For years now, Christian philosophers and theologians in the industrialized West have lamented a widespread post-Christian dynamic. A social imaginary so fiercely and exclusively secular in its orientation has succeeded in starving many people of the hope of experiencing anything supernatural in their lives. Even many churchgoers have engaged in a deconstruction of their faith. Some recent research seems to indicate, however, a slowing of this slide away from Christian faith. How will the church respond? The premise of this book is that there is (and always has been) a kind of preaching that is sacramental (encounter-enabling) in its effect. Genuinely anointed sermons are those that make it possible for hearers to sense the spiritual presence of the risen Christ during the preaching event. If there was ever a time for a widespread reemergence of Christian preaching that is prophetic in nature, incarnational in manner, and truly transformative in effect, it is now. Though this type of preaching cannot be conjured or effected by human ingenuity, there are things preachers can do to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the cultivation of ecclesial environments where sacramental sermons are more likely to occur, and with increased frequency.
