Moore College Revue (part II)

Here’s my contribution.

Moore College Revue

It was a great night.

Here’s a taste

John Stott on skype, multi-campus churches and facebook.

Well not quite.

Stott wrote this in 1982:

It is difficult to imagine the world in the year A.D. 2000, by which time versatile micro-processors are likely to be as common as simple calculators are today. We should certaily welcome the fact that the silicon chip will transcend human brain-power, as the machine has transcended human muscle-power. Much less welcome will be the probable reduction of human contact as the new electronic network renders personal relationships ever less necessary. In such a dehumanized society the fellowship of the local church will become increasingly important, whose members meet one another, and talk and listen to one another in person rather than on screen. In this human context of mutual love the speaking and hearing of the Word of God is also likely to become more necessary for the preservation of our humanness, not less.

- I Believe in Preaching p 69.

Restart > Reboot yourself.

Ok. So there’s been a delay in posts. Welcome to version 2.0 of this blog.

For those of you who have been praying for me and my family. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I’m going full steam ahead into my project on preaching. My plan is a little odd. I’m examining a contemporary preacher: Timothy Keller. There’s always a risk that I spend 15,000 words discussing a preacher whose style and methodology is just a passing fad. It’s also risky since contemporary preachers are always developing their thought and practice. You can’t box them.

Nevertheless, I have chosen to critique (in the true sense of the word!) the preaching of Tim Keller. My work will be based largely on his very popular course at RTS (available on iTunes). Yet even listening to the course (given in 2001) and his recent lectures on preaching, I’ve noticed his thinking has changed somewhat.

Why look at Tim Keller?

In Sydney there’s certainly been a buzz about Keller for a few of years now, there’s a growing contingent of Keller fan clubs on Facebook etc…Sydney evangelicals are growing in their appreciation (and admiration) of many parts of his ministry.  Yet as the subject for my project, I chose Tim Keller for a few of reasons:

1. He is being listened to. He has an increasing global audience, not just among evangelicals. His popular book Reason For God reached the top 20 on NY Times best-sellers. His teaching on church growth is shaping the way many structure their churches here in Sydney.

2. His teaching on preaching is a great example of practical theology. It is not purely foundational, he doesn’t deal only with what  the theology of preaching is with no practical ‘tips’ or examples of what it looks like in practice, nor is it purely pragmatic, where it’s a list of tips on how to write a good sermon with no real theological justification.

3. He has deliberatly recast his approach to preaching to reflect the transition between modern and post-modern worldviews. One factor I need to consider is that Sydney is still a more secular city with less religious baggage than NYC. Yet the people of NYC, I’m told, are more post modern (I won’t get into the whole modern vs post-modern thing just yet!). Outside the emerging church movement, there aren’t many Reformed types who deliberately (and affectionately) engage with the changes in preaching methodology which need to be made. Despite the differences between our two cities, if these trends of NYC typically spread and dominate  western culture, including Sydney (a big ‘if’), Keller’s work of recasting will be of great value to us.

The reason for the temporary absence of new posts.

 

nuff said?

Jesus and Moses

My good friend Tim and I are in the midst of a 4000 word essay on how Jesus is presented as Israel in Matthew’s gospel. We both have our own ways of procrastinating. I generally annoy people. He makes cool pictures (he was a graphic designer before College).

The best way to appreciate Sydney’s public transport.

Take someone who has never been on it before. 

(We had a great Easter Saturday)

phillipjensen.com

I wasn’t expecting to see this. There’s a lot of good stuff there.

A bloody good friday.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

- Colossians 1.15 – 20

My 2009 MTC Mission costume

Why is it that every Moore College mission I find myself dressing up in a crazy outfit and playing guitar?

This is not part of the syllabus.

(But I secretly really enjoy it)