Explosive Preaching: Letters on Detonating the Gospel in the 21st Century: Letters on Transformative Preaching for the 21st Century by Ronald Boyd-Macmillan

I have a ton of books on my shelf to read. Believe it or not I spent a few hours on vacation making up a list of the 200 unread books on my shelf and listed them. That is the list I am going to go through over the next year or so as I am determined to read them all. This book was on the list. I got it in 2009 and read a little bit of it. I decided to read it fully and I am glad I did.

While the style of the book (each chapter is a fictional ‘letter’ – similar to CS Lewis’ book “Letters To Malcolm”, although not quite as good as Lewis) is a little distracting, what Macmillian says is good.

He is angry at the horrendous state of preaching. Too many preachers are inadequate and too many church members are listening to and tolerating abysmal sermons. This book looks at why this is so and what to do about it.

This is not so much about training as gifting. You can train to some extent, on the external and minor things but the key to preaching, the communication ability, the passion the delivery is about gifting and calling. And to that I say Amen and Amen!! Preachers need to get back to the Bible – reading, devouring, loving scripture – immersing themselves into it and into God. This author was asked to create a Preaching Curriculum to Chinese pastors. They had no money for three years in seminary nor the books to read on an in depth homiletical course. These preachers pay $300 for a year, go away to some mountain cabin and eat rice. Here is the curriculum which Macmillian says he would, if he could, get western seminarians to follow – and the one he sent to the Chinese Church. I wonder whether those who have been to seminary would relish this course?

66 – Each student, by the end of the year, has to be ready to preach (without notes) a one-hour sermon on each of the 66 books of the Bible.  This sermon is to include an outline of the content of the book, and contemporary application to the individual, the church and the nation of China.  At the end of the year, 3 books would be selected at random, then the student has five seconds to launch into their message.

33 – Each student had to prepare 33 one-hour sermons on the life and work of Christ, each based on a single verse (only 10 allowed from outside the gospels).  His whole ministry must be covered, from pre-existence to second coming (although I’d suggest His ministry extends beyond the second coming!)  Interestingly, students are allowed one page of notes per sermon in this category!

1 – Each student has to prepare an “end-of time” sermon – any length (since time constraints are irrelevant in eternity).  The goal is to help the student consider the whole salvation story from God’s point of view.

Should This Be Our Stewardship Campaign?

Young Reformed and Rebuked – Part 2

Young, Reformed and Rebuked!

Leaders And Yes Men….

I have been enjoying Jonathan Powell’s book The New Machiavelli: How To Wield Power In The Modern world. Jonathan Powell was Tony Blair’s Chief of Staff, as well as a student of Machiavelli. He skillfully weaves Machiavelli wisdom into his book and here is a taste of it:

Machiavelli argues that in resisting the temptations of flattery a prince must show that he is not afraid of hearing the truth. He therefore gives advice that holds good to this day, saying that ‘a prudent Prince should follow a middle course, by choosing certain discreet men from among his subjects, and allowing them alone free leave to speak their minds on any matter on which he asks their opinion, and on none other. But he ought to ask their opinion on everything, and after hearing what they have to say, should reflect and judge for himself.’ It is important ‘that each and all of them may know that the more freely they declare their thoughts the better they will be liked’

1776 by David McCullough

This is a re-read for me. C S Lewis says that you cannot understand a book if you have only read it once. I plan to re-read some books which have impacted me or that I enjoyed. McCullough’s book is not an account of the whole revolutionary war, which went on until 1786 – but focuses on the year 1776 – the year of the declaration of Independence but also a year of defeats for George Washington. I was astounded at how many battles Washington lost – and not just lost but was on the verge of annihilation. If the British knew just how close they were to wiping Washington’s rag tag army off the map…. ! And yet the British Commander, General Howe at least twice did not pursue and inexplicably stopped his army when Washington was at his most vulnerable. However, one of the characteristics of Washington was that he persevered – he won some small but important skirmishes and he had an amazing effect on his men. This is a great read and SO informative. As a Brit, I learned so much. McCullough expertly and skillfully lays out why 1776 was such a vital year for this war.

Generous Justice by Tim Keller

We have just finished our summer Adult Ed class – we studied Tim Keller’s book Generous Justice. There have been a number of challenging books recently released. By challenging, I mean exposing the often lethargy and indifference the church and many christians have to their society and the world – Crazy Love by Francis Chan; Radical by David Platt are just two.  Well, this book is to be ranked amongst such books. This is an ‘uncomfortable’ read to say the least. Not because it is badly written or it has bad theology; on the contrary it is very well written and is theologically strong. It is uncomfortable because it will cause you to consider what exactly YOU are doing with this issue. Keller redefines the parameters of justice. Justice is not just to help the poor. It is to provide relief, development and social reform for the poor. And he unpacks this biblically with some skill. Here is a powerful excerpt which I believe demonstrates the power of the book and the immense challenge it is for us as believers:

One of the more notorious practices of local banks is to ‘redline’ poor and nonwhite neighborhoods. That is they refuse mortgage and small business loans to applicants who live there. Their argument is that they simply look at the statistics and conclude that residents of those neighborhoods are more likely not to make good on the loan. God, however, says we are not to live that way in our relationships to the poor. He says, in effect, in Proverbs 19:7 “Don’t you  dare ‘redline’ people. Don’t look at someone and say “If I get involved with that person I might be taken advantage of!” I see a gift to the poor as a gift to me. I will in some way, make the loan good. I will give you value, trust me.

Joshua by Pekkam Pitkanen

Joshua is the latest volume of the Apollos Old Testament Commentary. It follows previous volumes in how it is laid out – the author provides a translation of the chapter / section, then provides notes on the text; next he discusses the Form and Structure; then comes comment and finally explanation.Pitkanen’s focus in this commentary is strongly towards the form and structure of the book, it’s historical context and relationship to extra biblical contexts. I often found that the form and structure section was far longer than time spent explaining the meaning of the text and it’s application. Also, there are12 lengthy excursus, the majority of which deal with archaeology and form and structure.

It is a sad and all too common feature of more modern commentaries that so much time is taken discussing the issues of historical context and other ancient literature to the neglect of explaining what the biblical text means and how we can apply it to ourselves. Pitkanen continues that trend and this is frustrating.

When Pitkanen does get to his explanations, I was a little disappointed at their shallowness. One example will suffice. Joshua 6 is a key part of the book of Joshua. Pitkanen writes in the explanation section “The narrative is rather genocidal in character and it is therefore a bit difficult for modern tastes. But the material is part of the conquest of Canaan and, more specifically, the beginning and first fruits of it, and that would explain the emphasis placed on the narrative. Perhaps, if one believes in God’s judgment, one can say that belief in him saves one from it. And yet even this is a bit simplistic.”

He does not engage with this question of `genocide’ despite raising it. He places it on the table and then leaves it alone. I felt that too much was left out of the commentary and explanation that could have been and should have been included.

My guess is that Pitkanen and I are from different theological positions. I approach the text from a belief that the Bible is the true and unquestionable word of God, and so my response to his commentary will come through this lense.

Many may find this commentary useful. I did not.

Courage And Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential by Gordon Smith

Courage and Calling by Gordon Smith may well be the timeliest book for many in this day of economic and social turmoil. The sub-title of the book gives its focus Embracing Your God-Given Potential.

I have taught for many years that Christians have three callings in their lives; to be a Christian; what they do each day / their role in society; our calling to our family, children, neighbors and friends. Smith lays out a similar three fold calling for each of us:

1. To be a Christian
2. The specific call of purpose, mission; a reason for being
3. The call we face each day in response to the multitude demands on our lives.

This book focuses on the second calling – of purpose, mission and reason for being. As Smith writes We long to find and do work that is meaningful, that makes a difference and needs to be done.

In order to being thinking about this Smith, rightly, points out that we need to have a healthy theology of work. Work is given to us by another, by God who is our creator. Thus our work is not our god; it is given to us as a gift, as something for which we are stewards….. We are called to work but we are not called only to work… A biblical theology of work, then includes the explicit call for regular Sabbath rest….We are not workers; we are, rather, children of God who are called to work.

This is an important distinction for Smith because he goes on to say that each person has a fundamental calling or vocation. And this is, more than anything else, what each of us must discover. However, calling and vocation is much deeper and all encompassing than a career or occupation. To fulfill your vocation and calling through an occupation is a wonderful and treasured gift. For many, however, a job is a means of supporting life and family, getting whatever work they can and it may not be their vocation or calling. For some, they may not discover or begin their calling until after they retire.

Smith outlines the process and thinking needed to begin to discover the call and vocation that God has for you and it is a process and way of thinking which is so important for each believer to undertake and discover. God has a calling and vocation for each of us and we must intentionally seek it in whatever place we may be in right now.

If you or a friend has found themselves without a job or at a crossroads, then this is an ideal book to read now. If anyone ever says to you, or you think to yourself “I don’t know what God is calling me to do” then read this book. It is clear, practical and wise counsel.

Recommended.

England riots: Broken society is top priority – Cameron

This is the BBC headline today. what astounds me is that the British PM has just realized this. Having not lived in the UK for the past 6 years I am somewhat removed but I could have told Cameron back in 2005 that British Society was broken. It has been broken, and to some extent lawless for quite a while. Just go visit some of the housing estates around the country. We lived on one. Police were a rare sight and youths did as they pleased with little or no opposition. The public in many areas have been held hostage in their homes after dark because of young people and the threat of violence. And Cameron has only just realized? More probably, he has only just realized that he needs to do something about it because the riots showed that Britain is on a cusp of possible public disorder never seen before.

A Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee

I had never really read anything of Watchman Nee, although I had heard of him and even had a couple of books of his. I decided to spend some time reading this book and I am glad I did. The Normal Christian Life is a wonderful read and extremely powerfull. Nee has a deep and insightful faith and while these were originally talks given by Nee, they have transitioned to print well. I have heard some (especially reformed) christians disparage Nee. While Nee is not a ‘theologian’ there is nothing in this book which is not fully biblical. Nee’s grasp of the breadth of scripture is impressive and his  exegesis reveals some real gems. I am looking forward to reading some more of Nee.

I Refuse by Josh Wilson

My wife was listening to the radio in the car today and she called me at home and said I had to find these lyrics and read them. We are going through a discernment process right now and these lyrics were what we needed to hear. Funny how God works!

Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes

And act like everyone’s alright

When I know they’re not

This world needs God, but it’s easier to stand and watch

I could pray a prayer and just move on

Like nothing’s wrong

 

But I Refuse

I don’t want to live like I don’t care

I don’t want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

 

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately

And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God

So if You say move, it’s time for me to follow through

And do what I was made to do

And show them who You are

 

I don’t want to live like I don’t care

I don’t want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

 

I refuse to stand and watch the weary and lost cry out for help

I refuse to turn my back and try and act like all is well

I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day to die to myself

I refuse to make one more excuse

 

I don’t want to live like I don’t care

I don’t want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

The Normal Christian Life – More Quotes from Watchman Nee

The trouble about many Christians today is that they have an insufficient idea of what God is asking of them. How glibly they say “Lord, I am willing for anything”. Do you know that God is asking of you your very life? There are cherished ideals, strong wills, precious relationships, much-loved work, that will have to go; so do not give yourself to God unless you mean it. God will take you seriously, even if you did not mean it seriously…..  

The Normal Christian Life – More Quotes from Watchman Nee

When once His ownership is established, then I dare do nothing in my own interests, for I am His exclusive property. “Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey.” (Romans 6:16)

I Love The West Wing!

Yes, I have all the episodes of the Westwing on DVD. And considering that it was filmed in the 90′s and ended around 2005, it is remarkable prophetic in its story lines. Here is a scene regarding the Debt Ceiling!

The Normal Christian Life – More Quotes From Watchman Nee

If we give ourselves unreservedly to God, many adjustments may have to be made: in family, or business, or church relationships, or in the matter of our personal views. God will not let anything of ourselves remain. His finger will touch, point by point, everything that is not of Him, and He will say ‘This must go’. Are you willing?