Day 1 of Proclaimer's Place 2010

I am in Oxford, England. I am participating in Proclaimer’s Place – a week of group Bible study and seminar of sermon preparation led by Joel Gregory.

I flew all night Monday night. I was armed with books, magazines, calendars, notebook, and study tools. I boarded the plane with big plans to get a great deal of study and reading done during the uninterrupted quiet time. But I basically went to sleep not long after the flight took off.

It was 6:30 AM when I arrived in London (five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time).

The ride from London to Oxford is a little more than an hour. After I checked into my hotel, I walked a few blocks down the street and joined the session that had already begun.

Yesterday, we spent the entire day studying Jonah 2. I cannot believe how much I learned! I just preached a series on Jonah last summer. Yet I learned so much out of that chapter that I had missed before. I also learned several tools and keys to help me dig a little deeper in my studies.

Today we will study Acts 27.

More than the specific study of the text, I benefited greatly from the discussion about preaching. I believe that most preachers preach too often. We are always in the batter’s box, and do not get enough batting practice to check our swing. Or let me just speak for me. Preaching is my passion. But with so many other things I am responsible for, it is hard to give my preaching as much attention as I desire, during this season of my life. So it was very refreshing to just spend a day just studying the Bible and talking about preaching!

It is about fifteen of us studying together this week.

Several of us followed one of my friends to a special place he found to eat for lunch… Kentucky Fried Chicken!

I am staying at the historic Randolph Hotel, where some of the filming of the C.S. Lewis movie “Shadowlands” was filmed. It is said that was in the restaurant of this hotel that Lewis first met his wife in person. Way cool!

I did not get an opportunity to do much sightseeing. I hope that I will be able to get some in before this trip is over.

They are not pants here. They are trousers. It is not an elevator here. It is a lift. It is not a bathroom or restroom here. It is the toilet.

Please pray for the remainder of this trip. I hope to come home spiritual refreshed and with my skills for preaching sharpened.