Lecture Two: Field of Grace: Preaching Joy Toward A Distant Horizon
Uncertain times take a toll on our health, body and soul. Bad news gallops around us. Fresh hells appear before we’ve cleared our eyes from the last one. In times of tension, preachers are called upon to describe what is going on and offer a religious antidote. Preaching in these uncertain times we are called to be incisive and vigorous. This task drains us of patience and intellectual potency. Yet we are gospel people: we are ready with good news. Our ancestors in faith left us stepping-stones. They planted vineyards. They gave us The Word. We’re in this together. Let’s listen.
The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean is a Disciple in “A Place at the Table.” Her work is in Moments in Time, The Theology of the United Church of Canada, Touchstone Journal, and The Christian Century. She and John H. Young wrote Preaching the Big Questions. Catherine has preached and lectured on theology – and life as faithful communities – in congregations and webinars across Canada, and taught at St. Andrew’s, St. Stephen’s, VST, and AST. She is a Past President of the Canadian Theological Society, a WCC delegate, and on the editorial team of Then Let Us Sing! Catherine also is Guinness Book Official Witness for the Biggest Dodgeball Game in the World.
From climate change to economic inequality, from housing to mental health, and so much more, the word “crisis” is invoked in many areas of our lives. This has led some analysts to use the word “polycrisis” to describe the situation of the modern world. What does Christian witness and gospel proclamation look like in a world like this? These two talks will draw on the Christian apocalyptic tradition, a tradition that is attentive to the powers and structures that shape our existence, to offer ideas for forming and leading Christian communities that witness to the good news of the Christian gospel in a changing and challenging context.
Since 2017, Jesse Zink has been principal of Montreal Diocesan Theological College (widely known simply as “Dio”), a college founded in the Anglican tradition that since 2021 has also served The United Church of Canada. He is the author of five books on Christian witness in a global world, most recently Faithful, Creative, Hopeful: Fifteen Theses for Christians in a Crisis-Shaped World.