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An affirming gay Christian (GLBT) site dedicated to ...
"Building (ALL) the Body of Christ in Love!"
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An affirming gay Christian (GLBT) site dedicated to ... "Building (ALL) the Body of Christ in Love!"
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Peter J. Gomes
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In The Good Book, Peter Gomes, pastor of Harvard University's Memorial Church and a professor of theology, has written a vivid, common sense and wise analysis of what the Bible means for us today. As an African American gay man, Gomes is interested in re-viewing the biblical passages on sexuality and race, but The Good Book is much more than a revisionist look at controversial biblical passages. Gomes is interested in rediscovering how the Bible can find a place in our emotional and political lives, as well as in our religious beliefs.
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Gomes knows the risk he took in publishing this collection of his sermons. He knows that preaching is primarily an oral not a written from of communication. He knows, too, that any experience one is likely to have as the result of hearing a sermon will be fundamentally different than the one that results from reading the same. This difference noted, Gomes presses on in the faith that although different, both may be nonetheless equally valuable experiences.
Helping to bridge this difference is Gomes' chosen method of presentation. Organizing his messages as he does according to church seasons and themes emulates the aural experience. It is as if we had the benefit of sitting in Gomes' congregation Sunday after Sunday for an entire year. Surely this is the only way of even beginning to assess the gifts that a preacher like Gomes brings to the Holy Scriptures.
Gomes' choice of scriptures seems to have been based upon the common lectionary. The messages therefore tend to follow more the contours of the church year than of Gomes' mind. But this is as it should be. In this fashion, Gomes seems to have followed in the footsteps of another fine preacher, H.H. Farmer, who urged preachers to be servants of the Word. In the end, after one is done reading this book, one is left with the impression that one has had as much, if not more, an encounter with the Word as with Dr. Gomes. If you are yourself a practitioner of the art of preaching or just one who appreciates good preaching, this book would be well worth your reading.
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Peter J. Gomes is widely acclaimed as one
of America's greatest preachers. In Strength for the Journey,
Gomes offers a new collection of his most important sermons, which draw
on the wisdom of the Bible to guide us through the year and enrich our
daily lives.
Sermons have always played a central role in American culture, serving as beacons of hope in trying times and illuminating the path ahead when the prevailing wisdom grows dim. Gomes is one of the few remaining great practitioners of this lost art. Strength for the Journey features twenty-two of his stirring addresses dealing with themes of daily life such as commitment, death, happiness, innocence, patriotism, and struggle; and eighteen enduring sermons focusing on the seasons of the liturgical year. Never one to shy away from controversy, Gomes preaches sermons such as "In Praise of Harlots," "Plenty Good Room," nd "Patriotism Is Not Enough. "Publishers Weekly called Gomes's historic "Outer Turmoil, Inner Strength" sermon, delivered just days after the tragic events of September 11, "one of the most eloquent, sensitive Christian responses to the attack." Gomes's latest collection is sure to satisfy his loyal fans as well as to attract new ones. With his characteristic eloquence and compassion, Gomes offers us the spiritual resources we need to bring joy and inspiration to everyday life.
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