Monday 27 October 2008

Gospel ministry: How to blunt the edge

The Sola Panel continues its brilliant work:

Last millennium, I got ordained as an Anglican minister, and Jean Penman, wife of Archbishop David Penman of Melbourne, presented each of my group of candidates for ordination with a copy of John Stott's excellent book I Believe in Preaching. David had died suddenly, but the note from Jean said that David had originally intended to present this book himself. It was a great idea to have a book entitled I Believe in Preaching, especially as, quite frankly, most of us didn't—including the leaders of the silent retreat that all the ordination candidates were invited to attend.


;-)

5 comments:

David Palmer said...

Hi Gordon,

The SydAng forum has gone to the dogs since the RC's esp RiW took over, though Luke, bless him, (who I disagree with him most of the time), is trying to clear things up.

I trust you enjoy preaching, it is glory time for the preacher, to love your people so much that you can’t stop preaching Christ to them.

I am sitting at my desk, all my Greek/Hebrew helps before me raised on a shelf above the desk and then across the shelf these words “The lecturer speaks about the Bible: the pastoral preacher speaks from the Bible about the congregation" (I also have Coram Deo front and centre).

I don’t do so much preaching now because sadly I’m fully taken up with the culture wars. I don’t know whether Matthias Media is doing something on the AHRC Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st Century Project, but it is the next BIG thing. I’m working with Jim Wallace, Andrew Cameron and others on developing a Christian response that we hope and pray will get most of the Churches to buy into (UCA sadly excepted, though the Confessing movement within the UCA will join us).

May God continue to bless you.

David

Anonymous said...

That guy you quoted has the same name as you...

Why did you leave the Melbourne diocese for Sydney Gordon?

Gordon Cheng said...

Hey Geoff,

Only one reason, and that is aging parents. We had already made a decision before we went down to return if parents needed help, and Fifi's dad got Alzheimer's.

We are currently praying about whether we should go back down and church plant—would appreciate your prayers in this regard.

Anonymous said...

Will pray right now for you.

Thanks mate.

The Pook said...

We need church planters in Tasmania Gordo. There are plenty of places with no evangelical/reformed witness from any denomination. The coffee's better in Melbourne, but at least in Tassie the air isn't the same colour as coffee...