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A little boy asked his mother one day if she knew what Goliath said when David hit him in the head with a stone. "Well, I didn't know Goliath said anything," she replied. The little boy nodded his head knowingly and said, "Yep, he sure did. When David put that stone in his slingshot and swung it around and around, and let it go and hit ol' Goliath right between the eyes, Goliath said, 'Hmmmmm, nothing like that has ever entered my mind before." That is the aim of this sermon: to offer some new ideas and insights related to the kingdom of God that have never entered your mind before. Perhaps, I'll also be able to answer some of your questions and dispel some of your confusion about God's kingdom. That's certainly my hope and it's been my prayer in the preparation of the message. There are several good reasons why we all need a better understanding of the New Testament teaching about the kingdom of God. To begin, both Matthew(4:17) and Mark(1:14) agree that the kingdom was the subject Jesus addressed first, as well as most frequently and consistently during his ministry. It clearly was his all-consuming passion. The kingdom is mentioned no fewer than 49 times in Matthew's gospel and 16 times in the Gospel of Mark. There are also 38 occurrences in Luke. Something so important to Jesus ought to be understood and ought also to be the primary object of his followers' concern. A second reason to come to grips with the kingdom of God is that occasionally a critic of contemporary preaching will "wish out loud" that modern-day preachers would "just preach more like Jesus used to preach." Well, if their wish comes true, preaching will indeed undergo a transformation. However, it will not suddenly become the "old-fashioned, hell-fire and brimstone" variety they expect. Instead, it will be preaching almost entirely consumed with the kingdom of God. Therefore, a return to biblical preaching and teaching requires a better understanding of our Lord's favorite subject.

In 1995, while living in Kingsport, Tennessee, I was contacted by Becky Whitlock inquiring if I might be interested in writing a regular religious column for the Kingsport Times News. Becky is an editor for the paper and had evidently come across some of my writings from my local church newsletter. I agreed to do so and have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the paper and the larger East Tennessee community ever since. There have been seasons in which I have taken an editorial "breather" but, for the most part, I have been writing regularly since that time. One of the things I determined early on in my writing for the paper is that I would predominately write about things of which I was familiar and that was the life and ministry of the church. I have doggedly avoided partisan politics, both religious and secular, through the years and I have attempted, at least, to be an encouraging voice for those whom I served through the print media.

The book of Revelation is the strangest book in the New Testament. It opens with an unusual vision of a person who has hair white as snow, eyes as a flame of fire, feet like burnished bronze; and from his mouth comes a sharp, two-edged sword. The narrative continues with One seated on a throne who is described with precious jewels. He is surrounded by twenty-four elders and four living creatures. In the throne area a Lamb appears and looks as if he has been killed. But the Lamb is alive, and he takes a scroll from the right hand of the One on the throne. Action in Revelation intensifies with seals opening, trumpets sounding, and bowls pouring. Strange creatures appear: a beast with the qualities of a leopard, bear, and a lion; a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head; an enormous red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns on his head; an army of locusts with human-like faces and tails that sting like scorpions; and a rider riding a white horse and wearing a robe dipped in blood. Readers of Revelation encounter frequent use of numbers such as seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, ten horns, and ten crowns. They wonder about a beast numbered 666, a reign of a thousand years, and the appearance of 144,000 people surrounding the One on the throne. The book of Revelation closes with the appearance of a celestial city with streets of gold and gates of pearl. Though Revelation is a strange book, it is intended to be an understandable book. Do you think God would have given a message to John that the seven churches of Asia could not understand? The reason Revelation seems so different to modern readers is because of its unusual language. The kind of writing is called apocalyptic literature. First-century readers knew about Jewish apocalypses and the messages they conveyed. The writer of Revelation adopted the figurative and symbolic language of apocalyptic literature to communicate God's message to seven churches. Revelation was understandable to its first-century readers. It can be understood by any reader who takes the time to learn the book's life situation and its unique, apocalyptic style. Under God's inspiration John writes to believers in an alien, hostile environment. These readers desperately needed the message of Revelation. They suffered persecution from the Roman authorities. It was a time of chaos, uncertainty, and fear. The future seemed extremely dark and painfully hopeless. God instructed John to lift the veil so the readers could look beyond the visible. The central truth John wants to communicate is that the world and all its events are under the control of God.

GENDERING THE PULPIT IS NOT TYPICALLY SOMETHING one can do alone. Rather, there are many people to thank along the way. Foremost, I am grateful for Rev. Dr. David Russell Tullock and the work of Parson's Porch & Company with its publishing services. Your mission is admirable, your work prophetic. I am honored to write with you. Gendering the pulpit also typically occurs within the confines of faith communities. So, I am thankful for four faith communities who have stood with me in this process, allowing me time and space in their pulpits: the Oaks Baptist Church, Parkway Baptist Church, Shell Ridge Community Church, and Wake Forest Baptist Church. It has been an honor to call myself your pastor at various times over the past thirteen years. Then there are those myriad voices we never hear. For those countless women and LGBTQ persons who have lifted your voices in bold proclamations, but who have not had the privilege of an official pulpit, thank you. This book is for you. And for all those women and LGBTQ persons who don't think that preaching could be a part of your future, it is my hope that this book will tell you otherwise. Know that you are beloved, affirmed, worthwhile, and called; do not let anyone tell you differently. Raise you voice. Affirm your body, for it is holy. My dear friends, family, and colleagues are foremost among those I wish to acknowledge. Wendy, Melissa, Ryan, Amy, Richard, Jen, Sharon, Trisha, Patricia, MaryBeth, Jill, Michelle, Diane, Andrea, Ron, Weave, Susan, mom, dad, Carl, Josh, and many others continue to be a support system filled with good humor and prophetic challenge. Thank you. And for Elizabeth, who listens to endless processing, proofreads countless documents, and makes me laugh every day, I am thankful. You make me a better person and gendering the pulpit in the direction of justice would be no fun without you. I remain hopeful for our future Tango and how we will make the world a better place together.

One of our family's favorite books to read aloud is the classic children's tale, Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina. I loved the story when I was a child. Now I love holding my children in my lap as I read the story with an affected Slavic accent. In the story, a cap salesman carries his wares on his head. One day, having little success at sales, the peddler sits down under a tree to take a nap. When he awakens he discovers that monkeys have absconded with his caps and are teasing him with them from up in the tree under which the peddler had slept. He stomps his foot and says, "You monkeys, you. Give me back my caps!" Caps. Hats. "Wearing many hats" is an idiom for having many jobs. I wrote this book at the midpoint of a career in which I have worn many caps. During seminary I served two different churches as a youth minister; I also worked as aide at a psychiatric hospital, and I was a reporter for a denominational state news journal. When I left seminary, I spent one year as a chaplain in an intensive Clinical Pastoral Education hospital residency. After my residency, I became associate pastor for youth and young adults at a church where I served for eight years. During that time, I also entered an internship at a counseling center where I became a licensed marriage and family therapist. I also began taking classes toward a Ph.D. in human ecology, majoring in child and family studies with a cognate in counseling. After eight years, I left the church to go to school full time and finish that degree. While working full time on my courses and dissertation, I served as a graduate teaching assistant at the university and as an interim contemporary preacher at a church. After finishing my degree, I took a position as a family therapist at a non-denominational faith-based counseling center