Preaching Training / New Computers

Continuing Ministerial Education (CME) hold a day for Readers each year. This year's was last Saturday. As there were expected to be 70+ people at the day we were told that parking, if required, would have to be in the public car parks. I decided that I would go by bus, as I already have the ticket. That way there is no hassle, and the journey is already paid for.

I arrived in the Chapter House near Chelmsford Cathedral in time for coffee, and to find there were over 80 of us. The room was too small and they had expanded to the room upstairs as well. It was very encouraging to see so many people there. That's about a quarter of the Readers in the diocese.

Two speakers had been booked from the College of Preachers. They spoke to us about Engaging with the Congregation and Engaging with the Bible. Both were very good speakers and very good teachers.

Engaging with the Congregation
The part of this session I found most helpful was the discussion on Form. It expanded the notion of what a sermon could contain and how the different forms work. Is the sermon a story (one was read from the the point of view of Mary at the wedding at Cana)? A who dun it? and so on. I will not put my notes here and bore you.

Engaging with the Bible
Got us to think about how we might present some passages of scripture, and included the idea that we have to communicate the feel of the passage as well as the story and teaching the facts, and explaining the theology. A few little tricks were used to demonstrate the points to us.
We were asked to consider how we would communicate Collosians 1:19 "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him" (Jesus) - The whole of God in One man. One person just said "Wow!" That summed it up nicely! Now how to pass that on?

Apart from the space restrictions, it was a very good 'day'.

Better still the delayed ending and a late running bus meant I walked out of the Chapter House and straight on to the bus to Billericay.



In the evening I went to help friends set up their new computer. For me it was all quite straight forward, and I am pleased to be able to offer my services to help out - its nice to have a useful skill. They have Windows/XP, which is much easier to use than Vista. Once everything was set up I installed Open Office so they did not have to upgrade Microsoft Excel. There is often something wrong with a new PC - in this case there were no drivers provided for the sound system - so no music can be played - YET.