Festival of Homiletics

I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago - for two weeks! I visited friends in Knoxville, Nashville, and Sewanee before heading to Atlanta for the Festival of Homiletics. The first night featured Barbara Brown Taylor and Desmond Tutu. I also heard Walter Brueggemann, Will Willimon, Tom Long, Diana Butler Bass, Michael Curry, Otis Moss III, Craig Barnes, and more. It was amazing and inspiring. I loved witnessing all the different styles of preaching. One night they had a theology and music program in which 3 musicians played songs and then 4 theologians commented on what they had heard in the songs. So very cool.

It was great to have a week to learn about and listen to great preaching and to be inspired to continue working on unearthing my own most authentic preaching voice. It was also a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a priest. Since the preachers were preaching to a bunch of pastors, a lot of what they talked about was what it means to be living the life of the ordained. Not directly, mind you, but as a side effect. I can get very caught up in the details and tasks of ordained ministry and forget the larger picture. I am grateful for the time to reflect.

It was also very cool to spend some time with an old high school friend and two seminary classmates. We ate at the Flying Biscuit and Boone's. Yummy! I spent Memorial Day weekend with my family.

Vacation is good. Two weeks is a perfect amount of time - allows for decompression but isn't so long that you can't wait to get home. This trip was a perfect balance of friends, family, and learning. Next year in Nashville... Festival of Homiletics. I hope to be there.