Congregational Preaching
Homiletics 661B
Syllabus
Fall Term
Class Sessions: Thursdays, 1:30 PM - 3:20 PM
Prof. David Schnasa Jacobsen
Phone: 519-884-1970, x3493
E-mail: djacobse@wlu.ca
Office Hours: by appointment, or when the door is open...
Learning Goals:
This course is designed with recurring parish preaching in view. It
presupposes the Sunday to Sunday work of the parish pastor in preaching and the
probability of recurring situations in which the gospel (the “good news,” not
the final lection in the ecumenical order) must be preached in a way both clear
and arresting. To deal with both of these presuppositions, the course will deal
with preaching the gospel when some situational feature of congregational life
demands attention.
In whatever situation, the preaching task will be viewed as a theological one, i.e., as an opportunity for discerning the import of and articulating the gospel anew in a given situation. Thus students will be equipped to be "theologians of the Word" who can interpret situations from a variety of viewpoints, evaluate the usefulness of various tools for preaching in light of the gospel and then employ them fruitfully. In order to do this, we will work on the following tools:
1. Bringing to critical awareness our own
understandings of the gospel,
2. Developing skills and resources as theologians in
residence in a parish, and
3. Developing skills and resources as homiletical
exegetes of situations.
As a result students should develop greater pastoral sensitivity, rhetorical savvy and think-on-your-feet theological acumen while preparing for preaching in a congregation. To meet these learning goals, the instructor is more than happy to help students individually.
Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to
contact Laurier's Special Needs Office for information regarding its services
and resources. Students are encouraged to review the Calendar for information
regarding all services available on campus.
Required Texts:
Allen, Ron. Patterns of Preaching: A Sermon Sampler.
Hedahl, Susan. Preaching
the Wedding Sermon.
Hughes, Robert. A Trumpet in Darkness: Preaching to Mourners. Mifflintown: Sigler, 1997.
McClure, John
and Nancy Ramsay, eds.
Telling the Truth.
Recommended Text (for extra credit book review):
Hilkert, Mary Catherine. Naming Grace.
Schedule:
Session
1 (September 11) First Hour: Review of Syllabus and Course
Requirements
Second Hour: Lecture/Discussion on the
Hermeneutical Spiral
For next
session read Kelly handout
Session
2 (September 18) First Hour: Theology of the Gospel
Second Hour: Models of Situational
Sermons
Review
chapters 8 and 22-29 in Allen’s Patterns of Preaching
Session
3 (September 25) Guest presenters:
Rev. Nancy Kelly, Rev. Bill Schafer
For next
session prepare Assignment #1
Session
4 (October 2) Hand in and
present Assignment #1 in class
For next
session read Hughes’ A Trumpet in Darkness
Session 5 (October 9) First Hour: Discuss
Hughes’ book
Second
Hour: Preaching the Gospel in Funeral
Homilies
For next
session prepare Assignment #2, a funeral homily based on a case study
Session
6 (October 16) Both hours: Assignment
#2, Funeral homilies in class
For next
session read Hedahl’s Preaching the Wedding Sermon
Session
7 (October 23) First Hour: Discuss
Hedahl’s Book
Second Hour: Preaching the Gospel in
Wedding Homilies
For next
session prepare Assignment #3, a wedding homily based on a case study
Session 8 (October 30) Both Hours: Assignment #3, Wedding homilies
____________
Session
9 (November 6) First Hour: Gospel and Situations
Second
Hour: Situational Preaching Models.
Before
next session review Allen and choose one situational sermon model or develop
your own for your presentation and sermon in class in consultation with
instructors
Session
10 (November 13) Situational
Sermon Presentations ( ____ ____ )
Session
11 (November 20) Guest Session with
Prof. Allen Jorgensen: Resources for
Theologians in Residence in the Parish (That’s you!)
Session
12 (November 27) Situational
Sermon Presentations ( ____ ____ )
Session 13 (December 4) First Hour: Situational Sermon Presentations, if needed
Second
Hour: Evaluations and Eschatological
Party Time
Assignments:
Assignment #1: Your Theology of the Gospel
Bring a one or two page statement of your theology of the gospel, make
copies for all the class, and prepare to present and field questions on it. The
assumption in our class is that a clear understanding of the gospel we preach
is important for responding homiletically to situations. So tell us: what is
the gospel? You may use an image or
story to supplement your theological language and claims.
Date Due: Session 4 (October 2)--Grade: 10%
Assignment #2:
Funeral Homily
Prepare a five to ten minute funeral homily for class based on a case study that you will describe to the class before preaching. The case study should represent a funeral situation that could plausibly occur in a context you might serve. Sermons will be graded on their ability to articulate the gospel in light of the life of the deceased and the pastoral-theological context. A manuscript of your homily with a brief one-page description of your case study is due to your instructor’s box at 1 PM the day before class (Wednesday).
Date Due: day before Session 6 (October 15)–Grade:
20%
Assignment #3: Wedding Homily
Prepare a five to ten minute wedding homily for class based
on a case study that you will describe to the class before preaching. The case study should represent a wedding
situation that could plausibly occur in a context you might serve. Sermons will be graded on their ability to
articulate the gospel in light of the life of the couple’s relationship and the
wider pastoral-theological context. A
manuscript of your homily with a brief one-page description of your case study
is due to your instructor’s box at 1 PM the day before class (Wednesday).
Date Due: day before Session 8 (October 29)–Grade:
30%
Assignment #4: Situational Sermon Presentation
The
situation you choose should represent a situation that could plausibly occur in
a context you might serve. Student
presentations on parish situations will need to include three components:
(1) A photocopy for each student in class of your annotated bibliography of
homiletical resources for your topic in the library. This way, everyone will
already have a file on hand for several pastoral and liturgical situations in
your first parish or internship. As you assemble and write the bibliography,
try to think what might be helpful to a parish pastor in a given situation (5
min.).
(2) A brief presentation (10-15 min.) on the topic that treats:
a)
theological issues (which theological loci are
involved?)
b) pastoral, contextual, and situational issues
c) homiletical problems, goals, and strategies for reaching those goals
d) necessary planning and follow-through in the congregation
(3) A sermon manuscript for or in that situation to be preached in class (10-15
min.).
Sermon
manuscripts are to be handed in to your professor's office by 1 PM the day
before you preach (that means Wednesday!). For the sermon in this track we will
be trying out one of Ron Allen's various schemas for topical preaching or one
that you agree upon with David. The sermon will be graded in light of its
theological adequacy and homiletical fit and effectiveness. Above all, however,
each sermon will be graded by how well hearers hear the gospel. Therefore, we
will also take a few minutes minutes after each sermon
for all of us to respond.
Date
Due: day before Session 10, 12 or 13 (Nov. 12, Nov 26, or Dec 3 by 1 PM)–Grade:
40% of total
Possible
Topics for Assignment #4
Community/Nation Crisis Preaching
Congregational Crisis Preaching
Preaching on Social Issues
Doctrinal Sermon
Preaching on Conflict
Contentious Issues
Preaching on the Sacraments
Evangelistic Preaching
Stewardship Sermon
Childrens’ Sermons
Grading
Fear not. Grading is designed to maximize possibilities for growth in learning. Really.
There are two ways of getting a good grade. The obvious one is to do well on all of the assignments. Since the percentage weight increases with each assignment there is margin for error. Ergo, feel free to sin boldly.
Students who also demonstrate a clear improvement in their work by the end of the semester will also be eligible for a higher grade. But don't try dogging the first one as a way of getting by cheaply at the end.
The upshot is that students should try their best. A bad grade for any one assignment is not a death sentence. What is our motto?: "per fidem ambulamus." So walk by faith and don't worry.
If, despite all this, you are still worried about your grade, please contact me for extra credit options. Reading and reviewing Mary Catherine Hilkert's excellent book (see recommended text above) will nudge up your grade by ˝ letter. A "B-" will magically become a "B" , and an "A" will transfigure before you eyes into the bright-white brilliance of an "A +" An option for those wanting a third hour’s credit is to do another sermon, this time using a new method (perhaps from Allen) or one that develops a homiletical approach of your own to a lectionary text.
Nonetheless, I must offer two caveats.
First, the successful completion of this course requires that you submit on time your theology of the gospel. A late paper will drag down your final grade by ˝ letter. Ouch! Second, since pastors always have to produce weekly sermons regardless of circumstances, late sermon manuscripts (that means, after 1 PM on the Monday before you present and/or preach) will result in an automatic reduction of grade by one full letter and missed presentations will result in a grade of F. Your professor also reserves the right to sigh, grumble, and/or harrumph when late materials are submitted. So there.