Unity, Preaching, Books and Thoughts

We spent Monday and Tuesday with 10K pastors and leaders @ LC15

Lots of thought and notes and I will post the talks when they are up. The theme was 'Unity'.

Cookie junior is due today but no sign so far. Pray they arrive soon.

Books on my radar after listening to all the talks: Fierce conversations and Soul Keeping

Joyce Meyer was very much new to me and has by all accounts had a huge impact on Nicky Gumbel. I thought she had some good things to share and has apparently written 106 books. I thought I might read one of them but am not sure which one to pick?

Joyce taught on love which is a hard thing to be against. She had four practical ways that we can show love to our neighbour:

1. Pray for them
2. Listen to them
3. Compliment and encourage them
4. Meet a practical need

I'm not sure Tim Keller podcasts Joyce but he has recently taught on 'Preaching to the heart' (which she does rather well by the way)

Justin Welby spoke yesterday to the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Driscoll is re-emerging and you can here what he actually said here. It is in my view too soon for any return to ministry.

Vincent Nichols had a phrase that was then much quoted by many about Bishops.

'Bishops should smell of the sheep'

I enjoyed listening to Raniero Cantelamesa although thought his delivery was a tad dry. This sentence has lived on with me since hearing it,

‘Christianity begins not with telling people what they must do to be saved but what has been done for them so they can be saved’ 

This Miroslav Volf quote is worth pondering for a while;

'In contemporary de-Christianized, pluralistic, and rapidly changing Western cultures, only those religious groups that make no apology about their “difference” will be able to survive and thrive.

The strategy of conformation is socially ineffective in the short run (because you cannot shape by parroting) and self-destructive in the long run (because you conform to what you have not helped to shape).

A good deal of courage in nonconformity is needed both to preserve the identity of Christian faith and to insure its lasting social relevance.'

(h/t Justin Taylor)