EAT THE BOOK

When a former pastoral colleague suggested the idea of a personal website, I knew at once what name I would like --“Eat the book” ! Why? Based on my own life and observations from nearly 40 years of preaching and mentoring, I can affirm with a fair degree of certainty that the single most transformative practice in the life of a Christ follower is strategic and systematic immersion in Scripture.

At least I know of no thriving believer who has not incorporated this to a significant, and increasing, degree in his or her life. Not surprising when Jesus Himself said that “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.

Interesting that Jesus uses the metaphor of bread to describe God's Word. He was in good company with those who preceded Him, not only with Jeremiah but also Ezekiel  (3.1-3: And he said to me, “Son of man, eat ….. this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey) and with one who followed Him, the Apostle John ( Rev 10.9-11: So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11And I was told, “You must again prophesy)

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jesus and John are all emphatic that we have to eat God's word  like we eat bread, suggesting that the purpose of God's word is not primarily to convey information but to feed our souls. Eating is a vivid metaphor for a thorough immersion in, and ingestion of, God’s Word, just like when we are learning a new language.

Only then can we hope to speak life giving words to others, whether formally from a pulpit or informally in the context of everyday  interactions with people. I learnt to “eat” largely in the context of the exercise of the central labour of my life—studying and preaching His word—largely to one congregation that I was privileged to serve for 36 years from 1980 to 2016.

The sermons you will find on this website, both video (recent) and audio (earlier in my ministry) are the result of this process of eating and only then daring to speak, however imperfectly. This process of “eating” and speaking resulted not only in sermons but periodic blogs and blessings. You will also find links to these.

A word about the photographs featured on this website. My mentor through his books (Eugene Peterson), who introduced me to the idea of “Eating the book”, also observed that we are to “ let immersion into creation nudge us into creativity”. God seized me for His purposes at the age of 17 in my first year of Engineering studies at University, almost immediately giving me a love to study and teach His word. Then He seized me again at the age of 35 , propelling me into a vocational ministry of preaching His Word while working as an engineer .

But it wasn't till the age of 50 that he unleashed a love for photography. That has served magnificently as a sabbath gift, nudging my creativity through creation by opening up a whole new world of colour, perspective, composition and digital post processing (both on a macro scale as in mountains and micro as in orchids).

It is my fervent prayer and hope that, through the Spirit’s influence, one or more of these sermons (audio and video) , blogs, blessings and photos will combine to enlarge  your  souls and inspire you to Eat the Book!

Sole deo Gloria!