Today was spent with my head in commentaries. Not a bad day was had. Preaching on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 on Sunday. What has re-grabbed me as I read the commentaries and saw where my thinking at the moment fits and may not fit so well was the sheer grace of God. Now, you would think this is not a new idea for me. And it's not! However, as we all know there are times when we are either re-struck or struck in a fresh way with something that somehow over time we have begun to take for granted.

'What is stressed in the present passage is the amazing grace of God revealed when he himself took the initiative in Christ to remove the obstacle to reconciliation existing on his part. It is only on this basis that there exists a gospel of reconciliation by which humanity can now be called to be reconciled to God ... The ministry of reconciliation is primarily the proclamation of what God has done.'

God has, in Christ, reconciled us to Himself ... that blows me away. But more than us, God was, in Christ, reconciling the whole world to Himself. The way is open for those who will to walk in (yup, Arminianism strikes again). No wonder Paul could say that now Christ's love compels him!

The sermon is not ready yet ... but my mind is on over-drive. More to follow I'm sure.

On a separate note, while at the library I was having some fun looking through books for dissertation ideas. Am considering doing something on the nature of the prophetic in preaching - something about preaching as prophetic witness or embodiment or something. Anyways, was re-reading the intro to a book about Martin Luther King Jr. as may do a case study of some kind possibly. While re-reading came across some quotes that I just thought were fab:

'During this period [his early years and first pastorate] he also learned to preach - not only to speak but to become an actor for his people and to assume the larger roles of prophet, evangelist, and, last of all, suffering agent of redemption.' pg. 6

'A sermon is a cultic performance of a biblical text among people who identify themselves as Christians.' pg. 8

'Perhaps King's greatest spiritual gift was faithfulness to his vocation to preach the Word of God in all circumstances, including personal danger and declining popularity ... King never produced a social blueprint for America, but, because he was a preacher, he never quit trying to shape a "congregation" of people that would be capable of redeeming the moral and political character of the nation.' pg. 12

The Preacher King: Martin Luther King Jr. And The Word That Moved America
Richard Lischer (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995).