The Fully Alive Preacher: Recovering from Homiletical Burnout

Mike Graves begins this book with the question "If preaching is intended to enliven the church, why is it killing so many ministers?" His answer? Because it has become divorced from the vitality and diversity of the preachers daily life. He invites preachers to discover how preaching can be renewing rather than draining.

Graves includes four valuable sections on sermon preparation but also provides brief lessons, exercises, questions for reflection, and invitations to do such things as walk, read, and nap. In the end, the cure for homiletical burnout is life itself, especially the ordinary pleasures often ignored or pushed aside by the complicated job of ministry. This is a perfect book for both new graduates and experienced preachers.

Mike Graves is Professor of Homiletics and Worship at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kansas. He is the editor of Whats the Matter with Preaching Today?