Over the summer, my Good Friday sermon “The Death of an Extremist” appeared as the Feature Sermon in an issue of Theodidaktos on the theme of “Atonement: What is the Message of the Cross?” Theodidaktos is published by the Evangelical Mennonite Conference. The sermon goes back to my time serving as a congregational pastor in Toronto, but it is one of my favourites, narrowly missing the cut for inclusion in Leaps of Faith. Continue reading “The Death of an Extremist”: A Good Friday Sermon
Tag Archives: sermons
The Word is Near You
Last night I was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of my copy of The Word is Near You: Seeds of the Reformation. The book is a collection of sermons edited by Peter Robinson that were preached in the chapel at Wycliffe College last year to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. I was honoured by the invitation to preach as part of the series and am now delighted to see my sermon on Matthew 28: 16-20 in print alongside other sermons from the distinguished faculty at Wycliffe. The book is available through Amazon in both paperback and Kindle. Continue reading The Word is Near You
The Plague of Trinity Sunday Preaching (Series on “Minding the Web”)
“This is Trinity Sunday. Across Christendom preachers are trying to explain “Trinity” to their congregations. God is one, but God is three. How can one be three we ask? Attempts to explain the Trinity I fear often result not only in dull sermons but, even worse, heresy. Even more debilitating is the reality that the heresy evoked by such attempts is not recognized as heresy. It is not even clear if the person that represents the heresy thinks being a heretic is a “bad thing.” Continue reading The Plague of Trinity Sunday Preaching (Series on “Minding the Web”)
Upcoming Lecture: A Plea for Pointless Preaching
If you’re in the Winnipeg area on November 1, think about joining us at Providence Theological Seminary for my upcoming public lecture, “A Plea for Pointless Preaching.” My colleague Lissa Wray Beal, Professor of Old Testament, will be responding to the presentation. Here’s a little teaser for the lecture to whet your appetite: Continue reading Upcoming Lecture: A Plea for Pointless Preaching
Teaching Preaching in a Time of Cultural Change
The Canadian Society of Presbyterian History has released videos of the papers that were presented this past Saturday at the CSPH annual meeting at Knox College in Toronto. Here’s the video of my presentation of a paper entitled, “Teaching Preaching in a Time of Cultural Change: The Forgotten Story of John J.A. Proudfoot, Knox College.”
“Farewell to Ontario” Preaching Tour
I’m currently in the midst of what has turned out to be a “Farewell to Ontario” preaching tour. This past Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching at North Park Worship Centre in Brampton, Ontario, where my friend and former student Rev. Dr. Mark Lawrence is the Assistant Pastor. It was refreshing to preach in a context where people are disappointed if you don’t preach for forty minutes. (Although, preaching forty minute sermons at consecutive services did test my physical endurance!) It was also a great encouragement to be commissioned and prayed for by God’s people. Continue reading “Farewell to Ontario” Preaching Tour