With a simple and quite passive style of listening to a sermon, delivered by one of my favourite preachers, John Valentine (tinyurl.com/Johns-Video-Blog). To get into the mood of Easter, particularly since the local Orthodox church Paschal services were all Greek to me (both literally and figuratively), I listened to John's Easter Sunday message, which focussed on Colossians 2:6. It's been a while since I last heard an in-depth study of one verse; as a member of an AngloCatholic these days, we tend to have a short illustration of three or four chapters of the Bible (an Old Testament, a Psalm and a Gospel - and occasionally, a New Testament).
It was refreshing to be able to follow the train of thought of the speaker, have the opportunity to follow the red herrings cognitively and consider the additional scope of the overall message from my own perspective during the sermon. It is all too rare that we get the chance to discuss the most salient aspects of a message with the preacher or other members of the congregation in today's society. I realise that I've missed easily accessible, conversational yet occasionally deep discussions of the Bible, but I valued again the brilliance of my current priest who never fails to captivate me with one of his stories or explanations and the wealth of scripture I get presented with in the masses I attend at my current church.
As a result of my Bible study time today, I will find the opportunity to download more of John's sermons, and attempt to get involved with a Bible study group that is at the most suitable faith level and in a setting in which I feel comfortable, perhaps even at my local church. Wonder what my current priest would think of one of John's sermons...
Btw, today's title is named in honour of the mountains I was driving over as I listened to the streamed talk.
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