Word on the Web

Introduction

Gregory Heille, O.P., is Professor of Preaching and Evangelization at Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, Missouri, where he can be reached at heille@ai.edu.

No question about it, the world wide web is a boon to preachers—and perhaps especially to busy preachers on a budget. The challenge is finding sites that serve biblical interpretation, congregational and cultural analysis, and interaction with other preachers—without giving over to canned sermons or other (sometimes expensive) quick fixes. The following annotated list of preaching websites is by no means exhaustive. Yet, it can help serious preachers to sample several available resources and bookmark a few tried and true study resources on their computer.

A few tips for preaching preparation with the use of these resources could be the following:

—Print out the lectionary texts, using one of the sites for Catholic or the Revised Common Lectionary below.

—Before consulting printed or online Bible commentaries, take contemplative time to encounter the text in prayer and meditation. An excellent approach to this step, which can be done either individually or communally, is Lectio Divina. A website is offered below to introduce you to this ancient contemplative practice of meditating on the Word.

—Once you have prayerfully encountered the Word on your own terms, look for web resources that expose you to a range of biblical interpretation of the texts. Resources that offer a social-scientific study of the world behind the biblical texts, as well as resources exploring the social-cultural world in which we live in front of the texts, can be particularly helpful.

—Let your web study support and expand your contemplative insights and sense of direction. As you prepare to preach, remember you are not giving a Bible lecture or some stranger's sermon or interpretation of the texts--you are letting the text reveal itself in your pastoral dialogue with your people as Good News and Word of God.

—Be humble, and don't be afraid to talk about difficult subjects, and seek feedback from your people so that you can improve as a preacher.

—Remember, too, to keep an eye open for those few printed commentaries or resources that you might want to acquire for your personal library. More and more wonderful resources are being made available in biblical studies. There are also many wonderful books on preaching. Some of the best publishers in preaching are Abingdon, Chalice, Continuum, Eerdmans, Fortress, Liturgical, and Westminster John Knox.

A handful of sites are titled in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS as especially deserving of your initial attention.