Remembering Why We Preach: A Retreat to Renew Your Spirit and Skill

Review
“I have been preaching for more than fifty years and find this book stimulating, informative, encouraging, and filled with excellent suggestions and wonderful resources to help me further improve the special vocation of preaching. This unique resource is flexible and easily adapted for individuals, small gatherings, or larger study groups. Bellinger and Connors have written an excellent guide with informative text and spiritually rich retreat features that will help new and veteran preachers alike to keep always before them why, whom, and to whom we preach.” --Bishop Paul J. Bradley, Diocese of Kalamazoo
“This book promises to keep preachers moving deeper into their vocation for years to come, and promises to strengthen the power of Christian witness to our world.” --Ann M. Garrido, associate professor of Homiletics, Aquinas Institute of Theology
“An indispensable, real-world resource for all in the ministry of preaching.” --Deacon Brian Conroy, director of Deacon Formation, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
“What a generous gift! This book offers years of scholarship, teaching, training, coaching, mentoring, and prayer shared in a practical, accessible, and layered format.” --Rev. Kenneth Simpson, vicar for Professional and Pastoral Development of Priests, Archdiocese of Chicago
“This is not just a book about preaching; it is also an invaluable resource for preachers to which they may go back often before going forth to proclaim the Gospel!” --Deacon Melvin R. Tardy Jr., president of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus
“Preaching must improve. But how? This retreat workbook is valuable precisely because it meets this urgent need—the how of better preaching—making years of homiletic wisdom available to a wide audience. May this book bear much fruit!” --Fr. Joshua J. Whitfield, author of The Crisis of Bad Preaching
If your heart is on fire with God’s love, your preaching will help listeners encounter Christ and deepen their spiritual lives. And that should be the ultimate goal of a homily.
Remembering Why We Preach is a retreat that will help you revive your creative energy and spiritual focus. Karla Bellinger—executive director of the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas—and Fr. Michael Connors, CSC—director of the John S. Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics at the University of Notre Dame—lead you through an eight-part process of spiritual renewal and skill development that will nourish and enrich you and your preaching for years to come.
Whether you are recently ordained or have been preaching for decades, you will explore the spiritual, pastoral, and communal aspects of preaching, which lies at the heart of the Church’s work of making disciples.
This book can be used as a personal or group retreat or in preaching courses It includes: reading materials for personal reflection; questions for journaling or peer-group discussions; practical exercises to enhance skills such as listening to your people, storytelling, homily writing, and diversifying your speaking styles; and support materials such as an outlines for a peer-group meeting, a sample retreat format, and forms for homily feedback and goal setting.
Links to additional resources are available in each chapter.