The author traces her transformation from an essayist preacher to an artist in the pulpit by way of various conversations and encounters with Settlers, those such as the author who have been life-long members of the church, and with Seekers, those who have limited or no experiences with the faith community. She gathered insights about the theological questions and spiritual needs of both groups. This new depth of understanding grown in the soil of practical experience and academic study empowered this preacher to move beyond her long-held homiletical assumptions to new questions of our cultural context and the text of Scripture.
