In this volume are sermons and addresses by Werner Krusche who was the bishop of the Protestant Church in the province of Saxony, the central office of which is in Magdeburg. In retirement Krusche also preached regularly in various churches in East Germany (the GDR) and in West Germany (FRD). The sermons here come from a shepherd who gathers, comforts, admonishes, builds up, looks after, and protects his people, having been commissioned by the one Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Werner Krusche’s gift of preaching lies in his ability to set forth the teachings of the church clearly, often using playful disputes. A Protestant ABC is offered here for those who know how to read. While preaching from the biblical context and stories, Krusche goes beyond the narrow sermon text into the wider field of word studies and the history of words of comfort and edification in church hymnody. From this, the bishop’s sermons reflect a profound pastoral concern for his congregation as well as serious consideration of their political and social circumstances.

One will not find here political sermons in the sense of a political soapbox , but firm and clear claims on behalf of the welfare of all people. These are not sermons that have the so-called Wende as their starting point, but rather they include notable events of the day, confessing that the gospel of Jesus Christ always has a political component. Political sermons can only be Christ’s address on behalf of the city, the people, and the state. Thus, these sermons are also to be read as timeless announcements and reminders of the divine claim of the risen One on all people.