The seven deadly sins are a well-known topic, but, surprisingly, not much has been written about them in recent years from a serious theological viewpoint. Will Willimon's engaging book, which takes an unflinching look at the meaning and substance of sin, will be of great interest to Christians. Study questions by the author are included. The felt need is an increasing dissatisfaction with shallow, feel-good Christianity--which does not attempt to grapple with our propensity, visible around us and in our own lives, to do evil. This edition includes a new introduction by the author. A recent study by the Pulpit and Pew Research Center found that Will Willimon is one of the most widely read authors among mainline Protestant pastors, and an international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-speaking world. With over a million copies of more than sixty books sold, his popularity is undeniable.

Ordained ministry, says Will Willimon, is a gift of God to the church--but that doesn't mean that it is easy. Always a difficult vocation, changes in society and the church in recent years have made the ordained life all the more complex and challenging. Is the pastor primarily a preacher, a professional caregiver, an administrator? Given the call of all Christians to be ministers to the world, what is the distinctive ministry of the ordained? When does one's ministry take on the character of prophet, and when does it become that of priest? What are the special ethical obligations and disciplines of the ordained? Pastor: Revised Edition explores these and other central questions about the vocation of ordained ministry. It begins with a discussion of who pastors are, asking about the theological underpinnings of ordained ministry, and then moves on to what pastors do, looking at the distinctive roles the pastor must fulfill. The book also draws on great teachers of the Christian tradition to demonstrate that, while much about Christian ministry has changed, its core concerns--preaching the word, the care of souls, the sacramental life of congregations--remains the same. Ordained ministry is a vocation to which we are called, not a profession that we choose. To answer that call is to open oneself to heartache and sometimes hardship; yet, given the one who calls, it is to make oneself available to deep and profound joy as well.

Lead an abundant life, grow as a faithful disciple, and find new avenues to serve. By studying the NRSV Wesley Study Bible you will share God's grace and find the good gifts God has for you. As God transforms you through study, you will be inspired to transform the world. Contributors from across the Wesleyan family join together to help you experience God in fresh ways. This new binding of a bestselling classic will appeal to both new and old readers with its sage green and moss brown leather-like, elegant cover. Key Features: Comprehensive study notes on NRSV text by over 50 biblical scholars Accessibly written life application and inspiration by over 50 key pastors Easy-to-understand explanations of core terms by over 60 Wesley experts, including: eternal life, forgiveness, grace, heaven, holiness, justice, and mission Extended reference to works by John Wesley 19 pages of full-color maps; cross references; and summary of each biblical book

In Calling & Character, Willimon lays out a clear and compelling picture of the pastoral life, one that will inform both those embarking on ordained ministry and those who have been in it for many years. He lays out specific habits such as study, collegiality, and humor as the day-by-day means of following the difficult and dangerous, yet deeply rewarding, calling of a pastor.

Thank God It's Thursday is the prequel to bestselling author Will Willimon's highly successful, Thank God It's Friday. Following the book of John, Will Willimon focuses on Jesus' teaching of his disciples prior to his own death but also before their own hour of decision. The climax of the Gospel is when Jesus pours out his life on the cross--surely an enactment and demonstration of the power of God's self-sacrificial love. So to sustain and fortify his followers for the difficulties ahead, Jesus prepares them by teaching and offering sacraments of self-giving, through which they (and we) experience the grace and presence of the risen Lord. This book can equip Christians to face their hardships as they humbly serve with the promise of God's abiding presence already made good by his outpouring of sacrificial love. Written with the clarity, depth, and insight that are Will Willimon's trademark, this book offers afresh the challenge and grace of the message of the Resurrected One.

Watch out. God is on the way. It's not within our own power to make a fresh start. If we're to have a future different from the past, it must come as a gift, something not of our devising. What we need is a God who refuses to be trapped in eternity, a God who not only cares about us but is willing to show up among us and do something with us, here, now. In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation, Will Willimon introduces you to the God who does just that, bringing heaven to earth and changing everything. In Advent we celebrate and anticipate the earth-shaking, life-transforming good news that God is coming to us. Watch out. Get ready. God is on the way. Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Will Willimon.

In this no non-sense book, reliable spiritual guide, Will Willimon, invites readers to consider the gospel command to love (and not merely tolerate) those considered to be Other or outside mainstream Christian culture. Rooted in the faith of Israel and the Christian story and vision, Willimon brings a Wesleyan perspective to bear on what may be the hardest thing for people of faith to do: keeping and loving the Other as they are - without any need for them to become like us. Emphasizing biblical teaching to receive Others for who they are and their differences as gifts and mysteries bearing the grace of God, Willimon also offers a strong critique of the privileged who all too often rush to speak of reconciliation and evade the injustice of huge inequalities faced by foreigners and strangers - as well as the antagonism the stranger experiences. He identifies concrete, everyday ways persons are formed in welcoming others without annihilating their differences. Rooted in the New Testament understanding of Gentile outsiders grafted into the covenant community, Willimon invites readers to an on-the-ground faith that remembers the God who comes to us again and again through so-called outsiders, strangers, immigrants, and those without status. Beyond welcome, Christians must become other to the world, shaking off the dominant culture's identity and privilege through practices of listening, humility, and understanding. I love Will Willimon, and I love this book. Will writes with prophetic sarcasm, a touch of humor, plenty of self-effacement, and a pastor's heart. And his words will make you laugh, cringe, cry, confess, and repent. This is a very timely book. I urge you, prospective reader, as you read this blurb on the back cover: buy and read it! You'll be grateful you did. --Adam Hamilton, senior pastor, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS; author of Half Truths This gutsy, biblically rich, theologically searing book by Willimon gigs everybody's sacred cow. Not only is the one whom Christ loves Other but God is Other. The ground beneath us shakes the walls that divide us. If you are holed-up happy with people who look like you, don't read this thing. It will screw up your world. --Tex Sample, Robert B. and Kathleen Rogers Professor Emeritus of Church and Society, Saint Paul School of Theology, Leawood, KS Timely and prophetic, Willimon's call to love the Other will quickly take hold of your soul, changing your preaching and your life. This book is not just a reminder of our Christian calling to welcome the Other but a call to conversion, a new way of seeing the neighbor and a new way of being in the world God desperately loves. --Karoline M. Lewis, Marbury E. Anderson Chair of Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN Bishop Willimon's new book should come with a warning: Do not read unless you are ready to be changed and want to change the world! --O. Wesley Allen Jr., Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX Now with a New Introduction!

Will Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, What will you preach next Sunday? Year C Part 2 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary. Each week of sermon resources includes: 1. Readings 2. Theme title 3. Introduction to the Readings 4. Encountering the Text 5. Proclaiming the Text 6. Relating the Text

One of today's greatest preacher-theologians engages one of the twentieth century's greatest teacher-theologians on the meaning of preaching.Readers of William H. Willimon's many books have long found there the influence of Karl Barth, probably the most significant theologian of the twentieth century. In this new book Willimon explores that relationship explicitly by engaging Barth's work on the pitfalls and problems, glories and grandeur of preaching the Word of God. The Swiss theologian, says the author, expressed one of the highest theologies of preaching of any of the great theologians of the church. Yet too much of Barth's understanding of preaching lies buried in the Church Dogmatics and other, sometimes obscure, sources. Willimon brings this material to light, introducing the reader to Barth's thought, not just on the meaning, but the practice of preaching as well.

In this addition to the new Working Preacher Books series, prolific author William H. Willimon makes the compelling case that two key pastoral tasks--preaching and leadership--complement, correct, strengthen, and inform one another. Preaching is the distinctive function of pastoral leaders. Leadership of the church, particularly during a challenging time of transition in mainline Protestantism, has become a pressing concern for pastors.

This book shows how the practices, skills, and intentions of Christian preaching can be helpful to the leadership of a congregation. It will also show how leadership is an appropriate expectation for sermons. In preaching, pastoral leaders can help a congregation face its problems and coordinate its God-given resources to address those problems. Sermons can be an opportunity to articulate, motivate, and orchestrate God's people in doing God's work in the church and in the world.

Leading with the Sermon includes chapters on why pastors must be leaders, why preaching is such an essential task in telling the truth about the gospel, how preaching makes better leaders, and how better leaders make better preachers.

This brief introduction spells out the major beliefs of the United Methodist Church in a clear, nontechnical style. William Willimon, the beloved United Methodist author, preacher, teacher, and bishop, discusses the great theological themes that United Methodists share in common with all Christians as well as the particular accents and emphases that characterize United Methodist understandings of Christian doctrines. In his engaging style, Willimon opens the door for further study, challenging the reader to move toward a continuing reflection on their faith. This guide will be of great value to those who are beginning their study of United Methodist beliefs as well as those who have long been in the church and want a helpful way to refresh their understandings of the distinctiveness of United Methodist doctrine.

Talk the talk and walk the walk. The challenge of the Christian life is learning to talk Christian. Somebody has got to tell us, give us the words that open the door to the faith called Christian. Each of us is due the delight of discovery that in submitting to God's talk to us. God Turned Toward Us: The ABCs of Christian Faith is organized by the words the church teaches us to use to talk about ordinary life apprehended by a God who is Jesus Christ-short, meditative reflections upon key concepts that guide Christians, new or longstanding. Praise for God Turned Towards Us Reading God Turned Towards Us is like walking through a diamond mine. The opening segment on Abortion is itself worth the price of the book! Consider these gems: On the Cross: The cross is a mirror that reflects who we really are as well as a window where we are given a privileged look into the heart of who God is. On Sanctification: The Gospels depict the disciples on a continual road trip. They journey, not only step-by-step closer to Jerusalem but also day-by day closer to Christ, that is, sanctification. --Mike Lowry, Resident Bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church God Turned Toward Us: The ABCs of Christian Faith is no ordinary book about Christian beliefs and practices. Rather, it is a sometimes jarring, always interesting, consistently insightful, and persistently provocative invitation to talk the talk and walk the walk of Christian discipleship. Addressing topics from A (Abortion) to Z (Zaccheus), Bishop Willimon prods us to listen more attentively to the God who continues to speak amid the confusion and turmoil of our times. This is a valuable resource for individuals and groups who genuinely want to hear a word from the Lord. --Kenneth Carder, Retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church

A paperback edition of the best-selling commentary on Acts by acclaimed preacher and scholar William H. Willimon.

Jesus defies simplistic, effortless, undemanding explications. To be sure, Jesus often communicated his truth in simple, homely, direct ways, but his truth was anything but apparent and undemanding in the living. Common people heard Jesus gladly, not all, but enough to keep the government nervous, only to find that the simple truth Jesus taught, the life he lived, and the death he died complicated their settled and secure ideas about reality. The gospels are full of folk who confidently knew what was what--until they met Jesus. Jesus provoked an intellectual crisis in just about everybody. Their response was not, Wow, I've just seen the Son of God, but rather, Who is this? -from the Introduction The church uses the concept of Incarnation, (from the Latin word for in the flesh) to help us understand that Jesus Christ is both divine and human. The Incarnation is the grand crescendo of our reflection upon the mystery that Christ is the full revelation of God; not only one who talks about God but the one who speaks for and acts as God, one who is God. About the Series: Belief Matters is a series of easy-to-understand books designed to show that by thinking more clearly about faith, persons can love God more fully, live with confidence, and change the world. Conversational in tone, these books are reflections on major theological topics and are suitable for individual or group study.

Demonstrates how worship and pastoral care can be blended to sustain and enrich each other. Using insights gained from pastoral care and pastoral psychology, William H. Willimon explores what happens to people when they become involved in Christian worship. True pastoral care, he shows, cannot take place apart from an active worshiping community of faith. Worship as Pastoral Care sensitizes pastors to the many ways Christian worship and pastoral care methods can be blended to enrich and support one another. It encourages pastors to broaden their understanding of corporate worship and to become aware of the importance of their role as priests. To illustrate his concepts, Dr. Willimon examines four familiar acts of worship: the funeral, the wedding, baptism, and the Lord's Supper. The psychological dimensions are discussed and suggestions are given on ways pastors can nurture and sustain their congregations through these services.

William Willimon, one of the world's most admired preachers, offers his practical and sage advice for some of the most basic tasks of ministry: preparing, delivering, and evaluating sermons; planning, leading, and evaluating worship services; offering public prayers; and celebrating baptism and the Lord's Supper. In addition, Willimon provides creative suggestions for involving laity in worship. Ideal for beginning ministers and veterans alike, A Guide to Preaching and Leading Worship will assuredly become a standard must-have for mainline Protestant clergy.

A paperback edition of the best-selling commentary on Acts by acclaimed preacher and scholar William H. Willimon.

This first volume in the Abingdon Press series Horizons in Theology addresses the major concerns and questions for preaching as it intersects with theology. William H. Willimon, recognized as one of today's master interpreters of the theology and practice of preaching, explains why, in the words of the Second Helvetic Confession, The preaching of the word of God is the Word of God. Drawing from classical theology and practical experience, he provides a cogent, powerful explanation of what it means to live the preaching life.

In seven chapters, Willimon examines United Methodism and the ways it has made and continues to make a difference in his life. In an inspiring and enlightening way, he writes of his pride in being part of a church that has grown from one man's experience to a worldwide movement covering the globe with its message. A learning guide for groups and individuals is included. Chapter titles: Because Religion Is of the Heart Because the Bible Is Our Book Because Religion Is Practical Because Christians Are to Witness Because Christians Are to Grow Because Religion Is Not a Private Affair