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Prelude to the Passion

In response to several requests for a piece dealing with The Passion of the Christ, I have started putting some thoughts together.

What I would prefer to do, with your permission, is to write a series of blogs dealing with "Images, Icons and Imagination" and "Ministry, Modernity and Music".

Instead of just dealing with one particular film, it will allow me to do some thinking about the interaction of the believer with culture, and which artistic vehicles can be integrated into worship and evangelism. Don't imagine it will be that stretching to read, as it may form the basis of some church magazine articles aimed at a popular level. We'll see. It may also take a few days to put together due to pastoral committments (and an outbreak of the lurgy amongst my children).

In the meantime, here is a quote or two about preaching that struck me today.

"None will ever be a good minister of the Word of God, unless he is first a scholar".

John Calvin (Sermon on Deuteronomy 5: 23 - 27, Corpus Reformatorum, Calvini Opera, 26: 406)

"Preaching must faithfully adhere to doctrine, that is, to the Confession of our faith, which is not a summary of the religious ideas drawn from our own inner consciouosness but a statement of what we believe and confess because we have received it and have heard the Word of Revelation".

Karl Barth (The Preaching of the Gospel p30)

Both quotations come from the chapter "The Cruciality of Preaching" in Essentials of Evangelical Theology (Volume 2) by Donald G. Bloesch. It has some helpful things to say.

Arrivederci!