Dear ______: Well I have to say your letter brought me joy: I know being in your first preaching class makes you nervous, but I think it is just great. Whether you become “a preacher” full time or not, Christians are given good news to share with the world. Preaching class is a lab to […]
How to Take Notes While You Read (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: As Sherlock would say, excellent observation, my dear Watson: My strategies for reading the texts assigned to you in your seminary classes are not always enough to make sure you learn what you need to learn. To learn from your reading you need to do more than let your eyes pass over the words. […]
Why You Should Read Popularizations (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: I’ve been trying to help you rethink the process of reading when it comes to your course assignments in seminary. This is actually long term advice: whatever kind of work you end up doing, you’ll learn more of what you need day by day if you know how to make quick work of […]
Getting the Big Picture with Good Reference Works (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: One of the oddest moments I experienced in a seminary class was when a friend of mine raised his hand and asked a question. The prof turned to him like a switchblade opening and said Look it up. I’m not the answer man. No kidding. We quickly deduced that he didn’t like to […]
Read Faster and Better with Book Reviews (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: I’m glad to hear that you are seeing the pattern inside my recommended reading strategies. For all those I’ve told you about so far (primary sources, textbooks, and scholarly studies) the pattern is to get a clear big picture, and then moved toward the details. Think of it as the concentric circles that emerge […]