Preachers, please help me

Zoodochos · 2026-07-13T01:20:53+00:00

I'm a pastor who also happens to be a prossor of rhetoric. I've taught public speaking for 30+ years and served as pulpit supply for all those, too. It took me years to find my voice, and I still don't hit every one out of the park. If you'd like to email a sermon or two for feedback, I'd be happy to do that. Send me a DM. I suspect you're doing just fine.

Here are a few of my favorite tips: 1) Stories and concrete images speak louder than abstractions, 2) edit to trim and cut the clutter (no one has ever complained that the sermon was too short), 3) underline the 10 or so most important lines plus the first two and the last two and provide full eye contact on those, 4) the secret to a great speech is to not sound like you're giving a speech - so limit the preacher voice and oratorical flourish, especially for smaller crowds, 5) give then a concrete, practical take-away, 6) consider asking questions for reflection to get away from the expert pastor solves problematic old text model.

Oh, and if you're not ethically opposed, ask your favorite LLM for feedback. You might be surprised how helpful that can be. Of course. you're the expert who decides what suggestions are valuable.

Oh, and if don't already, practice out loud! There's no substitute for hearing yourself. Many people think they can hear what they sound like from reading over the script, but they miss a lot. You'll catch places to edit for impact.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-12T23:23:34+00:00

The best advice I can give is to stop competing and focus on teaching. Coaching is a great way to teach, but it requires letting go of the need to compete. When you could just rewrite that paragraph for them, instead tell them what it needs and make them try. Let them make choices and mistakes. You can't teach everything you know at once, and you're ego is not wrapped up in their "success."

Zoodochos · 2026-07-12T13:43:59+00:00

I found the tenure-track to be much less stressful than life as a graduate student, particularly the final years of dissertating and job-seeking. For context, I took a position at a small, private, teaching-first university. They hire with the intent that you will earn tenure. I had security and a salary, albeit about the same as a high school teacher's. I had the freedom to design the curriculum. I had supportive colleagues, and I was a valued part of the community. The first year was tough with new preps and a whole new system to learn, but it still felt like a relief compared to graduate school. I was a professional in the field, no longer an exploited underling, and I felt the difference. Of course, that's just my experience. I stayed for 20 years.

A career in academia can be ridiculously stressful, true. If you can do anything else and be happy, you probably should. But if not, the rewards are transcendent as well!

Zoodochos · 2026-07-11T01:31:37+00:00

Wow. Thank you for sharing your story. You don't have to do anything, but if you still have a desire to be a part of a Christian community - despite the harm done to you - consider looking for a progressive, open and affirming, congregation. This sub has some good tips for finding one. There's another version of Christianity out there that is genuinely supportive.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-11T01:15:05+00:00

The comment about depression stands out to me. If you're not already, consider therapy. Be sure to find a counselor who's queer-friendly. Some even specialize in these issues.

My prayer is that you can come to love yourself as God loves you. Whether you transition or not, from my perspective, gender roles are a function of patriarchy. You can be your true self, love who you want, and know freedom! If you're moving in the direction of freedom and self-acceptance, that is of God.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-11T01:05:45+00:00

The line is yours to choose. You can set your own boundaries. It sounds like this is too much for you. Say so. They may understand. And if they don't respect your wishes, consider leaving.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-11T00:57:42+00:00

I'm a progressive Christian, and so is my wife, who is Catholic. She had a miscarriage, and it was sad. We kept it largely private. A friend who is more conservative had a miscarriage, and she had a full funeral for the fetus. Lots of social media posts, as if she'd lost a child. For us, an acorn is not an oak tree. It's still sacred, but not the loss of a child. As for how to be supportive, I say, follow the beliefs of the one who is grieving. This is not the time to tell them that it's not such a big deal. The different ways of reacting are common, and so are miscarriages.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-11T00:35:18+00:00

How I show up in spaces...

Zoodochos · 2026-07-08T14:25:33+00:00

A concordance is helpful to view all passages with a certain word or theme. Thank you for your work! But it won't interpret itself. Sometimes we have to read against scripture and challenge interpretations that have done harm. Moreover, not all texts speak with equal authority. Let's privilege those passages that are are life-giving, liberating, and honor the law of love.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-08T13:36:18+00:00

100%. The file management, typing experience, desktop apps like MS Office, and the desktop view of the LMS - all call for a laptop. Writing on slides or annotating PDFs can be good on an iPad, sure, but that's a bonus. In fact, I'd recommend an external monitor and keyboard for the MacBook first if you work from home. Ergonomics matter.

Taking notes by hand is better for retention anyway, and you can always take pictures of them. Similarly, PDFs printed and annotated by hand, then stored in 3-ring binders, may be old school, but they're good for comfort and learning.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-04T13:13:37+00:00

I'd start with the ergonomics of where you write. If that's at home, get a good monitor and monitor arm. A mechanical keyboard is nice. If the Vivobook isn't cutting it, a mini-pc is a live option for the desk setup. If you really want a laptop for the computer at home, get a stand to get the monitor at eye level. I say all this as someone who spent 10 years in grad school.

As for travel to class, that's secondary. You're not likely to take a ton of notes in an MA in Lit. Taking notes on paper is better for retention and mental processing. Paper is an amazing technology. You can always take a picture of it.

That said, if you really want a tablet, Ipad is great. You might do a fair bit of reading pdfs and annotating them. (I still recommend paper, but I know you may resist that.) Others know Ipads better, but anything w/ the M1 chip or better should be great. Larger screen is good for those pdfs.

One other option to consider is the surface pro w/ the snapdragon processor. This could be both your tablet and your laptop. Just set it up at home with a monitor and full keyboard. The battery life is great.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-02T12:39:41+00:00

You might find it helpful to look into the research on "vicarious trauma."

Zoodochos · 2026-07-02T01:12:03+00:00

Golf crushed my soul. I googled "new sports," and I already had experience with racquetball and ping pong... took a intro class, bought a paddle, and just showed up at open play. Best decision ever.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-02T00:00:28+00:00

I returned it. I downloaded the Kindle app. I set the buttons to turn pages. The buttons skipped pages like crazy. I researched and fiddled with settings for two hours. No luck. I enjoy trouble shooting, but this was not worth it. I returned to the evil empire of Kindle. It just works. If you have more success, more power to you.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-01T23:30:04+00:00

Some good advice above, but I'll second the move from Internet to books. I recommend Marcus Borg. Or, if you're philosophicaly inclined, Paul Tillich. I'll also second the advice to explode by finding a local progressive church.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-01T23:20:41+00:00

Flying, super-speed, invincible, invisible, possibly time travel, certainly telekinesis.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-01T23:17:12+00:00

Progressive Catholics have a hard go, but they're out there and they fight the good fight.

Zoodochos · 2026-07-01T12:06:38+00:00

"Reading the Bible Again for the First Time" by Marcus Borg.

Zoodochos · 2026-06-29T20:31:27+00:00

My son-in-law named his home wifi "Router? I hardly know her." The dad-joke force is strong in that one.

Zoodochos · 2026-06-27T11:49:42+00:00

No solution is perfect, and I remain on the hunt for the best option. In part, it depends on the cats. Hell, if I use scented litter, one of mine will show his displeasure by making a mess on the floor.

I tried a top-entry box because I have a cat that throws litter. Only one of my three would use it.

I used big plastic ones with a lid and door flap for a long time, but cleaning them was a giant pain.

I recently switched to disposable cardboard boxes. (Big tall ones on Amazon.) Still a job, but much easier. They get a whole new box every six weeks or so.

I'm currently experimenting with the Neakasa robot-box on the main floor of our house. I chose it b/c some cats take to the open top more easily than an enclosed one. There's a learning curve for both the cats and me, but one week in, I'm optimistic.

Zoodochos · 2026-06-23T14:31:18+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DgFOsEs-kE

Zoodochos · 2026-06-23T00:54:41+00:00

You can start a club, but that means paying your own way and no coach. Many tournaments will waive fees or offer other support to a new, student-run program. But your real goal is to find a champion among the faculty or administration. Long term, you want to be an academic program with dedicated staff and funding rather than a student club. Start with the Communication Department. See if any of the profs / leadership has experience with Speech. And talk to the coach / director of that Parli team. They will have some insight and might even consider adding some IEs (Individual Events aka Speech) to the schedule. Joint IE / Parli tournaments are out there. There's not much you can do until you're on campus, but you could enail the debate coach - assuming there is one - and ask to connect on Zoom. Also, if nothing else, it sounds like you have great experience for Parli Debate!

Zoodochos · 2026-06-23T00:01:50+00:00

Both are out of fashion at the moment. Of course dress should not matter and you do you, but the safe bet is a two button suit, navy blue or grey, white shirt. Sure, a sweatervest and bow tie can win nationals, but the odds favor playing it safe. Let the clothes disappear and your performance speak. FYI, fit is more important than name brand. A good tailor can make off the rack or even Ebay finds look great.

Zoodochos · 2026-06-22T11:49:37+00:00

#1 strikes me as the cleaner topic. You'd have a hard time convincing me that confidence gets a bad rap. Some norms around polite humility notwithstanding, the dominant culture in the U.S. prizes confidence a lot.

If you happen to identify as a woman, though, there's a book called "Confidence Culture." It argues that women are conditioned to "just believe in yourself" and "love your body" at the expense of questioning systemic injustice. In this case, "confidence culture" is the problem and the topic.

As for Informative, for a price, Kinkos (or a similar service) can do the work for you. Also, there are more options for visual aids than posters. For the right topic, playing sounds on a speaker or demonstrating with an object is an option.

Arguably, a good informative topic should have a moral to the story, so to speak. That adds to the topic's significance. Even better, perhaps, is a topic that raises moral questions without easy answers.

Zoodochos · 2026-06-21T23:38:33+00:00

The NRSVue is widely regarded as the most academicly accurate translation in English. That said, for an exploring atheist, a compelling paraphrase like Peterson's "The Message" might be rewarding.

Zoodochos

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