I was disappointed but not surprised. The editors at Preaching Today had rejected the sermon I submitted. The quality of the recording was poor, they said. Worse, they claimed my sermon lacked emotional appeal.

I will be the first to admit that I am more cerebral than emotional. Not Spock exactly, but certainly more like him than Star Trek’s temperamental Captain Kirk. I am what they call a cool communicator. My preaching style has always been restrained.

Holding that rejection letter in my ...