Against Nothingness

"This doctrine of equality is essential to conversation; so much may be admitted by anyone who knows what conversation is. Once arguing at a table in a tavern the most famous man on earth would wish to be obscure, so that his brilliant remarks might blaze like the stars on the background of his obscurity. To anything worth calling a man nothing can be conceived more cold or cheerless than to be king of your company." - G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong With the World I am not the most famous, nor brilliant, of men, but I have to say that I completely agree with Chesterton. It is an occasion for utmost satisfaction when, in the company of those who do not know me (read: most people), that very fact makes the truth shine all the brighter.  I think about this in terms of ministry and am put in mind of John the Baptist's words: "He must become greater; I must become less." I desire for people to take note of my sermons because they are true and good and po...

W.P. Campbell . Turning Controversy Into Church Ministry: A Christlike Response to Homosexuality. Zondervan, 2010. 240pgs.  Another blog tour sponsored by  http://engagingchurchblog.com/ .  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this.  I have to say that when the option to sign up to review this book arrived I was intrigued.  Read that title a couple of times; doesn't it sound interesting? As a pastor how could I not want to turn controversy into church ministry? So, I signed up with two hopes: that this book would offer helpful insight into the issue of homosexuality and into some more general applications for dealing with controversies in the broader sense.  Were my hopes met, or dashed against the rocks? Read on to find out! Campbell has divided this book into three parts.  In part one he invites the reader to analyze the current position and situation of his own church with three chapters focusing on three questions: Where do you stand in te...

Warren Wiersbe, On Being A Servant of God . Baker Books, 1993.  "God's goal for our lives is not money but maturity, not happiness but holiness, not getting but giving.  God is at work making people more like His Son, and that's what Christian service is all about." (pg. 45) 4 points of advice for young workers: "1. Never take down a fence until you know why it was put up. 2. If you get too far ahead of the army, your soldiers may mistake you for the enemy. 3. Don't complain about the bottom rungs of the ladder; they helped to get you higher. 4. If you want to enjoy the rainbow, be prepared to endure the storm." (pg. 84-85) "Your heart grows by giving out, but your mind grows by taking in; and both are necessary to a happy and balanced life of service.... reading is only the key that opens the door to the vault.   Assimilating what you read, relating it to what you already know, and practicing it where you serve put the treasure to work pa...