One of the most formidable challenges for a pastor is to regularly break open the Word of God in a way that is meaningful and enriching for the assembly. As a priest and a jazz musician, I know the dedicated work and preparation needed to preach well as a pastor and to play well as a musician. Looked at in one way, homiletics is an art form that requires focused attention on one’s craft. Much attention has been focused on the exegesis and theological background necessary for preaching. This is undoubtedly important. However, much less attention has been paid on music and the arts, and specifically the practices and considerations that guide artists preparation and focus upon their craft (which jazz musicians refer to as “woodshedding”). The scope of this proposal is to explore the ways in which pastors could revitalize their homiletic preparation and execution by engaging the creative process of musicians. The question I wish to explore fully is, “How can the creative process of improvisational jazz music be adopted by preachers and applied to the art and craft of homiletic preparation and execution, in order to assist, creatively transform and revitalize prepared pastoral preaching?” Can improvisational approaches and ways of evaluating them (such as the strength of ideas, their coherence, pacing, economy of means, the balance of intellect and emotion, tradition and innovation) serve to enhance the pastor’s preparation and delivery of sermons? First, my program of study includes research focused upon theology and music, preaching and public speaking as well as creative process in improvisation. Secondly, it includes dialogue with pastors of different denominations. The desired outcomes of this proposed project are a homiletic workshop for pastors to be given at the Collegeville Institute as well as a video in which I explore the creative process and the beneficial ways that its guiding principles and practices can imbue homiletic preparation and practice.