Preaching opens timeless sacred spaces and portals through which we may experience God's presence. The sermon acts to guide the worshipper into a safe place where God's transformational power is encountered and change is marked through accompanying ritual. Preaching enabled one congregation to discern that which was sacred in its life. A newly built annex, domestic "things" and the worship experience were named and claimed as sacred. Preaching guided the congregation toward a new perception of sacredness, created a new awareness of mission, fostered a cadre of leaders and provided a new vocabulary for spiritual dialogue. Physical and liminal spaces were identified and claimed as sacred and the newly constructed annex is now thought to be a sacred precinct where God's will is made real through the life of the community.
