In the Company of Preachers Series Information

In the Company of Preachers is a preaching resource brought to you by the Center for Biblical Preaching and Luther Productions at Luther Seminary.

This quarterly collection of sermons offers preachers both a continuing education element and an invitation to be renewed in their own faith and ministry through the preaching of others.

Luther Seminary biblical preaching faculty and guests provide teaching comments, paired with sermons that reflect the theme. All of the sermons were preached during Luther Seminary's daily worship in the Chapel of the Incarnation.

Subscriptions		Purchase Yearly Subscription
Subscriptions include the current release and three subsequent quarterly releases which are mailed or downloaded when they become available.		Audio CDs	Downloads
Subscription Renewals		Renew Your Subscription
Subscription Renewals do not include the current release. Rather, they start with the next available future release and three subsequent quarterly releases which are mailed or downloaded when they become available.		Audio CDs	Downloads
Quarterly Issues	Release Date	Purchase Single Issues
FREE Introductory Issue	April 2007	-	Free Download
Opening the Sermon	July 2007	Audio CD	Download
Preaching the Old Testament	Oct 2007	Audio CD	Download
Closing the Sermon	Jan 2008	Audio CD	Download
Telling the Story	April 2008	Audio CD	Download
Preaching the Law	July 2008	Audio CD	Download
Preaching the Gospel	Oct 2008	Audio CD	Download
Preaching Difficult Texts	Jan 2009	Audio CD	Download
Preaching The Parables	April 2009	Audio CD	Download
The Bible in Proclamation	July 2009	Audio CD	Download
Preaching to the Next Generation	Oct 2009	Audio CD	Download
The Effective Use of Personal Story	Jan 2010

FREE Introductory Issue (April 2007) - top

In this introductory issue, you will hear Luther Seminary preaching professor David Lose reflect on the importance of giving one's very best to the preaching task. His comments are followed by three sermons that, in very different ways, reflect on preaching - from Barbara Brown Taylor, James Limburg, and David Lose. You will also get a preview of upcoming issues of In the Company of Preachers. This is a free download! Just add it to your shopping cart and check out.

Opening the Sermon (July 2007) - top

This first edition of “In the Company of Preachers” explores the importance of opening a sermon well. These opening moments of a sermon are a critical time of first impressions: you have the opportunity to gain a hearing from your listeners, engage their imaginations, and enlist them as active participants in the sermon.

Join Luther Seminary homiletics professors David Lose and Carol Miles as they explore how opening the sermon is distinct from simply introducing the sermon.

Preaching the Old Testament (Oct 2007) - top

Why do we preach on the Old Testament less frequently than the New? What discourages us from drawing on its riches for our task of proclamation? The Old Testament needs to be shared from the pulpit, for it is a vital piece of the story that tells us who we are and who God is.

Join OT professors Fred Gaiser and Rolf Jacobson in conversation with homiletics professors David Lose and Carol Miles as they explore this topic of preaching the Old Testament and offer sermons from this rich part of Scripture.

Closing the Sermon (Jan 2008) - top

While is important to start a sermon well, a good beginning doesn't amount to much if you don't finish what you began. And yet the sermon's closing is decidedly different from a conclusion or summary that wraps up a matter. Preachers should not expect to have the last word - for we preach a living word that extends beyond the preaching moment. The best sermon closings bring the sermon to a clear stopping place, while inviting the hearers to finish the sermon in their lives as God's people in the world.

Telling the Story (April 2008) - top

The biblical writers knew how to tell stories - stories that are effective literarily and rhetorically and are deeply important theologically. As preachers we might forget the power of these stories because we know them so well - and have since Sunday School - but for some in the pew these biblical stories are unfamiliar.

The preacher's challenge is to hear these texts anew and retell the story with fresh insight and energy. Close reading of the biblical texts - paying attention to the details, fleshing the story out - opens up new doors for the preacher.

Preaching the Law (July 2008) - top

The law-gospel distinction is at the core of the Lutheran understanding of theology, Scripture, and preaching. But what do we really mean by “preaching the law”? Join Rolf Jacobson and David Lose as they explore preaching the law as an act of telling the truth.

Preaching the Gospel (October 2008) - top

All preaching should be about the gospel, right? Yes, but there's more to it than that. Join Rolf Jacobson and David Lose explore preaching the gospel as a second – and vital – kind of truth-telling in the sermon.

Preaching Difficult Texts (January 2009) - top

Let's admit it – some texts are just plain hard. Join several biblical and preaching faculty talk honestly about the challenges and opportunities of preaching difficult texts.

Preaching the Parables (April 2009) - top

"The kingdom of God is like...." Parables offer rich and imaginative insights into the kingdom Jesus preached. To preach them faithfully, however, we need to avoid making them into simplistic analogies or fables. Join a conversation about strategies for bringing Jesus' parables to life in the sermon.

The Bible in Proclamation (July 2009) - top

How do we use our sermons to speak about the Scriptures in a way that opens up the Word to our hearers? How do we teach a Reformation-centered understanding of biblical authority through our preaching? Join a lively conversation about the Bible in proclamation.

Preaching to the Next Generation (October 2009) - top

Every generation is different, but the changes in our world recently have made the newest generation far different than any other in history. Be a part of our conversation as we discuss what it might look like to adapt our preaching to meet the needs of these new hearers.

The Effective Use of Personal Story (January 2010) - top

Personal stories bring the Word of God alive in our preaching. Most parishioners enjoy the use of personal examples in a sermon as long as the story strengthens the Word that is offered. How do we, as preacher, use a personal story without becoming the main focus of the sermon? Join a discussion on strategies for using personal stories in preaching to enhance the Word for the day.