of ritual observance bring to the dialogue with God an institutional basis and framework.1 The meeting between God and God’s people is precisely for such interaction. Given such a dialogic assumption, it is conventional that God’s word to God’s people is in the sermon (the burden of the preacher) and the word of God’s people to God is in prayer. For the most part, that seems a responsible and adequate way to understand the dialogue. It is clear, however, that the word of the sermon tends to be proclaimed
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