And God Spoke to Abraham: Preaching from the Old Testament
Patrick D. Miller— Princeton Theological Seminary"One of America's finest preachers, Fleming Rutledge opens up the powerful words of the Old Testament as they touch our human life. I really don't know anything else like this book, which both thinks about the place of the Old Testament in our proclamation and then puts it there, not just in a sample sermon but in a large collection, preached over many times and places. We need this book."Walter Brueggemann— Columbia Theological Seminary"Fleming Rutledge 'puts her whole self in' to her sermons — her deep faith, her emancipated imagination, her disciplined learning, and her street smarts — of which my favorite is 'But If Not.' She 'shakes it all about' (the text) to show us new stuff. But she is not doing the hokey-pokey. She is doing powerful, compelling testimony to the God of all truth who summons us to glad obedience. If they pay attention, her listeners and readers will know 'what it's all about,' namely, bottomless grace that she faithfully finds in the Old Testament texts. These sermons merit sustained attention in a way that lets us dance with our whole selves."Stephen L. Cook— Virginia Theological Seminary"If you read just one book about God this year, this should be it! I could hardly put these sermons down. Fleming Rutledge has recovered the Old Testament's unique power to reach out from pulpit and lectern and grasp us, have its way with us, and bring new reality to life among us. . . . This volume is a beacon of hope that the serious neglect and even disparagement of the Old Testament in many quarters of today's church may finally be reversed. It constitutes a rousing summons for us to again allow these wondrous Hebrew texts to renew God's people."Andy Crouch— Editor-at-large,Christianity Today"These sermons, from one of our great preachers, are magnificent in the deepest sense of the word — serving to magnify. They enlarge and bring into sharp focus the often-neglected Old Testament. They also enlarge our vision for what preaching the Word — and hearing the Word — can mean today. In an age of fluff and bombast, Fleming Rutledge's clear-eyed, grace-infused truth-telling is awfully good news."Ellen F. Davis— Duke Divinity School"Eloquent, learned, driven by deep conviction of the truth of Scripture and passion for its beauty, these sermons display the virtues associated with great preaching of the past, yet the style is fresh and wholly contemporary. This volume is the fruit of a life dedicated to biblical preaching. Rutledge calls for 'a complete overhaul of preaching,' and — what is much more — she shows us how to proceed with that work."Walter Moberly— Durham University"Fleming Rutledge is wonderfully lucid and engaging, robust and thoughtful. Her readings of the Old Testament nourish and challenge both heart and mind in today's world."Philip Yancey— author ofWhat Good Is God?"In her sermons Fleming Rutledge hits just the right chords of challenge, biblical fidelity, and graciousness. I love her style and her overall approach, and there is much to be learned from her specific applications."