I celebrated my birthday this past weekend, and my parents surprised me by giving me an iPod for a present. I will admit to having been slow on the pickup when it comes to iPods, but let me just say: I love it! I have already signed up to receive a podcast of one my favorite talk shows each day that I can listen to whenever I want. I have begun to put some of my music on it. And it has games! Wow!
Just a couple of weeks, there was a story in the local newspaper about the use of technology by churches. The article touched on the idea of "podcasts" of sermons. I think this would be an interesting idea. I also think it would be good if there were devotional material out there available for download. If somebody is reading this and knows of some good stuff, please let me know!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Agony of Defeat and the Thrill of Victory
Did you see what happened in the Browns-Ravens game yesterday? Cleveland, down by 3, lined up for a 51 yard field goal attempt that would tie the game with no time left. The kicker kicked the ball and watched it bounce off the upright and seemingly off the crossbar back into the field of play. One official signalled "No good." Game over. The teams began walking out onto the field. The Cleveland coach was comforting the kicker. Some of the Ravens players went on into the locker room. The Baltimore radio announcers were celebrating an important Ravens victory. All the while, the officials huddled together talking. A few minutes later, the head referee announced that the officials had determined that the ball had bounced not off the cross bar but off the support behind the cross bar. Video replay actually confirmed this decision. The game was tied. The Browns went on to win the game in overtime.
Talk about life changing in a moment. The image I haven't been able to get out of mind is that of the Cleveland coach comforting the kicker who thought he had missed the kick. You can't take back comfort, even if it is not needed. I am sure that the kicker felt a lot better to learn he had actually made the kick. However, I'd like to think the coach's words and actions bridged the gap until things worked out. I wonder, how many times does God comfort us, knowing that He will ultimately work all things for the good (Romans 8:28)? It would be easy for God to just say, "Hey, don't worry, it will be alright." But those are not really words of comfort. God promises comfort, comfort that carries us through until we can see how he works for our good.
Talk about life changing in a moment. The image I haven't been able to get out of mind is that of the Cleveland coach comforting the kicker who thought he had missed the kick. You can't take back comfort, even if it is not needed. I am sure that the kicker felt a lot better to learn he had actually made the kick. However, I'd like to think the coach's words and actions bridged the gap until things worked out. I wonder, how many times does God comfort us, knowing that He will ultimately work all things for the good (Romans 8:28)? It would be easy for God to just say, "Hey, don't worry, it will be alright." But those are not really words of comfort. God promises comfort, comfort that carries us through until we can see how he works for our good.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Lord Teach Us To Pray
I am really looking forward to prayer meeting tonight. Tonight I will be beginning a new theme for our Wednesday night services - "Lord, Teach Us to Pray." The theme comes from Luke 11:1 and the disciples' request of Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." One of the insights I got from my sabbatical was our need to conform our lives to Christ. Prayer is one of the greatest tools for this conformation, but sometimes we limit our understanding of what prayer is, how we pray, what we pray for, etc. My hope is that this new emphasis on Wednesday nights will be a time for all of us to sit at the feet of Jesus and have our view of prayer expanded in new directions.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Substitute for a Sacrifice
I found this really interesting passage this morning that got me thinking. The passage is Numbers 3:5-7, 11-13.
"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him. They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle ... Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: I hereby accept the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the LORD."
What I am thinking: The tribe of Levi was set aside to be the priestly tribe. God also identifies them as a "substitute". For what? Rather than sacrificing the firstborn living creature, human and animal alike, God substituted the consecrated life of service of the priests. The priest was a substitute for sacrifice.
God desires service, not sacrifice. How often do I say, "Look what I have done for you, God", and how often do I say, "Look at what I have given up for you God." Is there a difference in the attitude that comes with each of these statements?
All this has gotten me thinking about my identity as a pastor. What am I a substitute for? Do I give my life in service to God and His people in order that others may know life and know it more abundantly?
Just a few questions rolling around my head today.
"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him. They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle ... Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: I hereby accept the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the LORD."
What I am thinking: The tribe of Levi was set aside to be the priestly tribe. God also identifies them as a "substitute". For what? Rather than sacrificing the firstborn living creature, human and animal alike, God substituted the consecrated life of service of the priests. The priest was a substitute for sacrifice.
God desires service, not sacrifice. How often do I say, "Look what I have done for you, God", and how often do I say, "Look at what I have given up for you God." Is there a difference in the attitude that comes with each of these statements?
All this has gotten me thinking about my identity as a pastor. What am I a substitute for? Do I give my life in service to God and His people in order that others may know life and know it more abundantly?
Just a few questions rolling around my head today.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The End and The Beginning
Well, today is the last day of my sabbatical, and it has truly been one of the greatest blessings of my ministry. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to have this kind of time for professional and personal development. While there is a part of me that is sad to see it end, I am really looking forward to getting back to the church!
As I return, I have decided that I am going to continue to maintain this blog, using it as a place to continue to share experiences and insights. I have also turned on the "Comments" feature of the blog, which allows people to respond to what they read. I look forward to this interaction! I know there are some pastors who put blog entries in just about every day. Don't know if that will be me (certainly hasn't been to this point) but I do plan on contributing on a regular basis.
God bless!
As I return, I have decided that I am going to continue to maintain this blog, using it as a place to continue to share experiences and insights. I have also turned on the "Comments" feature of the blog, which allows people to respond to what they read. I look forward to this interaction! I know there are some pastors who put blog entries in just about every day. Don't know if that will be me (certainly hasn't been to this point) but I do plan on contributing on a regular basis.
God bless!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
November 4 - Boldness
I spent all morning yesterday working on my sermon for my first Sunday back. In keeping with the idea of "Living as a Regular Christian," I am examining the idea of boldness. This emerged out of my study of Acts 3-4:31. I was drawn to this text initially by the observation of the Sanhedrin that Peter and John were "ordinary men". Yet again and again in the text we hear of their boldness, and that boldness makes a huge impact. Why were they bold? How did their boldness translate into a witness? What challenges our boldness? What gives us confidence in the name of Christ? These are a few of the questions that emerged out of my wrestling with the text. During these last two months, there have been several points where I have encountered some of these same questions.
I have been rereading a textbook of mine from seminary, "The Witness of Preaching" by Thomas Long. In his book, Long encourages pastors to develop a focus statement and a function statement for their sermons to insure that there is unity and coherence in their sermon. Here are the focus and function statements that I came up with for this sermon.
Focus: The early believers were confident in the power of the resurrected Lord, and thus were able to be an effective witness.
Function: Establish a foundation of confidence in the name of Christ from which we can together move forward.
I have been rereading a textbook of mine from seminary, "The Witness of Preaching" by Thomas Long. In his book, Long encourages pastors to develop a focus statement and a function statement for their sermons to insure that there is unity and coherence in their sermon. Here are the focus and function statements that I came up with for this sermon.
Focus: The early believers were confident in the power of the resurrected Lord, and thus were able to be an effective witness.
Function: Establish a foundation of confidence in the name of Christ from which we can together move forward.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Some of My Notes
One of the greatest things that has come out of this sabbatical has been the time for study and the insights I have gotten out of that. I thought I would share some of my study notes from the last couple of months. Some of these ideas I will be developing into my first two sermons in November.
Time is not the encumberance. It is space that encumbers time. When we say, “There is not enough time”, it is usually a complaint about the things to do, not the time itself. Interesting, then, that honoring Sabbath becomes the time to refrain from “our own interests” – those things which we give that time to. Do we operate from a Psalm 96 mindset or a mindset that the world will come to an end?
The word I keep seeing is “faith”. My personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ is important for me because it has implications not only for my soul but for my physical body, mental health and emotional stability. It also defines my professional identity and responsibility. “The Jesus in me loves the Jesus in you.” I must know the Jesus in me in order to help others find (and for me to find) the Jesus in them. I must be willing to stand out of the way and let Jesus be lifted up. This happens only when I am strong in the Jesus in me through the presence of His Holy Spirit and allow that to guide my thoughts and deeds. Rest from work becomes setting free the Jesus in me.
I keep hearing the idea of changing attitude. We so often do not want to let go of the pleasures of the flesh. However, it is the stubbornness that ultimately keeps us at a distance from God. In order to let go, we must begin by reorienting our heart and mind to Christ. Once the attitude is dealt with, once the soul is in line with Christ, it will want the rest of us to join with it. Committing to a Sabbath time and honoring it as one honors a marriage can reorient our attitude by establishing that there is nothing more important than our time with God.
The church gives me the time and the task to enter into Scripture on their behalf and bring back a word of truth. This is not just about speaking to culturally relevant issues; this is about helping people find the power of God today and the promise of God for tomorrow. That I get to be involved in this work is indeed an honor, and one I should not take lightly. I must also remember that I operate on behalf of God as well as the church. “Response” is not the end – response may happen much later. Help people hear the truth of God, and God’s Holy Spirit will do the work that brings a response.
Time is not the encumberance. It is space that encumbers time. When we say, “There is not enough time”, it is usually a complaint about the things to do, not the time itself. Interesting, then, that honoring Sabbath becomes the time to refrain from “our own interests” – those things which we give that time to. Do we operate from a Psalm 96 mindset or a mindset that the world will come to an end?
The word I keep seeing is “faith”. My personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ is important for me because it has implications not only for my soul but for my physical body, mental health and emotional stability. It also defines my professional identity and responsibility. “The Jesus in me loves the Jesus in you.” I must know the Jesus in me in order to help others find (and for me to find) the Jesus in them. I must be willing to stand out of the way and let Jesus be lifted up. This happens only when I am strong in the Jesus in me through the presence of His Holy Spirit and allow that to guide my thoughts and deeds. Rest from work becomes setting free the Jesus in me.
I keep hearing the idea of changing attitude. We so often do not want to let go of the pleasures of the flesh. However, it is the stubbornness that ultimately keeps us at a distance from God. In order to let go, we must begin by reorienting our heart and mind to Christ. Once the attitude is dealt with, once the soul is in line with Christ, it will want the rest of us to join with it. Committing to a Sabbath time and honoring it as one honors a marriage can reorient our attitude by establishing that there is nothing more important than our time with God.
The church gives me the time and the task to enter into Scripture on their behalf and bring back a word of truth. This is not just about speaking to culturally relevant issues; this is about helping people find the power of God today and the promise of God for tomorrow. That I get to be involved in this work is indeed an honor, and one I should not take lightly. I must also remember that I operate on behalf of God as well as the church. “Response” is not the end – response may happen much later. Help people hear the truth of God, and God’s Holy Spirit will do the work that brings a response.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)