Fr. Kevin's Top Sermons of 2019

It’s January, which means it’s time for best-of-2019 lists. Here are Fr. Kevin’s favorite sermons from the last year:

Each year, I look back on my sermons – this year, there were 34 – and pick out 3 I think worthy of a second listen (or a first, if you missed that particular week). So here are my utterly partial picks:

• “Christ the Disappointer:” when John the Baptist is disappointed by what Jesus isn’t doing (something we all experience), I love how Jesus responds to him – with a blessing 

• “Two Seemingly Incompatible Principles for Our Money:” Sermons often emphasize giving and leave out earning, saving, etc. I tried to zoom out to see the Bible’s bigger picture for how we handle (God’s) money

• “I Did the Job No One Wants (by Joseph of Arimathea):” a first-person sermon takes much research, writing, and memorizing, but all that took me deeply into Jesus’ final hours and death

 And one honorable mention: “Jesus Teaches: Don’t Criticize Others. No Kidding.”

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Kevin Miller was editor and vice-president at Christianity Today for 26 years and then associate rector at Church of the Resurrection for 5 years. He has been the rector at Savior since January 2017, and is also the co-founder of PreachingToday.com and CTPastors.com.

Staff Update: Father Kevin

If you’ve listened to a few of my sermons, then you know I’m a huge fan of fine coffee and the Chicago Cubs. A third passion—hobby?—of mine doesn’t get mentioned in my sermons, but I love helping other people preach. I know, how much of a hobby can that be, given that preaching is part of my work? (We Enneagram 3s never quite know how to take time off.)

Still, as much as I love to preach, I find even more joy coaching others, especially at this season of my life. I believe that anyone can learn to preach, and that most churches are filled with people who have teaching gifts that are waiting to be developed and released. Church of the Savior is living proof of this.

Last year and this year, I’ve devoted my study week to training Anglican rectors in preaching seminars. Over the years, I’ve also contributed to a preaching podcast (Monday Morning Preacher), website (PreachingToday.com), and encyclopedia (The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching).

I give myself to this, because I believe good preaching changes lives. (If you’re wondering, I define “good” as biblical, clear, prayerful, applied, and passionate.) Preaching builds churches, instills faith, gives courage, opens a vision of heaven, exalts Christ. As I do my cardio workout each day, I often listen to sermons by other preachers, because those fill my soul.

Our Anglican tradition has been blessed with outstanding preachers, from George Whitefield to John Stott to Rennis Ponniah to Tish Harrison Warren. Our tradition, which focuses on Word and Sacrament, remains healthy wherever those are balanced, where the Word is as substantial as the Bread and Wine of the Holy Table.

So on I go, this skinny preaching geek, hoping to leave behind a next generation of people who will preach their heart out.

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Kevin Miller was editor and vice-president at Christianity Today for 26 years and then associate rector at Church of the Resurrection for 5 years. He has been the rector at Savior since January 2017, and is also the co-founder of PreachingToday.com and CTPastors.com.

Word from Father Kevin: Favorite Sermons of 2018

At the end of each year, I like to look back and select “Fr. Kevin’s Favorite Sermons” of the year. In case you missed these, you might want to stream or download one of these Top 3:

• “The Son of Man” (Revelation, ch. 1) ” Okay, the title was lackluster. But after I received the diagnosis of Parkinson’s, I listened to this one solely to feed my soul on the vision of Jesus Christ that John of Patmos gives us. When we see Jesus Christ, we regain hope and strength.

• "Jesus Enters Our Sufferings” In this Ash Wednesday sermon, I tried to correct a common, yet serious, theological misunderstanding.

• "Your Future Body: The Working Prototype” One of Christianity’s greatest promises.

As I look back on this year, my heart fills with thankfulness for the many people who have preached at Savior this year. Truly we are blessed. Two of my favorite sermon series of the year featured 4 of our preachers who contributed:

• Revelation: Visions for a church under pressure (starting August 18)

• Blessed to Be a Blessing: practicing God’s presence in and for the world (starting Sept. 22)

Word from Father Kevin: Where is God Leading Us?

I told our Vestry, at its retreat last weekend, that Savior has an unusually high level of “leadership capital” for a church our size.

Consider our preaching team: In recent weeks, we’ve been blessed by sermons given by Deb Nickerson and Al Hsu, and in September, Dr. Sarah Lindsay and Ted Olsen will preach. This kind of collaborative team is, I’m learning, somewhat unusual within ACNA, but it’s a blessing to us all.

Then, we are blessed to have ten clergy regularly worshiping with us and willing to serve wherever needed (for example, Fr. Aaron Harrison will lead the Instructed Liturgy Workshop next month, and several of our clergy have been serving for an interim time at a sister parish in Milwaukee).

The quality of our staff team is astonishing; each could be leading national workshops on their area of ministry. And I could go on to Vestry, Ministry Team Leaders, Treasurers, and more. Truly, we are blessed.

I notice this, celebrate this, and invite you to ask God with me, “Since you have given us exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all we might ask or think in this area of our common life, what are you leading us to?”