Seed for the Sower: Preaching Matters

"The role of preaching in the Church is not an appendix to the actual worship service itself, but an integral part of the proclamation of the faith. Orthodoxy does not relegate homiletics to second-class status but rather views this charisma as an opportunity to connect life with faith for the believers. This fact is verified in the history of the Church. For this reason, I have chosen to divide the contents of this book into two sections. Part I offers a brief historical survey of the role of preaching in the Church. Part II presents practical examples of a contemporary homiletic style." -From the author's preface Contents Preface p. xi Part I: Development of Preaching in the Orthodox Church Pentecost and the First Preachers p. 4 The Apostolic Period p. 5 The Apologists p. 7 The Golden Age of Preaching p. 9 The Pastoral and Preaching Presence of Basil the Great p. 9 The Pastoral and Preaching Presence of Gregory the Theologian p. 11 The Pastoral and Preaching Presence of John Chrysostom p. 13 Later Byzantine-Era Preachers p. 16 John of Damascus  p. 16 Gregory Palamas p. 18 The Preaching Ministry of Kosmas Aitolos p. 20 The Collective Teachings of the Great Homilists p. 21 Part II: Selected Sermons Sermons for Fall Isolation and Community Life p. 27 Contemporary Atheism p. 30 Stewardship Sunday p. 32 The Parables of Jesus p. 35 Balancing Faith and Fear p. 37 A Song of Praise p. 39 The Beauty of Creation p. 41 St. Demetrius p. 44 Bread of Life (Thanksgiving) p. 47 Sermons for Winter A Baptismal Sermon p. 51 Bringing Orthodoxy to America (Sunday after Epiphany) p. 53 The Desert Fathers and Mothers p. 56 Super Bowl Sunday p. 58 A Holy Self-Esteem p. 60 Mother Teresa’s Spiritual Struggles p. 62 Astrology: An Orthodox Perspective  p. 65 The Mystery of Suffering p. 67 Fasting p. 70 Sermons for Spring The Marathon Runner (Lent) p. 73 Keeping Faith and Lent p. 76 A Reflection on the Holy Cross (Third Sunday of Lent) p. 79 St. Mary of Egypt and Repentance (Fifth Sunday of Lent) p. 82 A Parade (Palm Sunday) p. 85 The Passover Seder (Palm Sunday) p. 87 Jesus in Gethsemane p. 90 Mother’s Day p. 92 Memorials of LIfe and Faith (Memorial Day) p. 95 Sermons for Summer Childlike vs. Childish p. 99 The Beheading of John the Baptist p. 102 An Overview of Church History p. 105 Orthodoxy and Evolution p. 107 The Unforgiving Servant p. 111 St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain on Spiritual Warfare p. 114 The Paraklesis Service p. 117 Are We Prepared for Death? p. 120 The Good Samaritan (On Compassion) p. 122 The Game of Life p. 125 Wedding Sermons Who’s the Boss?  p. 129 The Three Gifts of Marriage p. 131 The Wedding Sacrifice p. 133 Eulogies A Saintly Life p. 135 The Great Commandment p. 138 The Virtue of Meekness p. 140 The Teacher p. 143 A Servant of God p. 145 Notes p. 147 Bibliography p. 153 About the Author p. 157 Product Description Paperback: 271 Pages Publisher: Holy Cross Orthodox Press ISBN: 978-1-935317-20-3 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 Author: Alexander Goussetis Publication Year: 2011