Table of Contents
Acknowledgments v
Introduction: The Situational Sermon as Occasional Preaching 1
The Starting Point: The Good News of Justification by Grace Alone through Faith Alone 3
The Goal: Providing Theological Helps for Situational Sermons Called "Gospel Commonplaces" 5
A Preview: Gospel, Context, and Situation 8
"Church, We've Got a Situation...and a Gospel to Preach" 12
1 Theology of the Gospel 14
Justification by Grace through Faith as Gospel Starting Point 16
Critical Presuppositions Going Forward 17
A Lutheran Theology of the Gospel in Postmodern Context 20
An Excursus: Expressing the Gospel of Grace in the Postmodern Context 22
Gospel as Radical Promise 25
2 Gospel in Context and Situation 29
Gospel and Context 31
Context in the Concrete 35
Gospel and Situation 38
3 Preaching Gospel at Funerals 42
Discerning the Context 43
Discerning the Situation 47
Gospel Commonplaces for Funeral Sermons 50
Conclusion 61
4 Preaching Gospel at Weddings 64
Discerning the Context 65
Discerning the Situation 70
Gospel Commonplaces for Wedding Sermons 71
5 Preaching Gospel and Stewardship 81
Discerning the Context 82
Discerning the Situation 85
Gospel Commonplaces for Stewardship Sermons 87
6 Preaching Gospel in the Face of Injustice 101
Discerning the Context 105
Discerning the Situation 110
Gospel Commonplaces for Preaching in the Face of Injustice 113
7 Preaching Gospel in Times of Public Crises 124
Discerning the Context 125
Discerning the Situation 132
Gospel Commonplaces for Preaching in Times of Public Crises 134
Optional Loci: Gospel Commonplaces for Crises across the Continuum 149
Conclusion 150
XPreaching Gospel Going Forward 151
Imagining Situations beyond the Stained Glass 152
Conclusion 159
Appendix for Preachers: How to Use Gospel Commonplaces for Your Kairos Preaching Moments 160
Choose a Gospel Commonplace for a Main Idea 160
Choose Two or More Gospel Commonplaces to Structure Theological Reflection 163
The Gospel Goes Ahead of You 164
Two Final Rules for the Road for Gospel Preachers Going Forward 166
Conclusion 168
Notes 169
Bibliography 182
Index 185
