Welcome!

Visiting here, it is likely that you are a pastor/preacher, a youth minister, a Christian educator, or a leader in a community of faith, transformation, and learning. Maybe you are merely interested in the Book of Joel with its fascinating message and you seek to nurture your spirituality. Biblical narratives such as Joel’s invite transformation by validating one’s current experience while disclosing a new reality to us. We need such renewal.

These sermons complement The Millennial Narrative: Sharing a Good Life with the Next Generation (Abingdon Press, 2019) and the book’s Participant Guide (Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Christianbook, Cokesbury, and IndieBound).

The life-giving narrative of Joel is an archetypal story of life:

There was a person who knew the locusts of life. The locusts caused devastation, loss and trauma. He/she/they mourned the losses and sought healing for the traumas by building life-giving communities and nurturing his/her/their spirituality. He/she/they discovered the compassionate God who promises restoration and pours the Spirit over all. The person(s) embraced accountability, knowing that decisions made and actions taken have consequences. He/she/they participated in God’s restorative work toward a just society and a sustainable earth. The person(s) lived the Good Life.

In this story, one act spirals into another to circle back, even if there is progression, for life is not linear. We weave together many experiences into the mosaic that is you and me.

Be surprised by the possibilities the prophet Joel brings to you and your community. Witness the hope awakened in those making Joel’s story their own. Open yourself to the drama and the mystery. Resist those who deny the rich complexity of life.

May these cursory notes, sermon outlines, and music guide you as you bring the Word of the merciful God to your community.

Jaco J. Hamman, PhD
Nashville, November 2018