Postils for Preaching

Postils for Preaching repristinates an old term for commentaries on the appointed texts by assisting preachers in their time-honored calling of preaching the Word. "e;Post illa,"e; some think, probably refers to the reflecting "e;after this"e; (meaning upon the texts) that preachers must do in the context of the lives of their congregations and larger communities. These essays do not aim to be sermons but sermon-starters, goads and incitements to consider the assigned texts with serious imagination and good humor, all in the context of the church year and its inter-textual connections. The intention of this publication is to dip into a lifetime of that exegetical and homiletical "e;bag of tricks"e; as Jesus himself obliquely recommended when he noted how "e;every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old"e; (Matt 13:52). Please consider these postils a "e;thesaurus"e; ("e;treasury"e;) from which to borrow insights, references, and allusions as needed and found of value.