Course Modules in Preaching - More Ideas for Assignments on Work
Seminary Curriculum / Produced by TOW Project
Here are more sample assignments to help inspire fresh thinking about how to incorporate a concern for vocation, flourishing and economic justice in a seminary course on Preaching.
Sermon Illustrations Straight Out of The Workplace
Require students to develop and preach a sermon in which all the illustrative material is drawn from workplace contexts. If possible, encourage the student to visit members of their congregation in their workplace to help give context to the sermon. Afterwards, have a conversation or assign short reflection questions about their experience:
- How did this illuminate the biblical text for them?
- How was it similar to, and different from, their usual sermon preparation?
- Did they have any surprise learnings from the experience?
Work-Themed Sermon Critique
Ask students to:
- Read and critique one of the work-focused sermons on the TOW Project page. What do they admire and find useful about the exegesis, structure, and illustrations? What would they change? How could the sermon be adapted to their own setting?
- Write their own sermon on the given passage in light of their study of the TOW Project sermon.
Preach on a Work-themed Passage of Scripture
Ask students to prepare a topical, a narrative and an expository sermon on a passage focusing on work and vocation. Here are possible scriptures. Links go to the Theology of Work Project Commentary on each passage:
- Genesis 1 and 2
- Exodus 2:11-3:22
- Exodus 20:8-11
- I Samuel 16:12-13
- Jeremiah 29
- Proverbs 31
- Mark 1:16-20
- Luke 10:38-42
- Luke 16:1-13
- Romans 12
- I Corinthians 7:20-24
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- James 2:14-46
- Revelation 17-22
If possible, the students should preach one of the three sermons in the field and reflect on the experience.
Pick a Sermon, Pick it Apart
Ask students to critique a sermon related to the topic of work. (This link leads to many sermons from the Theology of Work Project and The High Calling that discuss work.) How does the preacher approach the text? What aspects of their exegesis do you agree with? What would you have done differently? What other illustrations can you think of which illumine the biblical text the preacher chose?
The Theology of Work Bible Commentary is an in-depth Bible study tool put together by a group of biblical scholars, pastors, and workplace Christians to help you discover what the whole Bible--from Genesis to Revelation--says about work. Business, education, law, service industries, medicine, government--wherever you work, in whatever capacity, the Scriptures have something to say about it. This edition is a one-volume hardcover version.
Image by W. Koh / Flickr . Used with Permission.
These assignments were written by Jennifer Woodruff Tait, web editor at the Theology of Work Project and an Episcopal priest. They were originally published in the Oikonomia Network Newsletter.
Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
