Lay Preaching

Summer, 1997

Lay Preaching: Babette's Feast for the Church

by Patricia Hughes Baumer and The Reverend Tim Power

Patricia Hughes Baumor is a /ay preacher at Pax Christi Catholic Community in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. She and her husband Fred coordinate Partners in Preaching, a ministry of consultation, training and formation serving the local and national Church. Her book, Empowering a New Voice: Lay Preaching in the Catholic Church will be published in 1998 by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MM Patricia has her M Div. Degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Chicago, IL

The Reverend T/m Power was ordained for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1966. He has been presbyter of the Pax Christi Catholic Community for the past sixteen years. He believes with Godfrey Diekmenn that Vatican II reversed the momentum of 1500 years of over growing clericalism and restored full citizenship at the parish level.­ Father Power has an MA in Sociology from the Catholic University of America.

In the award­winning French film Babette's Feast, viewers are invited to share the experience of a dedicated but dour small faith community living off the coast of Denmark. The members of this earnest sect have survived for years on a subsistence diet of gruel, discipline, and deprivation to which they cling out of fidelity to their interpretation of the traditions of their founder.

Into their midst comes a servant, Babette, who unbeknownst to her companions has the competence and creativity of a gourmet chef. When she sets before them a splendid table of rich food and fine wine, they initially pledge to one another that they will resist the temptations of pleasure. "No matter what, we will not enjoy this food."

Grace finds a voice, however, in the amazed exclamations of a visitor at the feast. In the delight which he takes in each new morsel, the gathered diners are led to see that this splendid banquet can nourish soul as well as body. As the film concludes, we have little doubt that these startled believers will never again allow religion to mask their appreciation of the taste of life.

The development of the ministry of lay preaching in Roman Catholic communities has several parallels to the story line of Babette's Feast. We are going to address these from the perspectives of an ordained presider and a lay preacher.

Why Lay Preaching? An Abundant Feast

Fr. Tim:

Lay preaching is an overlooked resource for the nourishment of the faith community. The leadership of our parish wanted to implement a lay preaching ministry in order to expand the number and diversity of voices who would break open the Word. As a pastor, I am frequently asked by other clergy how I could ~give up" the preaching ministry? I am not giving up anything. I am making sure this community has access to excellent preaching by sharing the ministry with others like myself who have a love for the Word of God.

Preaching truly is a charism of the laity as well as of the ordained. The Second Vatican Council has urged priests to "...discover with the instinct of faith, acknowledge with joy, and foster with diligence the various...charisms of the laity." That is exactly what is happening as lay people are invited to preach in a community.

In a typical week, I may preach up to five times for Sunday Eucharist, in addition to weddings, funerals, and a variety of mid­week prayer services. How can any one person's spirituality be consistently nourishing to thousands of believers week in and week out? When do presiders have the opportunity to hear someone else proclaim and interpret the Word? Lay preaching has nourished my priestly ministry at the same time that it challenges me to remain faithful to time set aside for prayer and preparation.

Patricia:

When parishioners talk with me about lay preaching, the most heartfelt responses seem to come from people who identify with their own life experiences being brought to preaching in a very personal way. I remember one July Sunday on which I had preached the Gospel story of Mary and Martha welcoming Jesus. Rather than focusing yet one more time on the familiar but burdensome teaching of the need for more prayer and less action in our lives, I had offered the possibility that Jesus loved both of the Bethany sisters and accepted their two distinct means of offering him hospitality. A woman came to me with tears in her eyes after Mass that day. "Thank you so much," she said. "l have to be in the kitchen a lot. That was very freeing."

The How of Lay Preaching: Who Prepares the Feast?

Fr. Tim:

The documents of the Second Vatican Council state that preaching is at the heart of priestly ministry. Preaching is a privilege and a responsibility. But just as a pastor is responsible for the teaching that takes place within the catechetical ministry of a parish, without being personally obligated to teach all classes of adult faith formation or religious education, so too, I exercise my responsibility for assuring that the Word of God is preached without personally delivering every sermon.

People protect what they value. Our parish places a priority on the quality of our worship together. The members of the lay preaching team complete a thorough training and formation program for their ministry, and receive ongoing support and

evaluation. They bring their unique experiences of life and love, parenthood, business ethics, caring for extended family. All of these elements are woven together into a lay, biblical spirituality. The lay preachers share the task of defining the spirituality of our parish community.

The Pax Christi Catholic Community Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Patricia:

I am grateful that an expanding number of parishes and dioceses are implementing training programs for lay preachers. The ministry is more important than the one who ministers. Why should we place limits on how God chooses to speak within the worshiping community? Even if there were adequate numbers of ordained, male clergy, lay preaching would be a means for the Church to exercise grateful stewardship of the gifts that have been given to its baptized members.

Lay Preaching: Who Sets the Table?

Patricia:

As a member of the first generation of lay preachers, I am sometimes asked some unusual questions. One of my favorites was posed by an elderly gentleman who was visiting our parish one Sunday. When he came up to greet me after a Mass at which I had preached, he took my hand and shook it enthusiastically. "That was one of the finest sermons I've ever heard," he said. "Is it allowed?"

The question revealed a genuine concern about the origin of ministry within our community. He was appreciative of the development of lay preaching and was only seeking more understanding of how it had come to be. Preparation of the community in which lay preaching will take place is indispensable. Every member of the assembly can be reminded of how the very word "liturgy" means "the work of the people." The word of our common prayer is WE. Each worshiper has a role to play.

The ministries within liturgy are interdependent. The prayer does not belong to the presider. It is particularly important to remember this at a time when many parish communities are served by itinerant clergy who travel from one place to another to preside at the celebration of the Eucharist. It is precisely within some of these communities that lay preaching enables the Word to be broken open more effectively by a preacher who is a daily member of that praying community, one who knows its history, its hopes, its temptations, and its mission to live out the Gospel.

The authority for lay preaching is grounded in the call of the faith community. In some local Churches, training and commissioning are offered in a coordinated diocesan program. In other locations, individual parish communities have selected candidates for this ministry and hew provided them with mentoring and workshop preaching experiences where they receive comments from other preachers­in­training. In both models, the requirements for competent, grace­filled

preaching are what dictate the qualities to be sought in the lay preacher. The standard is one of inclusivity. The primary question is only, "Who can break open the Word among us most effectively?"

Fr. Tim:

The exercise of any ministry of the Word depends on the graces received by all the Baptized. Even though the ordained priest presider is the "ordinary" minister of preaching, canon 766 of the 1983 Revised Code of Canon Law specifically authorizes lay preaching when it is "necessary in certain circumstances or if it is useful in particular cases."

According to canon 767 of the 1983 Revised Code, the preaching of a homily is, by definition, the ministry of a priest

or deacon. Therefore, lay preachers do not give a "homily." Our parish liturgy committee, however, was firmly committed to retaining preaching which would be based on the lectionary Scriptures of the day. Our lay preachers neither "give talks" on areas of special expertise, nor do witness talks that would be more appropriate in settings other than community worship.

The primary question is only "Who can break open the Word among us most effectively?"...The ministry is more important than the minister.

Lay preaching can be lectionary based, liturgical preaching. When the Second Vatican Council reawakened our Catholic consciousness to the way in which the Liturgy of the Word paralleled the Liturgy of the Eucharist, tho norm was established that the homily was not to be omitted on Sunday. At the time the Conciliar decrees were written, their call was for scripturally based preaching, the "what" of the preaching, not the "who" of the preacher. The ministry is more important than the minister.

Lay preaching has enabled the parishes who have implemented it to benefit from hearing the Word in ways that would not be possible in its absence. The pastoral good is one which I could not bring about on my own.

Conclusion

The feast which the servant Babette so generously set before the members of her little community enabled them to celebrate in unfamiliar but welcome ways. The meagerness of the diet to which they had become accustomed had less to do with a lack of ingredients than with a failure of their collective imagination. One wonders if their life together was enriched not only by an appreciation of plentiful food, but also by the realization that the graciousness of God exceeds the bounds of human expectation.

It has been our shared experience, as presider and lay preacher, that the ministry of the Word within our parish community and beyond has had similar effects. New voices have been empowered to speak God's Word of life. Beyond the comfort or challenge of individual Scriptural passages, the developing ministry of lay preaching itself speaks a word. It speaks HOPE within communities who experience once again the God who makes all things new.

At the Third National Conference of the Catholic Coalition on Preaching, to be held September 21­24, 1997 in Cincinnati, we will once again have the opportunity to present a focus session on the lay preaching ministry. We hope to meet you there.

The Call of the Baptized

by Dominic Berardino

 Dominic Berardino is President of Southern California Renewal Communities, based in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. He holds a Master's Degree in Religious Studies from Mt. St. Mary's College and has pursued further studios at Loyola­Marymount University.

As a lay person who is invited to speak in an average of two parishes per week, I have yet to view myself as being a lay preacher. My aim is to be a communicator of spiritual reality, while at the same time meeting the challenge of relating to people within their own unique and varied settings.

Through the years I am coming into a deeper realization that this inner-passion to communicate God's wondrous love flows from my baptismal responsibility to proclaim the Gospel. Baptism is a calling to associate oneself with Jesus Christ in his saving mission. Such a concept has far­reaching implications. By virtue of baptism, our faith enables us to participate in Christ's loving service to the world.

The Second Vatican Council's Degree on the Missionary Activity of the Church explains how "all Christians are bound to show forth by the example of their lives and by witness of their speech that new (person) which they put on in baptism" (article 11). Once while I was teaching a scripture series, a priest in the audience told me how much he admired me as a layman doing this type of work. He went on to say that I didn't have to do this for a living, whereas he as a priest had to minister to people if he wanted to eat.

In the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, article 16 asserts how "lay people too have an apostolate of the Word when they announce Christ, explain and spread his teaching according to their situation and ability and faithfully profess it." It is precisely because I am a lay person that I believe I have a distinct advantage in challenging other laity to begin taking their own baptismal callings much more seriously.

I have witnessed the power of the Good News to heal distorted images of personhood that sometimes reflect distorted images of God. Once while giving a presentation on the topic of God's love at a church in Santa Barbara, a lady came to me after the talk and said she was Catholic all her life but had never heard in church that God loved her. I found this difficult to believe, but for whatever the reason, she had not been able to personally hear such a message before. She then proceeded to tell me how she did not even love herself. She said, "My husband thinks I am crazy because I don't love myself, but I never did my whole life and I am 57 years old." At that point I took her hands and began to pray that she might experience God's personal love for her and that she would be healed of whatever was blocking her from loving herself. She immediately began to cry. Those were tears of healing, as she encountered the liberating power of our loving God.

As we proclaim the Gospel in all that we say and do, many unexpected surprises await us. Once while conducting an extended parish Bible study, an older man named Paul, who recently had begun attending, started to say to me on a number of occasions, "Dominic, you are making a convert out of me." I didn't know what he meant, nor did I inquire as to why he seemed to know a lot about the Catholic Church. Shortly thereafter, he died suddenly of a heart attack. At the funeral I was quite surprised to learn from the man's brother that Paul was an ax­priest, and was very alienated from the Church for more than twenty years. I also learned that a short time before Paul died, he had been sacramentally reconciled with the Church. I have learned never to second guess the Holy Spirit, who is the active agent in the power of Gospel proclamation.

The Catholic vision of evangelization entails major social transformation. The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World calls the people of God "to penetrate the world with a Christian spirit and to be witnesses of Christ in all things in the midst of human society" (article 43). Such a monumental task of Gospel proclamation requires s major awakening to baptismal responsibility and a I renewed faith in the living I presence of Jesus Christ I who promised to be with I his followers always, to I the end of time (Matt. 28:20).

From the ­ Director's Desk...

Dear Friends in Christ,

In September 1972, just twenty­five years ago, the National Institute for the Word of God came into existence as a result of the First National Congress on the Word of God, celebrated in Washington, DC, in the beautiful Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The National Institute for the Word of God was founded in order to channel all the tremendous outpouring of graces at that celebration of the Word of God into all the aspects of the Church's life. As far as we can tell, this was the very first Congress in the long history of the Catholic Church to celebrate the power of God's word; in that, it joins the many other congresses sponsored by the Church over the centuries to celebrate particular aspects of the Church's many faceted life, such as Eucharistic congresses, Marian congresses, liturgical and catechetical congresses.

Over the years, the Institute sponsored two more national congresses. In 1977, we held the First National Congress on Evangelization in St. Paul­Minneapolis. As a result, many other programs in evangelization were undertaken by a variety of other people and organizations, for which Pope Paul Vl had expressed great hope in his letter to the Congress. Five years later, in 1982, the Institute convened the First National Ecumenical Symposium on Preaching in Atlanta, Georgia.

In addition to these three national events which drew large numbers of bishops, priests, religious women and laity, the Institute staff has conducted hundreds of preaching, lectoring and liturgy workshops, Bible missions, and retreats for priests, religious and laity throughout the United States and Canada and overseas: Germany, Japan, Solomon Islands and Rome. We have also produced books, articles, video and audio tapes which are being used extensively in a variety of programs throughout the world.

We are deeply grateful to God for the many opportunities he has given the Institute to reach thousands of men and women who hunger both to hear the word of God and to serve the word of God. We are also thankful to all those many people who have assisted the Institute over the years. We are especially grateful to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and to The Catholic University of America, the co­sponsors of the National Congress on the Word of God in 1972. Without that support we would not have been established. The initial financial support for that Congress was provided by the Serra International Foundation and by several members of the Serra Club of Washington, D.C.

We thank God for the continuing support and advice of our Episcopal Advisory Board which the late Bishop Raymond Gallagher established to work with the Institute in 1972.

We also want to express our heartfelt appreciation for the many loyal mends of the Institute who have contributed so generously. We would not have been able to continue to exist without their support. The Institute has pursued its mission for 25 years without a development office or officer. God's grace is truly a wonder! The many dioceses, parishes, organizations and individuals who have asked us to minister to them in one way or another are also special to us, and we thank them as well. Finally, we are grateful to my own Dominican Province of St. Joseph which has permitted me to minister with the Institute and has always been supportive of the work of the Institute. All are remembered each month in a special Mass for their intentions.

But even as I look back over the past twenty­five years in gratitude, I am very aware that the important thrust that God is calling the Institute to is still in the future. In a real sense, the past has only prepared us to serve better the needs of the

Church in the future. And we are prepared!

We have been blessed with new members on our Board of Directors, younger Dominican priests, well­trained in preaching, who have a great sense of vision with regard to the future of preaching in the Church. Furthermore, new opportunities are opening up through the Institute's expanded cooperative ministry with the National Catholic Coalition on Preaching.

The Coalition was formed as the result of two think­tanks which the Institute convened in 1988 and 1989 in Washington, DC. These think­tanks brought together the leadership of 11 major national Catholic organizations who agreed that there was a clear need for a renewal of preaching and expressed a willingness to dedicate their memberships to working for it. The first task of the Catholic Coalition on Preaching, which now has 17 member organizations, was to sponsor a series of national conferences on preaching. This year the Coalition celebrates its third National Conference on Preaching in September in Cincinnati. The work of the Coalition on Preaching is not limited to these national conferences, however; it also is extending its ministry to many other facets of Church life.

In 1972, when Bill Graham and I founded the Institute as a result of that first congress, we had no idea what the Lord had in mind for us, we only knew we had been called and that the Lord would provide us with both the vision and the means to implement the vision. He has done so and we are filled with praise and thanks!

As the great Jubilee Year 2,000 draws closer, Bill Graham, our Associate Director, along with the Board of Directors, the entire staff of the Institute, and myself, join the whole church in celebrating the riches of God gifts to all humanity. We rejoice in being a partner in the work of salvation, and we pray that the Lord will continue to guide, strengthen and support us in the years to come.

In Christ,

John Burke, OP

WE RECOMMEND...

"Let Laypeople Preach" by Don Brophy in US. Catholic, Vol. 61, No. 4, April 1996. The au~or argues for more lay preaching in the Church, and U.S. Catholic presents readers' feedback.

The Beginners' Guide to Bible Sharing: Volume I by Father John Burke, OP. Volume I gives a basic introduction to the process of Bible sharing through a carefully designed series of units to lead you easily and confidently into the great mysteries revealed by the Holy Bible. Beginners ' Guide is now available at the reduced rate of $9 per copy pre­paid directly from the National Institute for the Word of God. (Brown­Roe, 1984).

The Homilist's Guide to Scripture, Theology, and Canon LDW by Father John Burke, OP and Father Thomas P. Doyle, OP. This book draws on all contemporary documents including the Code of Canon Law to guide ordinary ministers of preaching: bishops, priests and deacons. Homilist's Guide is available from the National Institute for the Word of God for the price of $12.95 per copy. IPueblo, 1987).

Companion to the Prayer of Christians: Reflections and Personal Prayers by Father John Burke, OP. This companion book to the 'Prayer of Christians' or the Divine Office, provides a distinct focus for each psalm and connects the meaning of the psalm with our personal lives. This Companion will help you understand the psalms and see their relevance to your daily life, and, with such a perspective, it will carry you through even the greatest trials with hope. Available from the National Institute for the Word of God for the price of $6.95 per copy. (Liturgical Press, 1 995).

Preaching the Just Word by Father Walter J. Burghardt, SJ. In this book, Father Burghardt discusses why we must apply biblical justice ­ not merely legal justice ­ to matters concerning the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized. Father Burghardt advises other preachers that their sermons need not provide answers to the problems, but should instead sensitize awareness of social issues and show their religious importance. Preaching the Just Word is available from Liturgy Training Publications for the price of $22.50 per copy.

Pope John Paul II's Vision for the Third Millennium a publication of the Charismatic Renewa/ Services of Long Island, Inc. A compendium of preparation aids for the Jubilee Year 2000, this publication is quite useful and motivating in this challenging time of proclaiming the truth of God's love and presence. This publication can be obtained by calling 516.952.7400 and the cost is $2 per copy with substantial bulk prices available.

Evangelization and the Great Jubilee  

a report by Father John Burke, OP

This past June 1 1­14, 1997, participated in the national convention of the National Council for Catholic Evangelization. What an exciting and rewarding experience! The Organization has grown from its modest beginnings to one with 2,730 members nationwide and Canada. Membership is made up of archdioceses and dioceses, religious communities, national organizations, parishes and individuals. In addition to the national conferences. Members are able to participate in regional meetings as well.

The great advantage of a national conference like this is that evangelists who may be working in small parishes and small towns have the opportunity to come together with others who are equally zealous for the Lord to exchange experiences and support one another in what could be a lonely ministry alone.

This convention was particularly blessed with excellent motivational speakers. Two keynoters stand out in particular, both zealous Catholic laymen: Mark Berchem and Jerry Langley. The former is the Founder and Executive Director of NET Ministries, a Catholic evangelistic outreach to youth. Beginning as a retreat program in the Archdiocese of St. Paul­Minneapolis, it has expanded into an international ministry that sends out teams of young people to some sixty dioceses in the United States, plus 18diocesesin Canada, as well as teams in Australia and many other nations of the world.

Each year NET trains 125 young adults, who commit themselves to at least one year of evangelizing ministry. Since its beginnings in 1980, NET has conducted over 15,000 retreats and ministered to over 1,000,000 young people throughout the world. I have met both team members and those they have ministered to and can testify that the conversions the team has brought about are life­changing and long lasting.

Mark was a delight to hear.

Jerry Langley is not an evangelist by profession; rather, he works in the corporate world as a motivational speaker. The president of NCCE, Fr. Carl Tenhundfeld, a pastor in Houston, heard him speak one time, and knowing his profoundly Catholic faith, asked him to adapt his talk for Catholic evangelists. His personal witness and his speaking skills brought the crowd to their faith in praise and thanksgiving for his gifts.

In addition, there were many workshops throughout the conference, directed to different levels of ministry and experience. Some were for those who had been in ministry many years; others were geared to those who were just beginning, such as "Evangelization 101" by Sr. Louis Alf. "Dreams and Vision: Creative Approaches for the Third Millennium" by Susan Blum Gerding, on the other hand was for diocesan directors of evangelization.

Speakers included Archbishop John R. Roach, Retired Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, Archbishop of Santa Fe, NM, and Bishop Lawrence Welsh, auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis.

As both a preacher and teacher of preaching at the Dominican House of Studies, I was reinvigorated for my own ministry. I will be able to incorporate the new ideas I received there into my preaching and teaching, but more importantly, as a result of the witness of these dedicated men and women, I return to my own ministry with renewed dedication and excitement.

For anyone who feels alone in their ministry of evangelization, I cannot suggest strongly enough membership in NCCE for both inspiration and understanding of the ministry and development of the skills necessary for effective work for the Lord, Jesus.

For further information on the NCCE, please contact:

John N. Simon, Executive Director

The National Council

for Catholic Evangelization

PO Box 1260

South Holland, Illinois 60473

1­800­786­NCCE

The Institute Prayer

Heavenly Father Your Sacred Scriptures reveal the Good News that You love us. You have chosen us to reflect that love more abundantly by professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. May the Holy Spirit so transform our lives, that we increasingly proclaim the Goad News to all creation. We ask You this in Jesus' name. Amen.

NEWSBRIEFS

Fr. John Burke, OP. conducted a Bible Camp the Letter to the Ephesians and a Bible Institute on the Book of Genesis for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of Winnipeg, Canada, July 18­27, 1997. Both Camp and Institute sessions were recorded, and tape albums of his lectures are available from the following address:

CCRS of Manitoba 6 Dumbarton Blvd.,

Winnipeg, MB R3P2C4

phone: 204.895.7544 fax: 204.895.8878

Congratulations...At the May 2, 1997 commencement exercises, the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis conferred four graduates with the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, the first program of its kind at a Roman Catholic institution. The program stems from the call put forth by the U.S. Bishops in the 1982 document Fulfilled in Your Hearing, which promoted the establishment of a doctoral degree in preaching to enhance the preaching mission of the Church in the United States. For more information, please contact:

The Aquinas Institute of Theology

3642 Undell Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63108

The Secretariat for the Third Millennium and the Jubilee Year 2000 continues its publication of its newsletter Jubilee 2000. The newsletter is published six times yearly and contains information and resources for the Church's preparations for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. For subscription information, please contact:

Third Millennium/Jubilee Year 2000

3211 Fourth Street, NE

Washington, DC 20017

www.nccbuscc.org/jubilee 

The National Institute for the Word of God and The GoodNews Letter are on the World Wide Web!! Come visit us at our address: http://www.WordofGodInstitute.org  and find Fr. John Burke at burkeop@aol.com

Resources available...For a full listing of the 20 + publications and resources offered by the National Federation of Priests' Councils, please contact:

NFPC

1337 W. Ohio Street

Chicago, IL 60622-6490

phone: 312.829.3334 fax: 312.829.8915

e­mail: nfpc@nfpc.org 

Father Norman A. Haddad, OP, Prior of St. Stephen Priory, Dover, MA, was elected Provincial of the Province of St. Joseph on June 10, 1997. Congratulations!

Our Readers Respond

In the Easter edition of The GoodNews Letter, we asked our readers to share their lay preaching experiences with us by answering the following survey questions:

1. Have you actively preached or had the experience of hearing the preaching of a lay person?

2. If you have preached or do so regularly, what are the circumstances or reasons?

3. If you preach on a continuing basis as a lay preacher, what type of training or educational background did you receive to enable you to preach? 4. If you have had the occasion of hearing a lay person preach or have this occasion on a continual basis, what value does this experience have for you?

Unfortunately, we did not get many responses to our survey request. However, the readers who did get back to us were quite candid and positive in their responses. All of our respondents seemed to have regular interaction with lay preaching. Here's what they had to say:

~ our lay reader's preach under a variety of circumstances and events, such as missions, conferences, prayer services, parish events, at University chapel, and for adults suffering with chronic mental illness

~ the preaching takes place out of a call for evangelization and discipleship ~ our lay preacher's commonly have a degree in theology, but add to their training and educational background such foundational experiences as mentoring, former teaching experience, former Dominican training, and personal growth through prayer, sacraments, scripture reading, and sharing the faith with others.

~ in response to the last question, on what value does lay preaching have for them, our respondents said the following:

"One hears the Spirit speaking through all life experiences"

"Lay preaching affirms my belief in the obligation of all the baptized to spread the Gospel and to take part in the leadership of God's people"

"Lay preaching is crucial, given that at least 90% of the faithful are laity (we've got to put them to work!), lay preaching allows peer evangelization to take place, and people relate to peers easily, and can see themselves doing (and living) what is being modeled"

"Lay preaching gives a sense of shared, common experiences"

One reader was sure to point out that while lay preaching has many wonderful advantages, we must not neglect the need for strengthening the preaching of our ordained ministers.

The National Institute for the Word of God would like to thank those who contributed to this survey. Any readers who would further care to share their views on any issue raised in this edition of The GoodNews Letter are encouraged to send all responses in care of Lori Brower, the Editor.

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The GoodNews Letter is published three times a year by The National Institute for the Word of God. Story suggestions, news items, and correspondence are welcome and may be forwarded to the Editor.

The National Institute for the Word of God 487 Michigan Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20017 Editor, Lori Brower