Working Preacher, a free online resource provided by Luther Seminary, is now offering content to expand its audience beyond preachers. The site recently launched a new feature called Reflect & Connect for use by everyday Christians.
Reflect & Connect discussion questions are designed to stimulate conversation on the Revised Common Lectionary texts by individuals and groups who read the texts in advance of worship. Working Preacher’s Reflect & Connect questions, a pilot project during the seven weeks of Easter—continuing through May 8—are designed to prepare the soil for preachers and their listeners. Each question is short enough to tweet, so they can be used by congregations to engage others via social media. Learn more.
The early response is positive. As Pastor Keith Fry of Immanuel Lutheran in Evanston, Ill., commented on Facebook: “I didn’t know about this feature of Working Preacher! These questions are perfect for my Thursday A.M. Bible study. Thank you!”
This feature comes in addition to resources that preachers around the world have come to rely on: weekly podcasts and text commentaries on Revised Common Lectionary and Narrative Lectionary readings as well as Craft of Preaching blog posts and videos.
Luther Seminary professor Karoline Lewis, author of the site’s weekly Dear Working Preacher column and co-host of the Sermon Brainwave podcast, said, “To accompany working preachers across the globe in their proclamation of God’s Word is an extraordinary gift. We truly hope and believe that Working Preacher makes God’s love for the world a greater reality.”