I write for all those parish pastors and priests who want to preach well, who long to speak with authority, clarity, and humility, and yet who feel, as I do, that there is simply never enough time in the week to do justice to the task. I write for those who feel at times overwhelmed by the responsibilities of our work, who wonder if it is possible, in parish ministry, to live a balanced life. I write from that same place of struggle myself. -- from the Foreword

For many pastors and congregations, the pulpit is the focal point of weekly worship. But preaching is not only a spiritual practice, it's also a practice of leadership - the most effective means for most ministers of inspiring and guiding their flocks as well as engaging with the society in which they live.

Gathering Up the Fragments was written for pastors who struggle with the weight of this heavy responsibility, endeavoring to preach relevant sermons that stay true to the word of God.

Mariann Edgar Budde shows how pastors can create a solid foundation for preaching by taking the fragments of their own life and ministry - their studies, personal life experiences, and relationships with their congregations - and weaving them together in a homiletic mosaic that will bring glory to God and illumination for themselves and their listeners.

This book offers an approach to preaching that enables pastors to integrate the many competing claims of their lives, reflect deeply on the nature of their work, and sustain their intimacy with God. Budde believes that preaching is a form of art - a profoundly satisfying creative expression with intrinsic value, a gift from God that ministers offer back to the congregations they serve.

Each chapter in Gathering Up the Fragments describes a particular dimension of preaching as a spiritual practice and suggests a rule of life for preachers. Budde challenges pastors to be observant of those under their charge, prayerfully considering what God is saying to them individually and communally.

A collection of sermons from throughout the church year is also included, demonstrating how to apply the techniques illustrated in this volume.

Mariann Edgar Budde shares how readers can come to know and receive Jesus more deeply in practicing the Way of Love. She shares biblical stories, wisdom from the Christian tradition, and her own personal stories of spiritual growth.

A menudo pensamos en la fe cristiana como una obligación o como un conjunto de creencias que debemos seguir. Si seguimos esta idea podemos perder de vista lo más importante: la invitación a experimentar una relación amorosa y personal con Dios. Esta es una relación en la que podemos confiar, en la que podemos encontrar protección y tierra segura sobre la cual pararnos. Mariann Edgar Budde comparte sus pensamientos sobre cómo el lector puede llegar a conocer - a recibir - a Jesús más profundamente, practicando el Camino del Amor. Ella comparte historias bíblicas, la sabiduría de la tradición cristiana y sus propias historias personales de crecimiento espiritual a través de las siete prácticas que nos han sido dadas con antelación: cambiar, aprender, orar, adorar, bendecir, ir y descansar.

So often we think of the Christian faith as an obligation or as a set of beliefs that we must hold. With this outlook, we can lose sight of what is most important: the invitation to experience a loving, personal relationship with God. It's a relationship we can trust, where we can find refuge and solid ground upon which to stand.

The Way of Love set forth by the Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop Michael Bruce Curry is the journey of a lifetime. It's a way of knowing God, receiving and sharing Jesus' love, and being a blessing to the world. Mariann Edgar Budde shares her thoughts on how the reader can come to know-to receive-Jesus more deeply in practicing the Way of Love. Through the seven practices that have been put before us: to turn, to learn, to pray and to worship, to bless, to go, and to rest, she will share biblical stories, wisdom from the Christian tradition, and her own personal stories of spiritual growth.