Book excerpt: All too often, many people find traditional worship dull and the sermons they hear impractical for living in today's world. Yet Linda McCoy is convinced that the message of God's unconditional love is the most vital word for life anyone can receive -- especially those who have never heard or truly experienced it. Her inspiring sermons share that message of hope with modern Americans by bridging the gap between the sacred and the secular. As the fruit of her non-traditional ministry directed toward those who have never been part of a church or who have been "turned off" or "disenfranchised" by the established church, McCoy's short, to-the-point messages effectively and relevantly communicate the good news to anyone who is searching for an experience of the Divine. Readers of these sermons will be connected to a deep sense of purpose and enriched by God's amazing love and grace. Sermon titles include: - Prepare For Arrival (Matthew 3:1-12) - The Power Of A Dream (Matthew 2:13-23) - Positive Identification (John 1:29-42) - Building Bridges (Matthew 5:21-37) - It's A Mystery (Matthew 17:1-9) Linda Schiphorst McCoy has been the pastor of The Garden (a Blossom of St. Luke's United Methodist Church) in Indianapolis since 1995, and from 1982-1995 served as associate pastor at St. Luke's. McCoy earned degrees in French (B.A.) and Education (M.S.) from Indiana University, and received her theological training from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis (M.Div.) and United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio (D.Min.).