Sunday, May 1, 2011

Just a bit to let you know who I am ...

I am a native of Texas, an Elder in The United Methodist Church, a preaching professor, a feminist, a mother of a pre-teen, a New York Yankees baseball fan, a lover of nature, a gadget geek, and a fan of mystery novels.  I am a student of the emerging church for the next generations and am passionate about relevant, relational preaching.  I am living in a big city right now but am a country girl at heart.  I am the daughter of a teacher and preacher and the granddaughter of a Texas cattle rancher.

Most importantly, I am a follower of Jesus and believe my faith is the core of how I relate to people and the world.  I teach seminary students the art of narrative preaching, how to engage their congregations in real life issues, and how to relate their lives to the gospel story.  I am passionate about the need for transformative preaching for an age when folks are searching for ways to believe, places to belong, and occasions for renewing their faith. 

Robert Webber uses an amazing image in his book, Ancient-Future Worship, of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam. He says ""Worship is the story between the two fingers." (p.107) Preaching is part of the space between the fingers ... it is telling the story of God's action in our lives ... it is the story of God coming to us over and over and over again in grace and love ... it is the story of God's redemption of humanity through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I want to share some of my thought about life, preaching, theology, family, and baseball through this blog.  Thanks for listening.

Grace and Peace --

Karyn

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