The Priority of Preaching

I've started reading The Priority of Preaching by Christopher Ash, which, in spite of what may seem a rather dry (but apt) title, is actually almost fun to read. Mr. Ash seems like he'd be an entertaining and clever fella to be around. But aside from his winsome writing style, the subject matter of the book is absolutely on target.

If you're a preacher or teacher in the church, you really ought to spring for the ten bucks and give this book a little of your time. I'd loan you mine, but my cat knocked over a glass of water, soaking my copy and now it's all warped and wrinkly...

Anyway, here are a couple of solid statements from the book, in which Ash encourages those charged with the ministry of proclamation and comments on the authority of God's words:

"I want to encourage us to our desks, our prayer, our preparation, and our love for people, with a new spring in our steps as we labour at loving people by preaching to them week by week. My prayer is that this book will encourage the discouraged preacher to persevere with fresh zeal and enthusiasm, because I have convinced you that this Sunday men and women can hear the voice of the living God from your mouth."

"We live in a culture where everyone has their say, where I can press the interactive buttons and register my view on television, where I can set up a blog and proclaim my views on anything and everything to the world, where the most friendly thing we can say in welcoming newcomers is, 'We want to know what you think.' But - dare I say it - God does not want to know what we think. He wants us to know what He thinks."