At a 2009 Baptist World Alliance Conference in Holland, David Coffey delivered a paper called 'Truth on Fire' and offered 7 dimensions that any budding preacher must integrate; serving also as a reminder to experienced preachers of what is important. The warning he offers, serves as the rubric for seeing what the 7 dimensions are trying to... Continue Reading →
I am currently continuing my reading on the writings of former Professor of Pastoral Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary Donald Capps. I hope to write a more detailed review of the book 'The Depleted Self - sin in a narcissistic age', but want to write something here that struck me about his one of his comments on... Continue Reading →
"The Church is not interested in spiritual mediocrity. It's calling people to sainthood, to be a saint means to be heroically virtuous. The family is a school of virtue, a school of sanctity, it's meant to make us saints. We're not interested in a dumbed down or a dialled down ideal. ... And as anyone... Continue Reading →
Re-post: On the 10th May 2015 my ministerial mentor John Colwell was my invited guest preacher at church. Afterwards, I took the opportunity – since it’s not every day a Bible scholar pops round – to ask him some questions. John is a pastor/scholar, a man who loves the Church because he loves God first. He... Continue Reading →
I am re-reading the brilliant book by Dave Hansen 'The Art of Pastoring' and the same day I came across this wonderful article by Mandy Smith re-printed below. There is a dynamic in being a pastor that is quite incredible. We are neither managers nor mechanics; farmers nor chefs; social workers nor nurses. And I... Continue Reading →
I have finally laid my mitts on a veritable gold mine - A. C. Thiselton's Systematic Theology. There will likely be many snippets from this surprisingly little book in the future, so here's the first one, concerning 'Theological Principles Relating to Ministry': "The most profound of a number of principles concerns the mutuality or reciprocity... Continue Reading →
"I heard a Rabbi say not long ago, that Christian pastors have ruined the life of a Rabbi, because a Rabbi is a scholar and a preacher; but Christian pastors are social workers and therapists and a bunch of managers, and now people in his synagogue expect him to do that! I would think that... Continue Reading →
On the 10th May 2015 John Colwell was my invited guest preacher at church, you can listen to his sermon here. Afterwards, following lunch back at home, I took the opportunity - since it's not every day a Bible scholar pops round - to ask him some questions. John is a pastor/scholar, a man who... Continue Reading →
Parables are a fantastic truth teaching tool. Jesus spoke in parables nearly all the time, and contrary to popular belief, it was not a "plain speaking" so the ordinary and the simple could understand easily (even though they could), but rather, it was coded language hidden in the every day ordinariness of things we all... Continue Reading →
"I only care about pastoral ministry as a servant of the gospel. As human work it stinks. On the level of positive and negative consequences, perseverance in this behaviour cannot be explained or justified. As a tiny part of the mystery of God's love in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, at work in... Continue Reading →
Gralefrit Theology 