Wright Lecture Series
The Churches at the Four Corners
Sunday, October 9 – Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Guest Lecturer: REV. DR. TOM LONG
Rev. Dr. Tom Long
- Named one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English speaking world by Baylor University in 1996, along with the likes of Fred Craddock, Billy Graham, James Forbes, Barbara Brown Taylor and William Willimon.
- Author of The Witness of Preaching, named one of the 25 most influential books on preaching in the past 25 years by Preaching magazine.
Tom’s Description of the Program:
In a time when we are more aware than ever of religious diversity, both in the larger society and in the church as well, it is good to remember that diversity has been with us from the beginning of the Christian movement. In these talks, I will imagine an intersection of thoroughfares with a church at each corner – four corners and four churches: the churches of St. Mark, St. Mathew, St. Luke, and St. John. In each presentation we will spend a few minutes in the pews of each of these churches, experiencing their different understandings of Jesus and of the Christian life. We will discover what these communities of faith were like, how different these churches were from each other, and the very particular ways they understand Jesus, the nature of the Christian life, and the mission of Christ’s people.
Hopefully those who listen to these lectures will intrigued to see some flesh put on these four Gospel churches and informed about how each of these Gospels works to craft a coherent vision of being church and being Christian in the world. The four lectures will work together to make the point that even the earliest Christian churches were quite diverse. I think those who hear the lectures will be challenged to deepen their own commitment to the faith and to a greater appreciation for those who understand the faith differently.
Why I’m Attending this Year’s Wright Lectures with Tom Long
“Tom Long is as gifted a crystalizer of cultural trends and Biblical themes as I can think of. I expect every Wright Lectures participant will come away with tangible and memorable lenses for viewing each of the evangelists’ enduring take on Jesus and His gospel. Plus, there will be a clutch of stories so fitting to the text and so grippingly told that you’ll be dying for your next preaching or teaching opportunity to work one in.”
– Rev. Greg Ikehara-Martin, Laurehurst Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR
“It was good to be in the presence of Tom Long again at last fall’s Lectionary Retreat and I’m looking forward to having him back at the Wright Lectures. Not only did Tom provide his unique take on preaching the Gospel of Luke, he also offered up-to-date insights about preaching in the 21st century. He remains true to our roots and traditions while also probing the frontiers of the church’s current context and the challenges we all face here and now.”
– Rev. Jeff Sievert, Reedville Presbyterian, Aloha, OR