It has been said that the day of the sermon is over. Kate Bruce argues that the day of the poorly conceived, ill prepared, dull, disconnected, boring, irrelevant, authoritarian, yawn-inducing, patronizing, pontificating, pointless and badly delivered sermon, is indeed over. Imagination can help to engage the hearer in a sermon which seeks to evoke rather than to inform. Imagination frames how we see the world and ourselves in it. As such it has a vital role in how preachers see the preaching task itself, which in turn affects how we go about the task. A theology of imagination is presented to demonstrate the central importance of imagination in the life of faith. Allied to this is an analysis of the sacramental nature of preaching and the role of imagination in enabling the ‘aha, now I get it’ moment of sacramental ‘seeing-as’. Connected to enabling new seeing, preaching in the lyrical voice is defined and discussed along with the importance of preachers shaping sermons for the ear.

"An experienced preacher and tutor in homiletics, Bruce seeks in this engaging and persuasive book to inspire and equip preachers to be imaginative in the way they think about, prepare and deliver sermons. Covering the 'why' and 'how' of this comprehensively, her approach is grounded and inspiring and her style is accessible, insightful, and humane" - The Reader, Autumn 2016

"Bruce seeks in this engaging and persuasive book to inspire and equip preachers to be imaginative. Her approach is grounded and inspiring and her style is accessible, insightful, and humane. This valuable and enjoyable book is a strongly recommended resource for beginners and experienced preachers alike." - The Reader, Autumn 2016, Vol 116 No1