Persons who have taken my courses and listened to my sermons are familiar with these words: “Ding! Ding! School is in session!” During sections of my lectures or sermons that demand heightened intellectual intensity, I playfully imitate the ringing of a school bell and enthusiastically declare those words. This ploy signals that a meaningful moment of instruction or inspiration is potentially around the corner. Sharpened focus will facilitate the reception of a nugget of knowledge to carry from the classroom or sanctuary that can enrich people’s lives.

When I use my famous phrase, smiles race across faces; bodies inch closer to the edges of chairs; fingers prepare to type on keyboards; and pens position themselves to take notes. Students and congregants tell me that my imaginative ringing of the “school bell” indicates that the boundaries of their imagination will soon be extended.

During the 2011-12 academic year, I am Distinguished Visiting Scholar at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. McCormick Seminary, a graduate professional school of the Presbyterian Church (USA), is well known for its commitment to urban, cross-cultural education. The Seminary attracts a considerable number of students of color, and 15% of the student body comes from more than a dozen countries. I have cultivated a vibrant relationship with McCormick, having delivered the keynote address for the Seminary’s 175th commencement exercises in May 2009 and having lectured there frequently since 2003.

I will teach four courses at McCormick: 1) Introduction to Preaching—a course providing instruction in the preparation and delivery of sermons (Fall 2011); 2) Romans—a course investigating the historical context, literary content, and theological consequences of Romans in the New Testament (January 2012); 3) Preaching Paul—a course examining the particular challenges and opportunities of preaching from the Pauline letters in the New Testament (Spring 2012); and 4) Preaching, Healing, and Justice—a course examining the roles of preaching, pastoral care, and social justice activism in personal and communal transformation (May 2012). I also am researching and writing essays on social diversity and inclusiveness in faith communities for an upcoming book that examines faith and culture from a progressive perspective.

I recently published two essays on The Huffington Post: “Getting in Front of Jesus: The Politics of Progressive Christianity” [Part I] and “Getting in Front of Jesus: The Politics of Progressive Christianity” [Part II].

I served as a Contributing Editor for the recently published Preaching with Sacred Fire: An Anthology of African American Sermons, 1750 to the Present . This historic anthology chronicles across two and a half centuries the contributions of African American preaching to national and international movements for social justice and cultural harmony.

Also, my essay “Preaching, Politics, and Paul in Contemporary African American Christianity” was published in The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible.

Since 2005, I have worked with a team of scholars who have created The African American Lectionary . The lectionary has received more than 4 million visitors and contains more than 4,000 pages of theological scholarship. I designed the lectionary’s biblical interpretation guidelines to promote greater cultural sensitivity and empower creative social justice work among faith communities; assisted in selecting the lectionary’s liturgical moments and biblical texts; and wrote and edited lectionary biblical commentaries.

As the saying goes, to teach is to touch a life forever. If my scholarship, public speaking, and activism touch and enhance one life, the journey has been worthwhile.