The Intrusive Word: Preaching to the Unbaptized

The Intrusive Word follows William H. Willimon's widely acclaimed Peculiar Speech: Preaching to the Baptized. Whereas the latter pondered the implications of speaking week after week to the believer, this volume considers what it means to preach to those who have not yet heard the gospel in its life-changing, disruptive fullness.

The Intrusive Word presents preaching as an act of evangelism in today's church. In his lively, pointed, and at times humorous style, Willimon shows how today's pastors must revise their preaching task as part of the church's joyful attempt to proclaim Christ. Each chapter is followed by one of Willimon's own sermons illustrating his concerns in a practical, biblical way.

Readers of this book will experience rebirth and renewal in their own lives as the Word of God gracefully intrudes. Pastors and students of homiletics will find imaginative models of evangelistic preaching that demonstrate that "preaching in the service of anything less than a living, intrusive God is not worth the effort."