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Gennifer B. Brooks


Ernest and Bernice Styberg Professor of Preaching


Director of the Styberg Preaching Institute


Education


  • B.B.A., M.B.A., Pace University
  • M.Div., D.Min., New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ph.D., Drew University


The Preacher as Prophet


Preaching is the proclamation of the gospel, the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Preaching occurs in the context of worship and offers us an opportunity to experience God’s presence not only in the words of scripture, but also through the people’s encounter with the divine presence in the context of their lives. The sermon is the repository of the good news, which must be offered on every occasion of preaching. The good news of the sermon is the assurance of grace – God’s active, transformative presence in the midst of our everyday lives. It is not simply a past experience or a promised future, it invites the hearers into a present encounter with God regardless of their circumstance.


Thus, the preaching of the sermon is always a time of celebration that calls the gathered community to move beyond feeling, to a spirit-enriching experience of the God of creation, who is the author of redemption and the sustaining force of our lives. The preacher, as prophet, speaks for God, who with amazing love is ever and always good news.