"We are persons in that we are personally addressed by God's election, summoned by the person of Jesus Christ to enact our humanity as God's partner now, fresh every morning. Our chief duty, that which makes us human, is to allow ourselves to be loved by God and enlisted for participation in God's ongoing pageant of salvation in a way that does not contradict God. We are summoned to give thanks, that is, make Eucharist. Our thanksgiving is our responsive, small, but still significant yes that completes the circle of God's great yes. We are free to be in covenant with the God who has freely determined to covenant with us." [William H. Willimon, How Odd of God: Chosen for the Curious Vocation of Preaching (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015), p. 51.]
This book is related preaching to God's gracious election based on Karl Barth's theology of election. We preachers don't preach anything new, but keep repeating the old, ancient story that is still relevant to our new emerging contexts. The ups and downs of preaching is secured in God's election that is the ground of pastoral ministry. Pastoral ministry begins with divine calling. Jesus said, "You did not choose me, ut I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..." (Jn. 15:16 ESV). In pastoral calling, fruitfulness or not is secondary. What comes first is God's divine selection. He who began a good work will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6). Christian preaching rests on God's goodness and electing decision. Preaching and pastoral ministry are intertwined with one another. Preachers are elected and called to summon God's grace in a congregation. It is a responsive act of grace: grace is summoned; grace is received.
