The Preachers Institute is the world's premier online Orthodox Christian homiletics resource for preachers, evangelists, and apologists interested in the art of preparing and preaching sermons in the classical Christian oratorical tradition.
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A Lesson From Preaching Class
by Fr. Barnabas Powell We are republishing this article from our good friend, Fr. Barnabas, who is the priest of Ss. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Church in Cumming, GA and blogger at Sober Joy, co-teaches the course PAST 7201 - Preaching: Proclaiming The Kindgom, with Fr. Nick Triantifilou, the president of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Fr. Nick was the main professor, and Fr. Barnabas was the co-instructor. In this preaching lesson, which was given earlier this year, we are given an excellent example of a three-step process to preparing an effective sermon on the Gospel. Tonight we are ...
The Heathen Gods Were Simply Men: Pt 1
by St. Athenagoras of Athens A Plea For Chrisitans was written by Athenagoras (c. 176 A.D.) to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus as a philosophical appeal for justice on behalf of the Christians. In this work, Athenagoras endeavors to show the emperors that the ill-treatment of the Christians is entirely unreasonable. This is the first philosophical demonstration of the unity of God in Christian literature. He also sets forth the doctrine of the Trinity. The reason for excerpting these chapters is the remarkable claim, and proofs, which are very similar to Robert Bowie Johnson's ...
Celebrating The Liturgy
An Account of Celebrating Liturgy with St. John of Kronstadt Every Orthodox Christian priest celebrates the Divine Liturgy at least weekly. The celebration of Liturgy is the supreme act of the Christian priesthood, and brings us closer to Christ, more grace and mercy, than any other act of the spiritual life on this earth. A good example of this reality - standing in the fire - is the celebration of liturgy by our father in the faith, St. John of Kronstadt. The Proskomedia. St. John begins it with calm concentration. For freedom of movement he does not put on the chasuble. He ...
Pastoring No Plush Gig
by Brad A. Greenberg No one can make you feel guilty like a pastor. Or in this case a New York Times story about pastoral burnout that I’ve been meaning to write about for two weeks: The findings have surfaced with ominous regularity over the last few years, and with little notice: Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans. In the last decade, their use of antidepressants has risen, while their life expectancy has fallen. Many would change jobs if they could. Public health experts who have led ...
The Perpetual Virginity of Mary: Part 1
by St. Jerome of Stridonium Our venerable and God-bearing father Jerome was noted as a scholar of Latin at the time when Greek was considered the language of scholarship. He was one of the most learned of the Fathers of the Western Church and is noted as the translator of the holy scriptures into Latin. This translation, the Vulgate, became the official biblical text of the Roman Catholic Church. A critic of secular excesses, he was a strong defender of the Orthodox faith against the heresies of his time. This writing against Helvidius, is part one of a three part installment of ...
Why We Should Preach After The Gospel
by Fr. Hans Jacobse Director of the American Orthodox Institute, and editor of OrthodoxyToday.org, Fr. Hans provides Orthodox Christians today with updated news and articles on social, cultural and political events from an Orthodox Christian moral tradition. His editorials and essays have been published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Duluth News Tribune, International Herald Tribune, Hellenic Voice, Breakpoint website, Front Page Magazine website, Institute for Religion and Democracy website, Discover website, and more. He is also a fellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. I used to preach at the end of the Liturgy. It was a pragmatic decision. ...
Sermon 3 on the Dormition
by St. John of Damascus Our venerable and God-bearing Father John of Damascus was also known as John Damascene, Chrysorrhoas, "streaming with gold," (i.e., the golden speaker). He was born and raised in Damascus, in all probability at the Monastery of Saint Sabbas (Mar Saba), South East of Jerusalem. He is also recognized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Lovers are wont to speak of what they love, and to let their fancy run on it by day and night. Let no one therefore blame me, if I add a third tribute to the Mother of God, on her ...
Patristics
On the Enemy’s Fourth and Obdurate Warfare
[Translate] St. Isaac the Syrian Finally there remains for him only this warfare, since nature is kindred to it, and for this reason he has a special expectation that he will destroy the man thereby. What is this device? It is to attack a man through his natural functions. For often the athlete’s intellect is blinded by the sight and nearness... [More...]
The Devils’ Third Method Against Strong & Courageous Men
[Translate] by St. Isaac the Syrian After all this, the devil again rises up against a man, but he has not the power to with- stand him in the contest; nay rather, he cannot withstand the angel who strengthens and helps the man. Because of his helper the man is exalted above the devil, and from him he receives strength and patience, such that... [More...]
The Second Method of the Devil’s Warfare
[Translate] by St. Isaac the Syrian On the Second Method of the Devil’s Warfare Whenever the devil sees men who are courageous and strong, who reckon death as nothing, who go forth with great zeal, who give themselves up to every trial and death, and who set at naught the life of the world and of the body and every temptation, he does not... [More...]
Read more postings...Sermon Preparation
A Lesson From Preaching Class
[Translate] by Fr. Barnabas Powell We are republishing this article from our good friend, Fr. Barnabas, who is the priest of Ss. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Church in Cumming, GA and blogger at Sober Joy, co-teaches the course PAST 7201 – Preaching: Proclaiming The Kindgom, with Fr. Nick Triantifilou, the president of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox... [More...]
Why We Should Preach After The Gospel
[Translate] by Fr. Hans Jacobse Director of the American Orthodox Institute, and editor of OrthodoxyToday.org, Fr. Hans provides Orthodox Christians today with updated news and articles on social, cultural and political events from an Orthodox Christian moral tradition. His editorials and essays have been published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press,... [More...]
Inoculating Against The Gospel
[Translate] By Fr. John A. Peck The questions a preacher must consider when preparing his sermon are many. One such question must be: “Is my sermon a vaccination against sin and indifference, or an inoculation against conversion?” Though we certainly believe that vaccinations are good science, the idea that a small, dead amount of... [More...]
Read more postings...Sermon Resources
Psalm Inscriptions
[Translate] by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Senior Editor of Touchstone Magazine, and archpriest of All Saints Orthodox Church in Chicago, IL, Fr. Patrick is, perhaps, the most erudite writer in the Orthodox Church in North America today. This article, one of his Pastoral Ponderings, was published by Orthodoxtoday.org. The People of God... [More...]
Pastoring No Plush Gig
[Translate] by Brad A. Greenberg No one can make you feel guilty like a pastor. Or in this case a New York Times story about pastoral burnout that I’ve been meaning to write about for two weeks: The findings have surfaced with ominous regularity over the last few years, and with little notice: Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension... [More...]
Free Press & Free Pulpit
[Translate] By Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor of All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, IL, and a Senior Editor of Touchstone Magazine. This article, posted on OrthodoxyToday.org in June of 2005 is a short, but powerful statement of why Christians, particularly Orthodox Christians, must not weasel out... [More...]
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