Stories about preachers and preaching are endless. There's the famous preacher's lament: "I don't mind that people look at their watches while I preach; I just wish they wouldn't shake them to see if they're still running." Then, this sermon observation: "Sometimes a minister is asked to say something. Sometimes he has something to say. Occasionally the two coincide." And, of course, the preacher's prayer: "Lord, fill my sermon with good stuff, and stop me when I've said enough."

The implication in all of these stories is the same. Beneath the humor is the feeling that sermons are often windy with little content. And that's sometimes true! In an age when the average American is daily bombarded by scores of slick messages from full time, professional writers - T.V. shows, magazine articles…