Sermons: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living

Before buying this collection, I had heard Rev. Gomes once in person. There, I was impressed by his charisma and humanity. Now, I'm also inspired by his erudition and faith. I was raised Catholic and no longer belong to the Church, but listening to these sermons made me wish I had access to a pastor this powerful. The sermons all begin with extremely brief passages from the Bible, keyed to specific periods of the liturgical calendar. Rev. Gomes explicates both the Christian and the larger ethical implications. This is not watered down religion, but it is, let's say, worldly in its approach. I am most impressed with how they balance an openness to ambiguity with a clear moral purpose. I don't mean to say that the sermons are ambiguous about morality; but Rev. Gomes does not shirk from what's difficult about being Christian, from the constraints and costs of living morally. The sermons are filled with joy, but never fail to acknowledge that--on earth--this joy does not fall out of the sky, but is rather the result of deep contemplation and purposeful living.

Peter Gomes has earned a reputation as one of America's finest preachers, and this book -- a collection of 40 of his sermons, many of them delivered first to the Harvard College Memorial Church -- proves that his reputation is well earned. A sense of peace and grace will overtake you as you are seduced by his words. Reading "Beyond Tragedy" I was reminded of the powerful imagery associated with Palm Sunday; reading "When Life Begins" I was comforted by the reminder that Christianity tells us not to fear death; reading "Getting to Yes," I was reminded of the spiritual emphasis placed on changing one's mind. The language Gomes uses is poetic and simple; the ideas he expresses are brilliant musings on the true meaning of many Bible stories.Above all, it is Gomes's understanding of the Bible, his ability to makes sense of its sometimes inscrutable stories, that makes him such an effective preacher. I can't say I've ever heard a sermon in the variety of churches I've attended that has illuminated Christianity in the way this book does.

The tragedy is most of what they "write" is never written down, it is delivered orally, the great news is that one of the best has written 40 of his, and created "Sermons". Mr. Peter J. Gomes has collected this group of his sermons, and now people outside of his place of speaking may enjoy the words of this great communicator.I am not suggesting this book because a member of the clergy has written it; religion is an individual and very personal choice. I enjoyed this book as I feel some of the greatest users of our language speak rather than write, or rather speak but with no written record, and this is truly a loss. Whether or not the religious denomination of which Mr. Gomes is a member that you have adopted as your own, is not the reason to read this work. An appreciation of language is all that is required.Mr. Gomes is considered to be one of the finest "Preachers" speaking today. I have never heard him speak, but if his written words are any indication of his live presentations, they must be special indeed. If you have never had the experience of being amongst those present to hear one of these orators you have not enjoyed a singular experience.I have had the privilege of enjoying some sermons delivered in tiny churches, in parts of our Country where I was the minority, and a "Yankee" in a good-natured way. I attended what I had been raised to refer to as Church in buildings that were anything but conventional Churches. I was not in massive structures, in one case it was an old converted fire station, in another a school. But the "Preachers" I heard were remarkable, and while they most certainly are in the profession of spreading The Message as their denomination practices it, they are unique purveyors of the spoken, and in this case the written word.The speeches of Mr. Gomes are excellent reading, and regardless of your faith or lack thereof, you will find more common sense ideas, and more useful information than you will find in a dozen self-help books, be they personal or business. All of these books I refer to can be accurately described as how to conduct yourself as an employer, a manager, a person. None of these books hold any great mysteries; none hold a thought that is not derivative. Being happy with your life, running a company that retains employees because they have no desire to move, being a positive contributor in any manner you choose, all these manners of personal conduct are known to us all, placing them in books that give them new names is just repackaging, it's not new. Want to keep employees, guess what, treat them well. Want to be a better person, listen more, the hundreds of books on how to behave are presentations of what in many cases you already know.I doubt that Mr. Gomes sets out to create anything more than people who are more cognizant and sensitive to those around them. But then that describes just about every self-help book, personal or professional I have read.Great readin

Gomes' sermons challenge and inspire the reader in his or her spiritual journey. He does not back away from truth, which would be much more difficult to hear were it not for his use of humor and real life examples. His sermons are helpful for personal reflection as well as for use in scripture studies or prayer groups.

Gomes knows the risk he took in publishing this collection of his sermons. He knows that preaching is primarily an oral not a written from of communication. He knows, too, that any experience one is likely to have as the result of hearing a sermon will be fundamentally different than the one that results from reading the same. This difference noted, Gomes presses on in the faith that although different, both may be nonetheless equally valuable experiences.Helping to bridge this difference is Gomes' chosen method of presentation. Organizing his messages as he does according to church seasons and themes emulates the aural experience. It is as if we had the benefit of sitting in Gomes' congregation Sunday after Sunday for an entire year. Surely this is the only way of even beginning to assess the gifts that a preacher like Gomes brings to the Holy Scriptures. Gomes' choice of scriptures seems to have been based upon the common lectionary. The messages therefore! tend to follow more the contours of the church year than of Gomes' mind. But this is as it should be. In this fashion, Gomes seems to have followed in the footsteps of another fine preacher, H.H. Farmer, who urged preachers to be servants of the Word. In the end, after one is done reading this book, one is left with the impression that one has had as much, if not more, an encounter with the Word as with Dr. Gomes. If you are yourself a practitioner of the art of preaching or just one who appreciates good preaching, this book would be well worth your reading.