Tuesday, May 25, 2004

when dreams may come…

I have just had a sermon I preached at Opawa Baptist a few weeks ago accepted for publication.

The book, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross, sought to push forward some thinking on the atonement. It argued, very rightly, that Evangelicals have limited the atonement and thus made the significance cross smaller, more individual, less wholistic, than it really is. The book was academic and naturally raised the “so-what” and “how-to” question. This has lead to work on a follow-up volume, Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross, a practical how-to. By a series of coincidences I am now involved.

The move to Opawa Baptist/BNCZ had the potential to keep me so busy, that I would not get as much time to write. I have been warned already that it would “hamper my writing progress.”

So I am pinching myself, because something I have done at Opawa has in fact helped, not hampered, my writing progress. It is like God is grinning. As I trusted and got on with doing what I sensed was right in this season of my life, God has opened up doors and provided opportunities to not just pastor and train, but to write.

And what’s more, to write in an integrated way, a way that is close to my heart, a way that bridges gap between theory and practice, thinking and the community of God.

And as a sideline, it is encouraging to know that my preaching at Opawa is at some sort of level that it gets included in a written publication.

Posted by steve at 02:05 PM

6 Comments

  1. As already said, very very cool. Well done.

    Comment by Paul Fromont — May 25, 2004 @ 2:43 pm

  2. Hi Steve,
    Cool, that book is going on my Amazon wishlist. I am very interested in the holistic view of atonement, and incarnational theology. Leeanne Payne wrote a great book ‘Real Presence‘ which I need to buy (again). David Moore, the vicar at St Lukes on Manchester St, has also spoken of this. I usually attend an evangelical, charismatic church (which I love dearly), but something about the Eucharist at St Lukes really moves me. I like my faith a little fuzzy around the edges! :o) [I also like to be opinionated]

    Particuarly interesting is the claim that the Crucifixion was more than atonement for sin; it is some kind of redemption of all Creation from its fallen state..?! This is supported elsewhere in Scripture but not explored very often in my church, possibly because of its hippie tree-hugger overtones! Since the Resurrection, the world exists in a state of anticipation, a sort of ‘already here, but not yet’ realization of the full Presence of God on earth.

    Comment by robertp — May 25, 2004 @ 7:24 pm

  3. Incarnational reality

    Steve the e-mergent kiwi, wrote a tantalising article mentioning his work on Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross, a sequel to the book, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross Cool, that book is going on my Amazon wishlist. I am…

    Comment by Stardust — May 25, 2004 @ 7:49 pm

  4. Ummm, so God does grin, I thought He did Steve. Did it with me recently too 🙂

    Comment by Liz — May 26, 2004 @ 9:15 am

  5. Glad to hear it all came together, and yes, it’s a good way to integrate theory and praxis.

    Comment by Stephen — May 26, 2004 @ 11:30 am

  6. Love the balance – so stay on the edge!

    Comment by Conrad — May 28, 2004 @ 3:22 pm

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