How Beautiful the World Could Be: Christian Reflections on the Everyday

by Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt

Meditations on ordinary life as part of a larger story   “We human beings are creatures of time and space,” writes Frederick Bauerschmidt. “We have no choice but to find ourselves at a particular place in a particular moment.” Fortunately, as Christians, we worship a God who became embodied and lived among us—the timeless Word who became the Word in time. Thus, it is no contradiction for us to expect to find our stories in the larger story of God’s ongoing dealings with the world.  This truth is nowhere more evident than in preaching, which, of necessity, speaks to particular occasions. Throughout these thirty-eight homilies, Bauerschmidt finds the truth of Scripture refracted through the lenses of current events from the past decade—including the coronavirus pandemic—as well as the seasons of the liturgical year and momentous individual occasions like baptisms, weddings, and funerals. His advice and examples will help preachers heed Paul’s urging to be on point and persuasive “in season and out of season.” All readers will be joyfully reminded of how beautiful the world is when seen in its larger context, illuminated by the light of eternity.

242 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2022

Reviews

[Richard]

In my estimation Fritz Bauerschmidt has emerged as one of our finest homileticians. He deftly weaves together the lectionary texts with a thinker from the Christian tradition, making his message relevant to our contemporary context. He writes his sermons as though he were composing free verse, making them very easy to read. Bauerschmidt is a Catholic theologian and deacon who preaches regularly in Baltimore parish.