The writer of this helpful and encouraging publication answers many questions but does not (as so many authors on preaching do) assume that he knows them all! Ward does know the day-to day demands of a pastor's life; the crises, squabbles, and heartaches that can easily quench the Spirit's flame.
The author stresses the need for the gospel to be incarnated in the preacher, and therefore the preacher must discover himself or herself. One is reminded of Phillips Brooks' s definition of preaching as "truth through personality." Having made that honest self-discovery, the preacher must be reconciled with him self, with the world, with the hearers, and with God. The first image in the book, that of a child running freely down a hill, becomes a metaphor for this total integrity of the preacher as well as the freedom of Spirit-filled preaching.
Ward also writes about the need for carefully listening to the Bible. He gives advice on how to present the plain text so that its message can be heard and its hearers participate in the action. Such participation will challenge the prejudices of a comfortable congregation--a challenge often avoided by preachers who like to keep their people happy!
Ward cites a broad selection of contemporary commentators and writes in a clear and direct way. Each chapter includes exercises that make the book suit able for use in a preachers' study course.
