[Charles] Simeon himself is our example here. The feature of his preaching which most constantly impressed his hearers was the fact that he was, as they said, “in earnest”; and that reflected his own overwhelming sense of sin, and of the wonder of the grace that had saved him; and that in turn bore witness to the closeness of his daily fellowship and walk with his God. As he gave time to sermon preparation, so he gave time to seeking God’s face.

“The quality of his preaching,” writes the Bishop of Bradford, “was but a reflection of the quality of the man himself. And there can be little doubt that the man himself was largely made in the early morning hours which he devoted to private prayer and the devotional study of the Scriptures. It was his custom to rise at 4 a.m., light his own fire, and then devote the first four hours of the day to communion with God. Such costly self-discipline made the preacher. That was primary. The making of the sermon was secondary and derivative.”

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The candy store experience continues. Here’s a Bible of #CharlesSimeon. https://t.co/aHEYKkhBHZ pic.twitter.com/t3IGlocv6v

— Peter J. Williams (@DrPJWilliams) November 27, 2019

John Stott on Charles Simeon at Taylor University from Randall Gruendyke on Vimeo.

Morning Prayer 11.12.21, Charles Simeon, Priest, 1836 | The Daily Office https://t.co/nfa6N504ve pic.twitter.com/cBiITcpbMe

— Jeoffroi (@Jeoffroi) November 12, 2021

Preaching is what we are ordained to do. It is one of the most remarkable privileges that any person can be given. We are presuming to speak for God. It is not, as many seem to think today, simply telling people off or condemning them for their failures. Nor is it just a ‘pep talk’ – a friendly word of reassurance and encouragement. It is something quite different. It is engaging in a supernatural transaction. It is presenting the Word of God to the people of God. My friend and mentor Terry Fullam was a great preacher, and I learned a great deal from him. In a memorable one-liner, he said that sermons are a, “ … Word about the Word from the Word.” In other words, sermons are always to have a Gospel focus, with Jesus Christ at the heart, and grounded in the Holy Scriptures.

Terry Fullam spent hours preparing his sermons – he told me that a useful guideline was an hour of preparation for a minute in delivery. By the time he actually preached his sermon – he never used any notes – it all seemed effortless. He also found nothing wrong with recycling his sermons. “They get better with age,” he once told me with a grin! Early in his time at St. Paul’s in Darien, I realized that he had three brilliant Christmas sermons that he brought back in a regular pattern each year.

Our eldest daughter, Sarah, who is gifted with a remarkable memory, also noticed this and entertained her high school friends by whispering his next lines or the “punch lines” to his stories before he finished them. This resulted in barely suppressed giggles from the entire youth group while he preached. Once, I observed what was happening, I apologized to Terry for the disruption. He smiled and said, “Don’t apologize. Sarah has managed to memorize my sermons. What higher compliment could a preacher ever receive?”

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We so appreciated our recent visit with the Interim Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, his wife Angela, and daughter Rachel. Watch for Friday's post of his sermon for tomorrow's Eucharist as well. pic.twitter.com/W8jsl72Qpg

— Trinity School for Ministry (@TS4Ministry) March 30, 2021

He stood for many years alone, he was long opposed, ridiculed, shunned, his doctrines were misrepresented, his little peculiarities of voice and manner were satirized, disturbances were frequently raised in his church or he was a person not taken into account, nor considered in the light of a regular clergyman in the church.

-–as quoted in William Carus, Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. Charles Simeon (New York: Robert Carter, 1848), p.39

Charles Simeon decía que en sus primeros siete años como predicador sus sermones no tenían ni píes ni cabeza #LaPredicaciónDeStott #Predicadores #Anglicanos #Evangélicos #Teólogos #Inglaterra https://t.co/o6kG5H8yWb pic.twitter.com/ZGVKgAOngF

— Entrelíneas (@entrelineas_org) November 9, 2021

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Malayil Lukose Varghese Muthalaly (known as Saju), Vicar of St Mark’s Gillingham, in the Diocese of Rochester, to the Suffragan See of Loughborough, in the Diocese of Leicester.

He succeeds the first-ever Bishop of Loughborough, the Right Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani after she became Bishop of Chelmsford earlier this year.

The announcement naming the next Bishop of Loughborough was made by Downing Street at 10.02am this morning (12 November 2021). The identity of any Bishop-elect has to be kept a closely guarded secret until Number 10 publishes the news.

Last night Bishop-elect Saju and his family attended Curve Theatre in Leicester to see The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and are being introduced to the diocese at various events in Leicestershire today.

They are starting near Melton Mowbray at the rural campus of Brooksby Melton Agricultural College with prayers at the small rural church there. They will receive gifts representing various elements of the life of the diocese from various people including school children from Church of England schools Thrussington Primary and Rawlins Academy.

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We are delighted that Downing Street has announced that Revd Saju Muthalaly will be the next @ChurchofEngland Bishop of Loughborough: https://t.co/hGApfvC9RO pic.twitter.com/YKonqNqCkV

— Diocese of Leicester (@leicestercofe) November 12, 2021

O loving God, who orderest all things by thine unerring wisdom and unbounded love: Grant us in all things to see thy hand; that, following the example and teaching of thy servant Charles Simeon, we may walk with Christ in all simplicity, and serve thee with a quiet and contented mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Charles Simeon
Priest, 1836

Grant us in all things to see thy hand; that, following the example and teaching of thy servant Charles Simeon, we may walk with Christ in all simplicity and serve thee with a quiet and contented mind pic.twitter.com/53WAEKz2r2

— Brian E. Denton🌐🌻 (@brianedenton) November 12, 2021

O Holy Spirit of God, Lord and Giver of Life: Come into our hearts, we beseech thee; that enlightened by thy clear shining, and warmed by thine unselfish love, our souls may be revived to the worship of God, and our life be dedicated anew to the service of our fellows; for Jesus Christ’s sake.

—Daily Prayer, Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs, eds. (London: Penguin Books 1959 edition of the 1941 original)

Good Morning Friends
✨ Have a wonderful day pic.twitter.com/cP2ST7zb1e

— ✍️ (@ChandanSur3) November 12, 2021

Dost thou work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise thee?…Is thy steadfast love declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in Abaddon? Are thy wonders known in the darkness, or thy saving help in the land of forgetfulness?

–Psalm 88:10-12

GOOD MORNING ☀️ Were you up to see the sunrise this morning? Thank you Becky Cox Porter for this incredible shot from South Carolina. https://t.co/z7mi5cTWv1 pic.twitter.com/MQsKN3SUIA

— WTGS (@WTGSFOX28) November 12, 2021