This paper examines how the sermonic moment functions as a sacramentally transformative act within the rite of Holy Eucharist at St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church in Stowe, Vermont. Examining the homiletical theologies of Charles L. Rice and Charles L. Bartow, attention is given to how the sermon, within eucharistic worship, becomes sacramental through story, ritual, and God’s self-disclosure through preaching. Drawing on the work of Christian educator John H. Westerhoff, III, time is devoted to his Christian education faith-enculturation paradigm and his stages of faith development. Two research studies were completed for this paper: a homework project was distributed in connection to a single sermon to highlight a snapshot of the hospitality ministry of the congregation, and a sermon series was preached, coupled with surveys before the series began and after the series was completed, to assess the potential transformation of the faith community through a homiletical intervention. Weaving together relevant theological literature and the two research projects, the conclusion supports the thesis that preaching enables sacramental transfor-mation and enacts a faith-enculturation paradigm for the faith development of the congregation.
