About the Book
Bloggers and other invited writers from around the world contribute to this creative conversation about the weekly lectionary through commentary, stories, biblical study, liturgical resources, and more. Jenee Woodard, creator and editor of the immensely popular lectionary research site, The Text This Week, curates the conversation and adds insights of her own, including a list of the best online resources for sermon preparation. The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual remains among the highest quality preaching resources available, ensuring that pastors can quickly find relevant material for their sermons.
About the Author :
Jenee Woodard is the creator of The Text This Week, an online lectionary, worship, and scripture study resources index. She lives in Jackson, Michigan. Mary Scifres is a United Methodist pastor, teacher, and consultant who inspires and equips twenty-first-century leaders in creative worship, church growth, visioning, and strategic planning. She is co-author of The United Methodist Music and Worship Planner and its ecumenical counterpart, Prepare!, and author of the worship evangelism book Searching for Seekers. A graduate of Boston University, she holds both the Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Music degrees. Mary lives in Laguna Beach, California. Karoline M. Lewis, holds the Marbury Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. She is a regularly featured presenter and preacher at the Festival of Homiletics and a frequent contributor for numerous Christian journals and online resources, including the popular website WorkingPreacher.org where she also co-hosts the site's weekly podcast, Sermon Brainwave, and authors the site's weekly column, Dear Working Preacher. Karoline holds a Ph.D. from Emory University. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Kwasi Issa Kena has taught numerous collegiate courses in communication, social science, and religion, and has written curriculum resources for Urban Ministries Inc. Dr. Kena and his wife, Dr. Safiyah Fosua (author of Mother Wit), formerly served as missionaries to Ghana, West Africa and were jointly appointed to start an African-American United Methodist Church in Waterloo, Iowa, which became the Jubilee United Methodist Church. Mark W. Stamm is Assistant Professor of Christian Worship at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Dr. Rev. Safiyah Fosua has roots in both Kansas and Oklahoma. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University of Evanston, Illinois; a Master of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary of Dayton, Ohio, in Afrocentric Pastoring and Preaching. Dan R. Dick (Nashville, Tenn.) is the Research Coordinator for The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. Among the books he has written are Revolutionizing Christian Stewardship for the 21st Century, Equipped for Every Good Work: Building a Gifts-based Church (with Barbara Dick), Beyond Money: Becoming Good and Faithful Stewards, and Vital Signs: A Pathway to Congregational Wholeness. A sought-after speaker and consultant in leadership development and strategic planning, Dan works with annual conferences and congregations across the United Methodist connection as well as a wide variety ecumenical groups. Linda Lee is a graduate of United Theological Seminary (M. Div. and D. Min.). She made history in 2000 when she was the first African American woman to be elected bishop in the North Central Jurisdiction. Lee was elected on July 14, 2000, in Middleton, Wisconsin, and was assigned to her home area of Michigan, an unusual action that had not occurred for 40 years and required special action of the jurisdictional conference. After one quadrennium of service in Michigan, Lee was assigned to the Wisconsin Area in 2004. Lee served as chair of the Black Clergywomen of the United Methodist Church (1996-98) and has been a member of a number of annual conference committees, including the Board of Ordained Ministry. She has served as a speaker for numerous schools, retreats and conferences and is a two-time delegate to General Conference. She is a contributing writer in several publications and has served as an adjunct professor of spirituality at Ecumenical Theological Seminary Matthew Skinner is Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary and has contributed to various resources for scholars, church leaders, and laypeople interested in the Bible's connections to faith and life. He is the author of Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel: Encountering the Divine in the Book of Acts, A Companion to the New Testament, and The Trial Narratives: Conflict, Power, and Identity in the New Testament. He has written about the Bible for websites including Huffington Post, Working Preacher, and ON Scripture and he co-hosts Sermon Brainwave, a popular weekly podcast that offers assistance to preachers as they interpret biblical texts to prepare their sermons.
