I love reading – and not just Christian books, but newspapers, novels (old and new), biographies, history books. I'm a bit of a bookworm. However, I must confess, that one series of books I read time and time again are Patick O'Brians series of 21 naval novels set in the early 19th Century. They are boys-own stuff; lots of swashbuckling but with interesting character development and botany! O'Brian knows his stuff – both naval, botanic (I think!) and Catalan – for one of his heroes is a Catalan independentist. He has this character regularly speak a Catalan proverb: May no new thing arise. We rather like that here in the office as a tag for ministry. It's not that we don't want new things in terms of new birth and new levels of sanctification of course; by no means! Nor do we reject application and delivery that is relevant to a 21st Century audience. 

However, we do recognise that much of ministry is same old, same old. This is necessarily so because people don't change and, thankfully, God and his word do not change. Therefore, novelty as a ministry objective is very, very dangerous. This is a sweeping statement – I recognise that. And it is true, we have to be looking at the ways we do things constantly to evaluate ourselves against Scripture. But fundamentally there is nothing new that a preacher has to do. And God help the preacher who makes it his objective to find something new to say.

Tidball (in Preacher keep yourself from idols) is very helpful on this.

The teachers of the early church never moved beyond the original apostolic gospel, even though they constantly engaged in making fresh applications of it. Time and time again, they drew people to the original apostolic gospel and encouraged them to remain loyal to it, while always seeking to make it relevant to the new challenges believers were facing. 

May no new thing arise. 

We've two exciting announcements regarding the EMA.

• First up, this year we're supporting an international project. With help from some of our book publishing friends, we're going to provide books and resources for Johannesburg Bible College, including an ESV study Bible for £5. We hope that those who come to the EMA might partner with us in this new initiative which is a recognition that we're blessed with many abundant resources here in the UK and we long to be outward looking and help others. 
• We also want to recognise that many people come to the EMA from overseas. Indeed, many of our regulars tell us what a lifeline it is for them as they labour for Christ in sometimes hard places. We want to acknowledge the efforts many make to come to the EMA. If you're an overseas visitor, you're very welcome to come to our International reception over lunch on Tuesday 24 June. We do need to know who is coming though, so if you're an international visitor and you have booked for the EMA but you haven't yet been sent an invite, please do email the office and let us know.

In 2012 we had a few overseas workers who were brought back by their churches to spend time with their church families, report back and be refreshed. Several made the EMA part of that spiritual refreshment. Why not think about this for your overseas workers? We'd love to see them.

www.ema2013.com

Preaching is oratorical. Whilst we might be wary of being overly styled in our delivery, there's no doubt that most of us probably preach differently from how we speak. Not least this is because preaching is more like a monologue than most conversation which is a dialogue. And that means that all of us, to some extent or another, probably make some use of rhetorical skills. Take hyperbole. Even the master preacher, Jesus himself, uses such a device (e.g. Matt 5.29 or Matt 6.6 in a literal rendering). But it's a dangerous device if used unwisely.

We've been chuckling about this in the office because our very own Christopher is a guest blogger over at The Gospel Coalition and has written a very thoughtful and, I thought, gracious blog about presonal presence and preaching. You can read it here. We've not been chuckling at the post itself which we all think has something to say. Rather, we like one of the many comments posted as a result:

"dumbest thing I have ever read put out by The Gospel Coalition"

Now that is quite an opener! We've doctored it a bit and decided we're quite proud to be home to the dumbest blogger (which is, I admit, not quite what it says). But it did get me thinking about hyperbole:

• at best, it can make a very strong case for something – in the case of the sermon on the mount for taking a very serious attitude to sin
• at worst, it can simply be offensive and add nothing – I think this comment veers towards that overstatement.

Woah – that's quite a range! Anything from powerfully hitting the target to being unnecessarily offensive. And everywhere in between. Moreover, in multi-cultural situations, hyperbole can very often not work. People from other cultures where spoken language is more straightforward simply don't get it. What does that mean for preachers?

It must surely mean:

• we need to take care with preparing words. One of my favourite preachers (I won't tell you who) preachers without notes, but he is not unprepared. He has prepared what he is going to say beforehand and remembers it. That means he can take care with how words are presented. The preacher who has not done this stage but just preaches from a short set of bullets is much more likely to get this wrong. Now, I don't think we should be prescriptive about how we prepare and what notes we use – but I do think preachers need to take care over words.
• we need to take care, in particular, with hyperbole. I think it can be a useful tool but – as with many rhetorical devices, use with care. 

I spent a very happy Saturday last week teaching on the Philip Project, a ministry of Friends International. It's a one Saturday a month course designed specifically for International students, teaching basic bible handling skills with the prayer that they will take these skills back to their home countries on their return. We always have a stimulating time. The Philip Project used to be for African students, but it has now widened to take in all internationals. And there are also courses run in Cambridge and Nottingham, with the possibility of new courses opening up. There's always space for more to join. Do you have international students in your church who would benefit from this kind of input? If so, why not think about encouraging them along for a taster day. The co-ordinator, Geoff Low, would be very happy to hear from you and he can be contacted via the website. 

Listening to the Bishop of London preaching at Margaret Thatcher's funeral. Readings before from Eph 6 and John 14. But the sermon? It's an exposition of Margaret and her words – very, very little on the Bible passage: in fact, more on TS Eliot than the Bible. What is going on? Preach the text, brother! I mention this not to diss the Bish, but as a challenge to our own funeral preaching – often hard pressed for time, maybe with little or no knowledge of the one who has died. But any preacher could do much worse than following this simple preacher's mantra – "preach the text."

As you may have seen from last week's blog posts, I was very moved by Bruce Ware's sessions at New Word Alive on the humanity of Christ. They got me thinking things over in terms of my own understanding, response and also, of course, how and what I preach. But what really has helped has been the coffee machine chats with colleagues here in the office and with friends at church.

I should point out at this stage that the office has a very smart coffee machine. This is nothing to do with the fact that we are all coffee snobs and like good Americanos. By no means! It has everything to do with the fact that it takes a long time to make a coffee with our machine and therefore you are thrown into unavoidable conversations with colleagues. These are the moments (as the beans are grinding and you are setting up the next espresso shot) that you can chew the cud over things you've been challenged by. In the last few weeks in the office I've had good conversations about the humanity of Christ, his impeccability and also the nature of indwelling sin (specifically my own) and how we fight it. 

Preachers need this kind of sharpening, as iron sharpens iron. Ideally you want to get it in church where the primary purposes of God are worked out and where a preachers primary friendships should surely lie. But that won't work for everyone and it may well be that you need to be deliberate about setting up places which serve the same purpose as our coffee room here. But the point is this: you do need such places. It's a strong New Testament theme that we need each other to keep going. It's a means of grace.

It's why our ministers conferences allow time for sitting around and drinking coffee. It's why ministers 'fraternals' (great concept, often poorly executed) are so valuable. It's why time in the weekly diary spent with others (and not just pastoral basket cases) is so critical.

Who are you chewing the cud with? How often? How deeply? How honestly?

And to make it really worthwhile, just add (decent) coffee.  

Crossway have just published Bruce Ware's new book on the humanity of Christ, titled "The Man Christ Jesus: Theological reflections on the humanity of Christ." This is not a long book (140pp) but I can't recommend it highly enough. It's simply super. What is more it is accessible for the thinking church member – it's not just written at a level which only those with theological education could access (Donald MacLeod's The person of Christ must surely lead the way in this field). Bruce has eight very good and thorough chapters, some of which drill down into quite specific issues – like, for example, what did it mean that Jesus "grew in wisdom" and another on what it meant for Jesus to "grow in faith". All of these are brought home in useful and heart warming applications. As John Benton said in his review, "The book will make you think deeply, but most of all it will enable the reader to see Christ not as a distant Saviour but as our brother. It brings us closer to Jesus. We are thus led to greater appreciation, love and worship for the Lord Jesus Christ. I think it is not going too far to say that Bruce Ware has produced a modern classic of evangelical literature here." 

The book will be at the EMA together with 999 other titles…. Book now.

New Word Alive felt a bit like a working holiday, but it was stirring nonetheless and one of the highlights for me was Bruce Ware on the humanity of Christ. He was largely going through material from his book (here) also explained in his recent EN interview here. There were several things that stirred me about it, not least that something like 500 people sat through four 75 minute sessions – going at a fairly rapid pace – on something that was both deep, stretching and mind blowing. It's not the sort of thing you could easily do in a church because of the variety of different levels, but it works well at something like NWA. 

However, it was really the content that stirred me most. Evangelicals have so long been defending the deity of Christ that they have neglected the humanity he shares. This is crucial for understanding the temptations of Jesus (and how he helps us resist), the doctrine of the atonement and the command to follow in his footsteps. 

And most of us don't get it right, I would venture. How many Sunday School lessons have looked at Jesus' miracles, for example, and said "Only God can do that!"? But what if, as Bruce asserted, Jesus does these miracles as the Messiah in the power of the Spirit (see Acts 10.38)? This is more than a simple nicety. It is critical that Jesus lived a fully human life for his sacrifice to be sufficient to save us from our own human sin. 

My only question is that I'm not sure Ware goes far enough. I say this cautiously. But he asserts that "most" things Jesus did were done in his humanity. "So although Jesus was fully God and fully man, it is remarkable and, for many, even startling to realise that he lived his life, for the most part, as a man in the power of the Spirit." (my italics). He uses the example of some miracles as being those Jesus did in his deity. 

Hmm. Not sure. If Jesus could voluntarily switch between his deity and humanity (to use simple language – I realise that this is theologically imprecise), then it still raises problems about his full human life being counted to me. Moreover, what is going on at the Transfiguration, if not that one glimpse into his deity – not seen elsewhere in his life.

A minor quibble though. It did get me thinking, I wonder if we're actually teaching truth, especially to our youngsters. It's not that we're deliberately teaching falsehood, but I wonder if, on the humanity of Christ, we're just a bit sloppy. 

And thank you NWA for stretching us. 

It's taken a whole day to shortlist things we're going to sing at this year's EMA. You wouldn't believe the angst this causes. For the record, I'm driven by content (always first) musicality (singability), practicality (length). But it's still no easy task. So, the PT conference manager and I have been sitting around the piano in my office (I know, I know) trying out various things. We think we've just about nailed it. As it happens (and this wasn't deliberate) we've got something from 17th Century, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st. A few earlier things on the long list didn't make the final cut but will be stored up for another year. 

As it happens, the book I highlighted yesterday has been very helpful. Let me expand a bit more on it. I found this particular section useful:

• worship has one object: the triune God himself
• worship has two contexts: worship scattered (what we do all the time) and worship gathered (what we do when we gather together)
• worship has three audiences: God, the church and the watching world

Mike Cosper proves all these robustly. Then he makes a very insightful observation – most worship trouble is caused by neglecting or confusing these categories. It works in lots of ways, but the answer each time is to regain a more balanced, biblical approach.

Reflecting on this book last night I wondered if it would not be too strong to say, here is a book every pastor and musician should read?

Oh, and no reveals yet. You'll have to come and sing with the 1,000 or so others….

Over the next few weeks I want to do some mini reviews and highlight some of the featured books at this year's EMA. You can buy the book before the EMA of course, but if you're coming along, it's a good way of highlighting some titles to look out for. First up is Rhythms of Grace by Mike Cosper, a book about worship. It's rarely said, but here's a book about worship that I agree with!  It's theologically robust and practically reliable. As someone who fulfills a dual role of pastor and church musician, I really found it beneficial. I think it will be good for church leaders and church musicians both. Here are some of my highlights:

• it includes a good biblical theology of worship in the broadest sense starting in the garden and drawing heavily on Greg Beale's temple imagery
• it draws a useful and robust distinction between scattered worship (all of life) and gathered worship (what we do when we come together). It neither denigrates nor elevates one above the other but maintains a healthy balance.
• it understands some of the turf wars in terms of confusion about what gathered worship is for and who its primary and secondary audiences are and, like others before, traces some of the current errors back to 19th Century revivalism where worship became a spectator sport rather than something that was intrinsically participative. This section on purposes of gathered worship is the strongest part of the book. 

I think the author is a bit harsh on liturgical Anglicanism (seeing the imposition of the prayer book as having both positive and negative effects, but mostly negative: he sees the imposition of the prayer book as akin to modern video technology, robbing the local congregation of authentic worship). However, that criticism aside, this is a robust and helpful book. Mike Cosper, the author is from the Sojourn Music stable, but even if you don't share his musical tastes, you will find something useful here for local church life. 

At present it's only available in the UK as an ebook, but it will be out and about in time for the EMA. See you there, book in hand.