C. S. Lewis, Preaching & Rhetoric

I am in the midst of the last proofreading of the forthcoming book, Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship and am really enjoying the essays even though I’ve been through them several times already. In Jack Collins’ essay on the liturgical purpose of the Psalms in their Old Testament context he helpfully discusses …

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Ten Commandments of Grace

We were blessed today in the service at St. Andrews Free Church under the preaching of Alasdair Macleod.  The singing, including two psalms, was robust and encouraging. We caught part two of a three part sermon series titled “Ten Commandments of Grace” in which Macleod is essentially seeking to summarize the message of Paul. Today …

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“God does us an inestimable pleasure”

Preaching on 1 Timothy 3 Calvin expounds proper teaching of the Scripture as a distinguishing mark of a proper church and the considers the great privilege of hearing the word of God, recognizing that it is through His word that God abides with us. And it is a singular comfort to us, so oft as …

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Majesty & Preaching

“God does not want temples here to play around and laugh in, as in a theater; but there must be a majesty in one’s words by which we may be moved and touched and receive profitable instruction which leads to salvation.” – John Calvin, sermon on 1 Tim 1:3-4

Bede, the Pastor

The Ancient Christian Texts series from IVP is a real treasure, as it provides access to writings of the Patristic era. I have been recently thumbing through the new volume, Commentaries on Genesis 1-3, which contains writings from several men including Bede the Venerable. In the introduction to Bede’s commentary, the following quote struck me …

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Serious, Lively Teaching

I was struck by the following quote which I came across in Bartholomew and Dowd’s Old Testament Wisdom Literature: Theological Introduction.  The original quote seems to have in view primarily classroom teaching. Bartholomew and Dowd use it in well drawing out the implications of biblical wisdom. The truths here apply well to those of us …

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“Thoroughly Drenched in the Word”

Here is another excerpt from Adam Nicolson’s, God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible. Here Nicolson is describing the widespread attentiveness to Scripture and the in depth, intense preaching of the day. Something to aspire to: “…week after week, preachers would occupy their pulpits analysing texts, pursuing moral and theological arguments, exercising the …

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The Work of the Pastor, William Still

B. J. Maxwell posted a wonderful section from William Still’s book, The Work of the Pastor.  I have pasted only a portion below.  I encourage you to go on to Maxwell’s site to read the rest. “God has caused you to become pastor to some souls here who are as valuable to Him as any …

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Tolkien, Old Norse Poetry and Preaching

J. R. R. Tolkien was captivated by Old Norse poetry and described it this way: “Old Norse poetry aims at seizing a situation, striking a blow that will be remembered, illuminating a moment with a flash of lightning- and tends to concision, weighty packing of the language in sense and form …” (The Legend of …

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Andrew Fuller, Blessings of Preaching through Books

In the dedication of his Expository Discourses on the Book of Genesis, Andrew Fuller wrote to his church reflecting on “pleasures we have enjoyed together in exploring the treasures of the lively Oracles.”  This dedication is a beautiful, powerful testimony to the affection between pastor and people that is only heightened as they build a …

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