitions (weddings, funerals, ordinations) or celebrating specific days (Easter, Thanksgiving, Mothers’ Day) or observing special circumstances (liturgical seasons, social crises, retreats), a distinctive liturgy that brings unique congregations together on a specific day calls for a distinctive word to be preached.

Congregations for such occasions (often differing widely in faith perspectives and from different geographical locations), frequently come with hearts open and already engaged. They are thus especially receptive to grace-filled preaching which connects them with the mystery of God at work in their lives. Preachers on such occasions, therefore, have a unique opportunity for good and a corresponding potential for harm – by omission or inappropriate commission.

Clergy frequently find themselves unprepared for the special demands of these occasions. Poor modeling, lack of familiar resources, and time constraints may add to this burden once they are ‘in the field.’ By taking time in their theological training, under the guidance of an active, experienced pastor, to address the issues involved and to practice such occasional preaching, they will be better able (when the time comes) to preach grace on special occasions.

I am really looking forward to this interaction with divinity students of various denominations. Formation of those who aspire to be ordained has been an interest of mine since my Jesuit days. Working with them on the nature and quality of special occasion preaching will be particularly engaging. I hope it will also be beneficial to the parish as I meet new people, face new challenges, and absorb new learning. As we all know, there is nothing like teaching something to learn it more deeply yourself!

Faithfully,
- Stephen

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