Devin,
Have you been playing around with workflows and do you have one for homily preparation that you are willing to share?
Damian
Hi Damian,
Great suggestion! We have talked about turning the Advanced Homiletics "workflow" into a new Verbum 8 workflow, but unfortunately the Workflow editor does not yet support Liturgical dates. Until it does, unfortunately it would be practically impossible to develop a workflow to prepare a Homily, as the workflow needs to be able to easily link to the different readings, the Missal prayers, etc.
During the beta testing Faithlife expressed interest in adding this in a future release. Hopefully they can make it happen!
Thanks for the response Devin. That all makes sense.
Though, I do wonder if there is a way in which a workflow could be developed for preaching on just one of the texts (which is probably what I do most of the time anyway).
Damian, there is an Expository Sermon Preparation Workflow in the software. Click on Guides --> Workflows and scroll down the alphabetical list of the Workflows.
I'd be interested to know if this does what you would want it to do.
I'll be disappointed in Damian if it does. [;)] Logos has a silly notion that a sermon is based on a single passage - that is an extreme minority view if you look world-wide and across millenia. The issue is that sermon preparation has one primary text but it is prepared and delivered in the context of (a) the multiple passages of the lectionary and (b) of far lesser importance, the Propers for the service. This is an essential step to reading the scripture with the church. I made drafts of how lectionary based workflows would work if Logos supported the basic lectionary principles and shared them in the beta group.
MJ,
Would you care to share here?
Just to add to what you said about the context / flow of homilies...
It may be a homily based primarily on one text... It may be a homily that draws together the OT and Gospel reading and preaches on fulfilment.... We are not bound to give a homily on the scriptural text... we may preach on another text of the Mass (rare, but I gave a weekday homilette in the last couple of weeks on the Collect).... we may preach on the Season or Feast Day (with reference to the scriptural texts).
Assuming it is based on one scriptural text (which is my norm), I would pay heed to the Season (not mentioned above) and often situate in the flow of what we have heard in previous weeks (or even what is coming up).
I always exegete my community..... How is this good news for the people of my parishes?
Craig,
One of the first things I did when Logos 8 was finally ready was to open precisely that workflow.
At a first glance, it looks nothing like what I do (which is imperfect, naturally).
The output of an expository sermon, which is a verse by verse exposition, is nothing like my output.
The workflow is very, very long..... I don't know how I would work my way through that in light of running three parishes, ministering in four schools, attending to the needs of the sick and dying, celebrating a couple of funerals every week, and so on and so forth...
It assumes that we are selecting texts, possibly only a couple of verses, rather than relying on a section.
I find it odd that identifying possible themes and establishing main sermon ideas comes in the first section, well before any study of the text.
There is no where in the workflow to consider the Season or the congregation.
They are just immediate thoughts
I've made four temporarily public - you should be able to get them via Guides | Get more shared workflows (at the bottom) ... these are drafts awaiting FL making a few revisions to capabilities ... and for me to listen to feedback and play with what works.
Martha,
Thanks for sharing these. I have looked at the Sunday Mass Preparation one and it highlights the limits of the current approach.
Each section: Gospel, First Reading;Psalm; Second Reading encourages me to read the Gospel reading.
I like your questions. I do wonder whether each one shouldn't have access to a commentaries section for reading about the passage. Under the current iteration, that would only really work for the Gospel section.
Related to Sunday themes (your sixth section), I would explicitly ask how the readings connect to the season or solemnity?
In your "in context" section, I would not only ask about the r/ship between this week and last week but also about the r/ship with what is to come.
I would definitely have a section which asks how the readings connect to events in the life of the community or the world around us.
I see great promise here but there is a lot that needs to be changed.
Thanks for the feedback - I agree with all of it ... I'm pressing on getting multiple readings supported ... to the point I may drive up to Bellingham to visit my grandson and nag Faithlife :-). I think that presented the right way, the multiple passages problem is a battle we can win.
Sorry about the gibberish in parts of the last post. I think I need to change my keyboard batteries.....
Anyway, go for the drive and take up the offer of a free meal.
Push for sections of the workflow that allow different citations to be entered and that then allow sub-steps related to commentaries / parallel passages / etc.
Push for a section with a selection for liturgical date that could then allow a personal reflection on the season but also trigger a search through homily resources related to the feast (obviously after individual study is done).
Please push for the home page lectionary/saint stuff to be fixed so that it functions like Logos 7.
