October 19, 2026
Preaching is an important part of sharing the Gospel, and there are always new ways to approach the craft with creativity and imagination. Dr. Heather Henson has written a blog series for the Creativity in Preaching Project that encourages readers to explore creative approaches to preaching, consider fresh perspectives, and discover practical ideas for rethinking how we communicate the Good News.
Heather is an Affiliate Professor and Adjunct in Pastoral Ministries and Preaching at Kairos and leads the Creativity in Preaching project, a Lilly Endowment-funded initiative at Green Lake Conference Center.
In this week’s post, Heather reflects on the importance of allowing God’s Word to transform us before we share it with others, encouraging readers to make space for personal spiritual formation amid the demands of preparing and delivering sermons.
“We have a coffee maker that uses coffee pods. There are actually several humans in my house who use that coffee maker (some for tea, others for espresso, and still others for coffee). It never ceases to drive me crazy that I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who ever fills up the water tank.
It typically happens in the morning when I am looking forward to my favorite warm beverage, only to discover that my cup stands there empty even after placing the pod in and pushing the button. I sigh as I pause to fill up the water tank, again. Because no matter how much I will it, or want it, or research it, or whatnot, I simply cannot fill my cup of coffee if the coffee pot is empty.
The same is true of our sermons. If our souls are empty, if we, ourselves, are not being transformed by the Word of the Lord, then we have nothing to preach at all…”
Read the full Creativity in Preaching blog post here.