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Paperback
Publisher: HarperOne
The man Time magazine hailed as one of America's finest preachers presents a collection of forty timeless addresses to guide us through the year. With his characteristic eloquence and compassion, quoting from scripture as well as from T.S. Eliot and Woody Allen, Gomes offers us the tools we need to understand the wisdom of the Bible and the joy and inspiration it can bring to everyday life.
Reading a book of sermons should not have the same impact as hearing them preached from the pulpit. After all, listening to the mellifluous tones of a preacher speaking heartfelt words is an irreplaceable experience. But reading sermons provides a different experience, one that can be just as powerful. As Peter J. Gomes, author of The Good Book points out in his inspiring collection simply entitled Sermons, by looking at the discourses, the reader is able to form a special connection with the words and the preacher who offers them by taking control of the text. The reader may stop to refer to the Bible or pause at length to ponder how the words relate to him or her. However, this caveat Gomes offers on the differences between written and spoken sermons is ultimately unnecessary. These texts, transcribed straight from Gomes's preachings, have an oral quality to them that allows the reader to "hear" the words as Gomes "speaks" them, giving his ideas that much more force. In his introduction, Henry Louis Gates Jr. describes Gomes as "a cross between Cotton Mather and Martin Luther King Jr. [Gomes], clearly, was a man of words, but a man of words with a difference." The Harvard preacher gives us no less--words that make a difference--in his compilation of 40 sermons, each built upon the Christian calendar, taking us from Advent to Christmas. (The number is no accident, 40 being an important biblical number: the great flood lasted for 40 days, the children of Israel wandered for 40 years; Jesus fasted for 40 days. ) The range of sermons--from "The Art of Impatient Living" to "Growing Up" to "Acts of Reconciliation"--offer biblical wisdom in a modern context, using current references such as Donald Trump, artist George Segal, and Julia Child. Political and social history, humor, and wit infuse the sermons making them relevant and interesting to today's audience. Gomes offers his readers a pathway to the Bible, opening to them the happiness and inspiration it can bring to their daily lives. --Jenny Brown
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| Audiobook Review--You Really *Must* Hear Them! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Before buying this collection, I had heard Rev. Gomes once in person. There, I was impressed by his charisma and humanity. Now, I'm also inspired by his erudition and faith. I was raised Catholic and no longer belong to the Church, but listening to these sermons made me wish I had access to a pastor this powerful. The sermons all begin with extremely brief passages from the Bible, keyed to specific periods of the liturgical calendar. Rev. Gomes explicates both the Christian and the larger ethical implications. This is not watered down religion, but it is, let's say, worldly in its approach. I am most impressed with how they balance an openness to ambiguity with a clear moral purpose. I don't mean to say that the sermons are ambiguous about morality; but Rev. Gomes does not shirk from what's difficult about being Christian, from the constraints and costs of living morally. The sermons are filled with joy, but never fail to acknowledge that--on earth--this joy does not fall out of the sky, but is rather the result of deep contemplation and purposeful living.
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| Is your preacher putting you to sleep? |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Peter Gomes has earned a reputation as one of America's finest preachers, and this book -- a collection of 40 of his sermons, many of them delivered first to the Harvard College Memorial Church -- proves that his reputation is well earned. A sense of peace and grace will overtake you as you are seduced by his words. Reading "Beyond Tragedy" I was reminded of the powerful imagery associated with Palm Sunday; reading "When Life Begins" I was comforted by the reminder that Christianity tells us not to fear death; reading "Getting to Yes," I was reminded of the spiritual emphasis placed on changing one's mind. The language Gomes uses is poetic and simple; the ideas he expresses are brilliant musings on the true meaning of many Bible stories. Above all, it is Gomes's understanding of the Bible, his ability to makes sense of its sometimes inscrutable stories, that makes him such an effective preacher. I can't say I've ever heard a sermon in the variety of churches I've attended that has illuminated Christianity in the way this book does.
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| They are amongst the greatest users of language� |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The tragedy is most of what they "write" is never written down, it is delivered orally, the great news is that one of the best has written 40 of his, and created "Sermons". Mr. Peter J. Gomes has collected this group of his sermons, and now people outside of his place of speaking may enjoy the words of this great communicator. I am not suggesting this book because a member of the clergy has written it; religion is an individual and very personal choice. I enjoyed this book as I feel some of the greatest users of our language speak rather than write, or rather speak but with no written record, and this is truly a loss. Whether or not the religious denomination of which Mr. Gomes is a member that you have adopted as your own, is not the reason to read this work. An appreciation of language is all that is required. Mr. Gomes is considered to be one of the finest "Preachers" speaking today. I have never heard him speak, but if his written words are any indication of his live presentations, they must be special indeed. If you have never had the experience of being amongst those present to hear one of these orators you have not enjoyed a singular experience. I have had the privilege of enjoying some sermons delivered in tiny churches, in parts of our Country where I was the minority, and a "Yankee" in a good-natured way. I attended what I had been raised to refer to as Church in buildings that were anything but conventional Churches. I was not in massive structures, in one case it was an old converted fire station, in another a school. But the "Preachers" I heard were remarkable, and while they most certainly are in the profession of spreading The Message as their denomination practices it, they are unique purveyors of the spoken, and in this case the written word. The speeches of Mr. Gomes are excellent reading, and regardless of your faith or lack thereof, you will find more common sense ideas, and more useful information than you will find in a dozen self-help books, be they personal or business. All of these books I refer to can be accurately described as how to conduct yourself as an employer, a manager, a person. None of these books hold any great mysteries; none hold a thought that is not derivative. Being happy with your life, running a company that retains employees because they have no desire to move, being a positive contributor in any manner you choose, all these manners of personal conduct are known to us all, placing them in books that give them new names is just repackaging, it's not new. Want to keep employees, guess what, treat them well. Want to be a better person, listen more, the hundreds of books on how to behave are presentations of what in many cases you already know. I doubt that Mr. Gomes sets out to create anything more than people who are more cognizant and sensitive to those around them. But then that describes just about every self-help book, personal or professional I have read. Great reading from a brilliant orator.
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| Another great book from the gifted P.J. Gomes |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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Suberb! I especially like his sermon on Mary,the Mother of God. I'm a Roman Catholic and lately have lost interest in Mary to some extent, probably due to the cultic practices of Roman Catholicism. It took the insightful Peter Gomes to give me a better understanding and appreciation of Mary's blessedness in her response to God. Thank you. This is a great book for reflection and meditation.
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| Gomes' book is a helpful tool for the spiritual journey. |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Gomes' sermons challenge and inspire the reader in his or her spiritual journey. He does not back away from truth, which would be much more difficult to hear were it not for his use of humor and real life examples. His sermons are helpful for personal reflection as well as for use in scripture studies or prayer groups.
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