Do something that matters—now
Seth Godin:
I wonder how much productivity comes from new techniques, and how much comes from merely getting sick of non-productivity and deciding to do something that matters, right now.
Tim Keller on Pastors and Writing
Josh Blount posted an interview with Tim Keller on the topic of pastors, writing, and ministry on the Gospel Coalition blog today. The short interview is packed full of wise words, especially for young pastors who desire to be published writers:
I do get approached often on this subject. And I say this: write essays and chapters, not books yet. Hone your craft through short pieces and occasional writing. But don’t tackle books yet. Writing a whole book takes an enormous amount of energy and time, especially the first one(s). But as a younger man you aren’t being fair to your family or your church if you are giving the book the time it warrants. And you aren’t being fair to the reading public if you don’t. This way you can prepare for writing your first book later.
Keller also discusses his own writing practices. For example, which disciplines have helped him to become a better writer:
Reading. That is far and away the most important discipline. You must read widely in general for years before you become capable of recognizing good writing. And then before you write a book on a subject, you should read 20 or 30 good books on the subject carefully and skim another 20 or 30. If you just read three or four (and refer to another three or four), your book will be largely a rehash and will offer few fresh insights.
Take a few minutes and read the entire post here.
On Sermon Length
Ryan Huguley on sermon length:
I’ve gone for over an hour before and the only people more tired than I was after the fact were the people I’d punished by preaching so long. After 200+ sermons over the last four years, 37-40 minutes is my sweet spot. Less than that and I feel rushed, more than that and I did not prepare well enough.
I haven’t preached enough to know my sweet spot quite yet, but I do know my sermons need to be consistently shorter.
(via Todd)
Humility and the Holy Spirit
As I was doing some Advent reading this morning, I came across the following in a piece contributed by John Piper:
The Spirit is shy; he is self-effacing. When we look toward him, he steps back and pushes forward Jesus Christ.
Therefore, in seeking to be filled and empowered by the Spirit we must pursue him indirectly—we must look to the wonder of Christ. If we look away from Jesus and seek the Spirit and his power directly, we will end up in the mire of our own subjective emotions. The Spirit does not reveal himself. The Spirit reveals Christ. The fullness of the Spirit is the fullness that he gives as we gaze on Christ. The power of the Spirit is the power we feel in the presence of Christ. The joy of the Spirit is the joy we feel from the promises of Christ. Many of us know what it is to crouch on the floor and cry out to the Holy Spirit for joy and power, and experience nothing; but the next day devote ourselves to earnest meditation on the glory of Jesus Christ and be filled with the Spirit.
What an incredible picture of Christ-exalting humility we have in the Trinity!
For further reading on this topic I highly recommend Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance by Bruce Ware. It’s an approachable and highly practical work on the doctrine of the Trinity.
Why We Celebrate Advent
Timothy Paul Jones
In Advent, Christians embrace the groaning and recognize it not as hopeless whimpering over the paucity of the present moment but as expectant yearning for a divine banquet that Jesus is preparing for us even now. In Advent, the church admits, as poet R.S. Thomas has put it, that “the meaning is in the waiting.” And what we await is a final Advent that is yet to come. Just as the ancient Israelites waited for the coming of the Messiah in flesh, we await the consummation of the good news through the Messiah’s return in glory. In Advent, believers confess that the infant who drew his first ragged breath between a virgin’s knees has yet to speak his final word.
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