The Burdensome Joy of Preaching

by James Earl Massey

In this volume James Earl Massey explores both the sense of burden and the sense of joy that accompanies the preaching task. He gives attention to the preacher's sense of the inward side of the task, next to the outward side of preaching. He then considers the togetherness that earnest preachers seek to experience with their hearers, followed by reflections on the planning necessary for the eventfulness that preaching was ordained by God to offer. After almost fifty years of preaching, Massey offers insight and reflection that will remind, inform, stimulate, and encourage all who bear the necessary and perennial responsibility to prepare and preach the Word.

128 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

Reviews

[Peyton Gunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The burdensome task of reading this book.

I definitely underlined some great quotes here and there, but I didn’t find this book particularly insightful.

[Christopher Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massey fills this short book with powerful pieces of advice often borrowed from great preacher and thinkers throughout Church history. He frames preaching in a way that reminds us of the significance of the task while also emphasizing the empowering act of the Holy Spirit in life and work of the preacher.

[Adam Bloch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short meta-preaching book. I call it "meta" because it's not how to preach or necessarily about preaching; it's about the preacher's experience of being a preacher. Filled with lots of bits of truth, but it was a tiresome read for how short it is. You can tell that it was originally a series of lectures.

[Adam Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

No book on preaching has inspired and comforted me in the task of delivering sermons like Massey's. I was given this book for Christmas a dozen years ago. My regret is that it took me this long to visit its pages and hear them. Perhaps I was not ready then, but I am grateful for them.

[Timothy Tumutod · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good bits of advice on preaching. I wished the sermon at the end had more depth.

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing particularly remarkable here. It's well-written, and the author is well-read. But I don't intend to hold onto this one.