In October 2023, Disciples gathered for an online preaching workshop in preparation for Advent. In Preaching in Advent, Dr. Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder, Professor of New Testament and Culture at Chicago Theological Seminary, offered a powerful reflection asking the questions of Advent.

Dr. Buckhanon Crowder is a New Testament scholar with particular expertise in the Gospels and in womanist approaches to scripture and preaching. Her Advent reflection engages the texts and postures of the season — waiting, longing, hope, and preparation — through the lens of scholarship and pastoral attentiveness. Advent asks congregations to sit with questions before rushing to answers, and this workshop helps preachers lead that countercultural practice with grounding and depth.

This resource is valuable for preachers beginning their Advent preparation as well as for those looking to deepen their theological engagement with the season’s texts. It can be used in conjunction with lectionary sermon preparation or as a standalone reflection on Advent’s spiritual character.

You might also find helpful:

• New Years Eve and Day — A downloadable sermon outline for the turn of the year, grounded in Isaiah 63:7-9 and 43:19.
• A Lover’s Quarrel — Weekly lectionary reflections from Disciples New Testament scholar Eric C. Smith for Advent and year-round sermon preparation.
• Psalms: An Everyday Prayerbook — A six-week Disciples sermon series exploring grief, praise, and prayer through the Psalms.
• Preaching in an Election Year — Dr. Leah Schade’s framework for preaching faithfully in polarizing seasons.