Recommended Books (Winter 2019)
The old PBS program Reading Rainbow opened with a song that argued that reading allows us to go anywhere and be anything, even if only for a moment. While PBS has aired more than its share of silliness, that point is important. Reading really does open whole new vistas for the reader and makes it possible for us to travel to distant lands and learn new ideas from the comfort of a favorite sitting chair. Words, in themselves, are...
Recommended Books (Autumn 2018)
As we near the Christmas season, we begin searching for good gifts for our loved ones. Books provide an endless supply of unique and meaningful signs of our affection. Below you will find some of our most recent finds and old favorites that may be meaningful for you and those on your Christmas list. Some selections are classics of the Western literary tradition while others are fresh releases from popular, academic, and ministry...
Preaching and Teaching James: A Collaborative Effort
Last summer I was talking with fellow pastor Ken Simpson when he suggested that we should preach through a book concurrently in our respective churches. Simpson pastors a congregation near mine, so we discuss Scripture, ministry, and life on a regular basis. After some prayer and further discussion, we agreed to begin a series on James at the end of the summer when members are settled back in town after summer travel. Brother Simpson...
Rhetoric: The Christian Speaker and Non-verbal Communication
For the preacher, teacher, or leader, speaking well in public is vital. Of course, public speaking is verbal, but it’s also non-verbal. In fact, the majority of public speaking is non-verbal. Albert Mehrabian states, “Only 7 percent of a speaker’s message comes through his words; 38 percent springs from his voice; 55 percent comes from his facial expressions.”[1] Thus, the Christian speaker must concern himself not simply with what he...
Principled and Pragmatic (Part II/II)
This essay is the second part of a two-part essay which first posted last Monday on the Forum. Part one can be viewed here. Principled and Pragmatic? There are certainly limitations in envisioning these two errors as extremes on a spectrum. It can give the impression that there is a solution for all ministry questions that balances perfectly on the spectrum between biblical principles and practical concerns. I don’t think this is the...
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