The art of preaching is a combination of diligent effort and inspiration with diligence being perhaps the primary force. The unusual quality of the sermons in this collection is the imaginative use of the biblical sources, the poetic style in which the message is phrased, and the skillful application of the theme to the current needs of people. This volume represents the concerns of Dr. Swanson that the biblical message be heard in words that will capture the attention of the hearer and leave a lasting impression. The reader will not soon forget the imagery of the stone, or a face towards Jerusalem, or girded loins and burning lamps. He will relive the experience of Jesus in Gethsemane, the thirst of the woman at the well, and the tragedy of blind Bartimaeus. The end of preaching is to capture the hearer, or the reader, so that the biblical story is not something that happened centuries ago but an event that comes alive in our experience today. Dr. Swanson has fulfilled this purpose admirably. In the words of Dr. John H. Bunn, the author has retrieved ""the dramatic method of prophetic poetic preaching."" This anthology is sent forth with the prayer that it will be an inspiration to those who preach and to those who hear.
