If Only I Had Known . . .: Transformation Testimonies in Soliloquy Sermons and Monologue Meditations

A meaningful volume for preachers who may discover something to spark their own imginations and approaches to the art and discipline of preaching, If Only I Had Known . . . by the distinguished preacher William R. Russell is a wonderful collection of imaginative sermons based on characters found in the New Testament and some extrabiblical ones, too, whose lives are changed and affected by direct or indirect experiences of Jesus. A great book for preachers to inspre or recharge their pulpit ministries, the book is also a wonderful adult Christian education resource for small groups and Sunday schools.

About the Author :
Born a Canadian and raised a Presbyterian, Dr. William R. Russell studied philosophy at the University of Toronto, theology at Princeton Seminary, and ministry at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. For four decades, he served as a pastor of churches large and small in both Canada and the United States. During his Bible Society career, he visited over thirty countries on five continents. Now retired, he and his wife, Sherri, reside at Vicar's Landing, a life care retirement com- munity in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Review :
I have heard thousands of sermons in my lifetime, and have to admit that the bulk of them were mostly lame and lifeless. The one quality that rescued the exceptions was imagination--the rare ability of some preachers to divert the simple biblical reports over the rocks and rills of what they knew from outside the biblical texts, so that they then leapt and sparkled in the sunlight like living, magical things. That's what I love about the sermons in this book. They are no ordinary rehearsals of wisdom and truth, important as those are, but dance and gleam like homiletical angels of God, entertaining us with insights, thoughts, and asides we'd never have been clever enough to think of on our own. Thanks, Bill Russell, for sharing your extraordinary gift! -- John Killinger, preacher, teacher, and author of The Zacchaeus Solution, What the Blind Man Saw, Hidden Mark and Outgrowing Church. William Russell's If Only I Had Known . . . is a beautifully written collection of soliloquy sermons and monologue meditations that captures the reader and brings the biblical stories to vibrant life. Deeply touching, relevant, and captivating. Each one read was my favorite--until I read the next. Now, having read and reread them all, I can't choose just one. I can share my belief that the collection will be an enormous blessing to all who are privileged to read it. -- Vicki Hinze, author of more than 30 novels including Forget Me Not and the soon- to-be-released Deadly Ties. The words in the Old and New Testaments are holy. For true believers, they rise off the pages of scrip- ture like incense and go straight to the soul of those hungry to inhale their spiritual message. Once they are absorbed, we are obligated to share them. For me, the Bible is a do-it-yourself manual for sal- vation; but for those who cannot discern its meaning for themselves, God sends preachers like Bill Russell. Some are sent to reach the lost and some are sent to reward the faithful. God needs to send more like Russell. Any faithful flock will be blessed by his tending. -- Joyce Holland, author of Boatdollies, Associate Agent, D430 Literary Agency.