Greetings from Wheaton! I’m in the middle of a three day preaching workshop on the minor prophets sponsored by the Simeon Trust and College Church of Wheaton, IL. The workshop combines two and a half days of lectures, preaching, and small groups in which we discuss sermon outlines we have prepared in advance. The lectures by Dr. House have been thought provoking, edifying, and occasionally hilarious. The sermons (45 minutes each) have been extraordinary. The nine pastors in my small group have been extremely helpful and encouraging. I was assigned to prepare sermon outlines for Amos 2:6-16 and Habakkuk 1:1-11. A big focus of the workshop is to help preachers find the Gospel in these prophets and when you look at the texts I had to prepare for you can see that this was quite a challenge. I have enjoyed the preaching workshops I have attended in the past at Luther Seminary but I was looking for an experience that was unlike anything I have had before and this workshop has certainly has exceeded my expectations.
The pastors at the workshop have come from a wide range denominations (although most are Presbyterians) and countries. Many of the pastors here have been attending for years and describe it as their spring training workout. Two of more interesting people I have run into include a physician from Taiwan and a Biology professor from Iowa both of whom are preachers in their respective congregations. In the hotel I spent a lot of time talking with two grips from LA who are working on a new action film that is being shot in Chicago.
Click HERE to learn more about the workshop.
