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Articles by Steve Luxa
The Spiritual Discipline of Sermon Prep
It was another Monday and I was staring at a blank screen again. I had just preached a message on God's goodness from James that was enthusiastically received, and now I had to crank out another sermon and I had no idea where to start. Throughout the week the pressure to just get the sermon done only intensified because, well, that's my job. People expect it. Of course God has also called me to preach.
Gospel of the Living Dead
Halloween has always fascinated me. Growing up, I knew plenty of families who abstained from the holiday on principle. They did not think it was proper for Christians to participate in a holiday that appeared to celebrate evil. But in my home, I came to associate the holiday with my mother’s whimsy and creativity. She would keep a large pot of hot cider simmering on the stove all day, while preparing our house for little visitors in costumes.
Preaching the Real During the Ideal of Christmas
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, or so Andy Williams' song goes. It's expected to be a time of celebrating with family around a Christmas tree filled with gifts underneath, parties filled with friends and fun, and unique moments of enchantment and joy therein. In the mind's eye of many, Christmastime is supposed to echo some Norman Rockwell painting. But then reality sets in. Family members argue, or choose to stay away altogether.
How Can I Enjoy Christmas?
Introduction Christmas can be so chaotic, can't it? I mean, this whole season can be such a disconnect between what we expect and what we end up experiencing. That's why the question that always nags us during this time of year is this: "How we can possibly enjoy Christmas?" What we must do We all want to enjoy this time of year. We all want to enjoy family, friends, and each other. We all want to have moments of pleasure that remind us that this is a time like no other. So we grit our teeth.
Fear and Loathing in Bethlehem
Fear and Loathing in Bethlehem As a Christian I love Christmas; but as a preacher I dread it. Image: vovan13 / Getty Images Surveys indicate that 75% of Americans "like" Christmas.[i] I wish I were one of them. Let me explain. As a follower of Jesus, I love the season of Advent and enjoy Christmas. Pondering the Incarnation's mystery, beauty, and power is compelling and moving to me.
Ten Angles for Preaching on Christ's Death
Ten Angles for Preaching on Christ's Death Ten ideas to keep your Good Friday sermons fresh and engaging. The Gospels are Passion narratives with a long introduction. Someone somewhere wrote that. One-third of the synoptics and one-half of John are devoted to the last week of Jesus' recorded ministry. Consider how odd that proportion would be if a biography of Theodore Roosevelt or Florence Nightingale were devoted to the final week of their lives.
Planning Your Advent Series
6 tips to help create an effective and exciting Christmas sermon series. It’s that time of the year—again! You’re sitting down to plan your Advent or Christmas series. If you’re anything like me, planning and writing sermons for this special season can feel a bit overwhelming and daunting. Where do you even start? You want the series to be fresh but not forced. You want it to be engaging but not cheesy.
Preaching Lament at Christmas
Good news of great joy did not remove God’s people from the fallen world. Pauline Guernsey died on Christmas day. I am her oldest grandchild. Christmas lights and hospice, candy canes and catheters, new gifts and last words. Perhaps, no holiday other than Easter, tempts preachers to talk more naïvely than Christmas. Reflect intentionally on your approach Naïve Christmas preaching has in mind our motivation to keep the foot tapping and the mouth smiling.
Retelling the Christmas Stories
Preaching the same old story in a fresh way. In her book Gilead, Marilynne Robinson gives life to a character named Pastor John Ames. In explaining his work, Ames says, "Now it's Sunday again. When you do this sort of work, it seems to be Sunday all the time, or Saturday night. You just finish preparing for one week and it's already the next week." Similarly, the same could be said for the Advent/Christmas season.
Making Christmas Strange and Wonderful
4 ways to help our listeners engage more deeply with the Christmas story. It was 11:45 p.m. one Christmas Eve, and I was in church singing a carol. Normally Christmas Eve is one of the highlights of my year, but that day I felt sick. The last verse of the carol came to an end, and I made my way over to the pulpit with a blank notebook and nothing to say. It was not just this service I was ill-prepared for—it was the other three I had to give in the next 48 hours.
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