Sermon Group

In the spirit of living out our baptismal call to ministry, we support lay preaching at St. John’s. All sermons are lectionary-based, following the scriptures appointed for the day. The Sermon Group meets a few weeks prior to a sermon to discuss and discern the readings, and to provide the preacher with ideas and perspectives to consider when preparing their sermon. They also meet afterwards to debrief the sermon and to provide feedback.

Preaching asks us to juxtapose scripture with modern events and values, an important, difficult, and rewarding task. A good sermon is not necessarily a comforting message, but one that challenges norms and strengthens our faith. Preaching from the pulpit is not a requirement to participate in the Sermon group; we welcome diverse knowledge, perspectives, and insights as we apply biblical scriptures to today’s world.