Steve’s Sunday Blog, January 11, 2009

It has been a while since I last blogged a Sunday morning service.  I believe Sunday’s service was really important for us as  a congregation.  In the message, I was trying to lay out a way forward for us.  It all revolves around developing community together while we learn and minister to others.  I am including the entire text of the message here.  Hopefully, as you read, it will spark in you a desire to join with me and others in our congregation as we embark on this profound journey on which God has set this church- a journey to community, discpleship and ministry.

State of the Church Message:

 

John Maxwell, a guru for many in church leadership, suggests that once a pastor has been at a church three years, he or she can no longer legitimately complain about the church he has inherited.  If his leadership and influence hasn’t made the appropriate difference, he has only himself to blame.

 

I have been here now one and a half years.  I’m half way to the three year point of no return.  It seems fitting therefore that today, as a state of the church message, I share my heart with you- I want you to understand how I see our church – where we are and how I believe we can move forward.

 

I have seen some amazing acts of grace since I have been here.  I have watched the people of this church respond to physical, spiritual, and emotional needs in the most gracious and supportive ways. 

-Several of you have worked many hours repairing houses and doing household maintenance for our folks and for people outside our church family. 

-You have worked on flood relief in other cities and have helped in ministries that take place in our downtown area. 

-You have provided food and other assistance during tragedy and need. 

-You have sat with folks at home, in hospitals, and   in funeral homes. 

In this past year alone, over $5,000 was given by you in addition to regular offerings and then used by the Deacons to meet needs within and without our congregation. 

 

I believe the people of this congregation are a valuable resource and an incredible strength.  I have experienced people with a deep prayer commitment, people with a profound and abiding vision, people with servant hearts and people who will go the distance to meet a need in someone’s life.  There are incredible, wonderful people here. 

 

Another practical strength for us is this new building.  It is welcoming and comfortable, and should be a great location for ministry to take root.  I know that this building has been called the “tool shed” by some.  I love that label.  The tool shed is the place where tools are kept, where rechargeable tools are recharged, where plans are made.  And then the tools, leaving the shed, can be used to create and fix and make brand new. 

 

Along with these strengths, we deal with some basic issues that hinder us. (I’ll briefly describe three):

 

1 – Our church has been on a steady decline for the past three decades.  While this is true of many other churches as well, in my view it is an unacceptable trend to continue.  Because of this decline, we are affected negatively in financial and church resources and are not able to do some of the things we would like to do.

 

2 – There seems to be, as I talk with people within our congregation, a fear that our best days are behind us.  I am concerned that we lack the confidence to believe that God can really work in us.

 

3 – We have our fair share of drama.  Let’s be honest.  Issues become bigger than need be, conflict between individuals and families breaks out from time to time, there are generational struggles, there is ongoing tension over things like dress, worship style and demeanor. This drama leads to a sense of separateness and a lack of trust. 

 

While it is easy to be accusatory or assign blame when focusing on problems, I am encouraging you to suspend judgment as we address solutions to these issues.

 

Over the next weeks, months, probably years, you will become well acquainted with the logo that is on your bulletin today.  The interweaving circles represent what I believe are the essential elements in this church’s revitalization and renewal.  The circles are labeled discipleship, ministry, and community.  Each of these elements is dependent upon the other if we are to be successful.  The good news is that we already have groundwork laid in these areas.  We must, however, intensify our efforts and make the development of these elements in our church life an absolute priority.  God birthed this church, God has sustained this church, and I firmly believe God is ready to give us a new breath of life again.

 

Let’s discuss each element.

 

Discipleship:

In the New Testament era, a young man might commit himself to a particular rabbi and become his disciple.  He would follow the rabbi wherever he traveled, sleep at his feet at night, listen intently to every word the rabbi uttered, and form his life around his teaching.  When a rabbi accepted a young man to be his disciple, he would say to him “come, follow me.”  If a young man chose to take on the role of disciple, he was said to be “taking the rabbi’s yoke upon him.” 

 

A disciple was considered a genuine, indisputable, authentic follower- the real deal.  Others might come and go, but disciples stayed committed through the long haul.  So it is to be with our relationship with our Rabbi Jesus.  To be a disciple means to listen, to follow, to emulate his words. 

 

Jesus has called you and me to “come follow” and has offered his “yoke for us to wear.”

 

My hope and prayer is that we will, together as a community of faith, hear Jesus’ call to “come follow me,” and take our role as disciples as seriously as is his love for us. 

 

If we choose not to, we will get what we deserve, a lack luster life of faith that in no way impacts the world with the gospel in which we have been entrusted. Without a desire for authentic discipleship, the church becomes is just another service club.

 

Ministry:

If our only purpose in life is to experience salvation, we would have been transported to heaven when we were saved.  Why hang around here, when eternity in the presence of God awaits us? 

 

But here we are!  And as I understand the New Testament, we are here to reflect the One who touched our lives and to touch the lives of others – we call this “ministry.”  It is why we are here – to love, to meet needs, to influence, to shower grace on a world dying for the taste of it.

 

While I believe we do good ministry, I also believe we have only begun to scrape the surface of what we can do.  This confidence is based on what I experienced when I visited a little church in Santa Ana, El Salvador.

 

Shekina Baptist Church was a church of 80 people who served as a neighborhood congregation in a rented building with an aging congregation. 

 

In January 2001, a massive earthquake struck western El Salvador.  While Santa Ana suffered some damage in the quake, the surrounding communities were devastated – people lost their lives and thousands of homes were destroyed.  Folks were left without food and the necessities of life.

 

So the Shekina Church made the conscious commitment to invest their lives so that they could help those people in need. That new found sense of mission became the driving force in church life. 

 

I went to El Salvador in August of 2001 to meet with the folks of Shekina Baptist Church. Every day I was there, we visited another place where the church was ministering to people – building houses, providing food and clothing, ministry with children and youth, ministry in nursing homes, and so much more.  This small church of 80 people, many of them elderly, was doing incredible ministry.  I had never seen anything like it.

 

I believe that if this little church with limited resources in El Salvador can do such phenomenal ministry, we should be able, if we are willing, to be a church that makes a big difference as we minister in our city.

 

Community:

Followers of Jesus are intended to be people who minister together in community, grow in community and live in community.  By community here, I mean a living organism of people committed to Christ and to each other in a beloved community of faith.

 

Sadly, we often divide ourselves by generation or family or group affiliation.  We actually become multiple communities within the church.

 

As Paul was departing the church in Ephesus after two years of ministry, he left them with these farewell words,

 

“Now I’m turning you over to our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.”  Acts 20:32

 

Notice that Paul calls the church a “community of friends,” not communities of friends.

 

In the beloved community, all of us come together in Christ to do something special for the kingdom of God.

 

In this community, it is not about bricks and mortar, it is about relationships.

 

In this community, it is not about spread sheets and bottom lines, it is about people and needs.

 

In this community, it is not about programs and procedures, it is about love and grace.

 

In this community, it is not about control, it is about consensus.

 

In this community, it is not about authority, it is about service.

 

In this community, we are only successful when we all move forward together.

 

In this community, commitment to each other transcends family, Sunday School Class, small group, friendship and clique. 

 

Anything less is failure to be who we have been called to be.

 

In James’ letter, we read :

“Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. . .You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God . . . if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” Jam 3:17

 

While some churches might evaluate themselves by building, budget and attendance, a church striving to be the beloved community will always evaluate itself by relationship – each member to God, one member to another and all members together in ministry. 

 

I believe that I have been personally challenged by God to help this church become this kind of beloved community.

 

This holiday season, Judi’s mom and dad sent us a package.  We expected it to be delivered right around the 25^th.  It was not delivered on the 24^th.  It was not delivered on the 26^th.  Day after day we would check the mail box and day after day the box was empty.  Finally, this past week we learned that the package had been waiting for us to pick up at the post office the entire time.  We waited and waited, but what we were looking for was already here.  We just needed to go and get it. 

 

I am convinced that the same is true in this church’s search for community.  It is here, within our grasp, but we have to grab hold of it and make it ours. 

 

It can be ours, but some adjustments must be made.  Some of these adjustments are structural and systemic, but most are adjustments of the heart.  Are we willing to change – to work at change – to refuse to line up in old alliances – to stand together in Christ?  In my view, the very life and soul of this church is at stake.

 

Will you join with me in welcoming a new day to First Baptist Church?  Will you join with one another to break down barriers that have been built over time?

 

Is it even possible? Is a new day available for us to welcome.

 

Is it possible that we can be transformed into a beloved community of people committed to each other, regardless of our differences.

 

Is it possible that we can make a real difference as we minister in our city, and around the world?

 

Is it possible that we can have a common desire to grow as his disciples?

 

It is.  But only if we are willing to do what it takes to become what He intends us to be. And that is our challenge!

 

So, how do we move forward?  Let me share the following action points:

 

1) For us to move forward, there must be a new understanding of how we relate to each other.  There is not us, them, and everybody else.  There is only us, bound together by the love of Jesus.

 

2) For us to move forward, some healing must take place.

Some of you have wounded others in our church by your words and actions, some of you have been wounded by the words and actions of others, and some of you have both wounded and have been wounded.

 

If you have wounded others, it is important that you repent.  It is important for you and it is important for the unity of this community.  Along with repenting before God, I believe that you should strive to reconcile with those you have offended.  Jesus teaches that reconciliation is so important that we should drop everything, even worship, to make things right.

 

If you have been wounded, then you get the privilege of practicing forgiveness.  Don’t wait to be asked, just do it.  And realize, as one who has been wounded, you are now in a beautiful position to bring healing to others who have been hurt as well. Henri Nouwen calls us wounded healers – people who, because of past hurt, can bring healing into the now for themselves and those around them.

 

3) For us to move forward, we must take developing community seriously.

As members of the beloved community, we are expected to respond to each other in some very specific ways.  As we peruse the letters of Paul as he instructs us in church life, he is very clear in his directives:

 

_ Support each other.

_ Bear one another’s burdens.

_ Get along with each other.

_ Celebrate all the good stuff.

_ Stand beside the struggler.

_ Pray for each other.

_ Focus on the best in people.

_ Speak the truth only in love.  (If you can’t speak in love, don’t speak).

_ Be gracious and kind.

_ Never attack.

_ Don’t hold others to your personal standards; rather, let God do his work in their lives just as he has worked in yours.

_ Be humble.

_ Serve.  Serve.   Serve.

_ Quit fighting to get your own way.

_ Encourage each other.

_ Be patient with each other.

_ Respect each other and be respectful to everyone.

_ Use your gifts to minister to each other.

_ Strive for consensus.

_ Love unconditionally.

 

4) For us to move forward, we must be willing to think differently about church life and ministry.  “Just because we have always done it” is not a rationale for continuing to do it.  “We have never done it” is not a rationale for not trying something new.  To think outside the box, to color outside the lines, to move outside our comfort zones will be necessary for us if we are to do the creative work of ministry that God has called this community of disciples to do.

 

As I close, I want to share one of my favorite parables.  It comes from the imagination of Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish theologian and philosopher.  I have shared this parable before so forgive me for using it again, but it is so fitting here.

 

There was once a land where ducks lived like people.  Most of the ducks were fairly religious and looked forward to Sunday morning when they would go to duck church.  As the hour approached for duck worship, the ducks, in all their Sunday best, would waddle from their homes to the church.  Some were tall, some were small, some fat, a few were thin, and they all waddled to the church building.  Up the steps they would waddle and through the front doors they would waddle.  Down the aisle they waddled, each to their own pew they waddled.

 

The service began on this one particular Sunday.  They prayed their duck prayers and listened to duck scripture.  They sang with gusto from their duck hymnals and they clapped their wings together as they sang the duck praise songs.  And when the time for the sermon came, the duck preacher was in rare form.  He preached his duck heart out. “You can fly,” he proclaimed with a flourish.  “Nothing is going to stop you if you will spread your wings and let go.  You will fly.  You will soar.   The view from up in the sky is amazing and it is yours if you will spread your wings and fly.”

 

The duck congregation responded to the duck preacher’s every word. “Amen,” they shouted.  “You preach it,” they called out.  “Yes we can,” they proclaimed. 

“You can fly,” shouted the duck preacher.  “We can fly, we can fly,” shouted the congregation in a frenzy.  It was all very exciting.

 

After the sermon, and a rousing response of “I will never be the same again,” and the final “amen,” the ducks slid out of their pews, waddled out the door, waddled down the steps and waddled back to their duck homes.

 

Can we dare to be different this time?  No more waddling.  Let’s fly! Let’s fly as one community committed to each other and bound together in Christ.

 

Amen

sunday, september 28, 2008

“Did you hear the pastor’s sermon last Sunday?  He may be losing his mind.  Did you hear the things he said?  He sounded more like Bill Maher than a Baptist preacher as he described his disdain for religion.  Did he forget that he’s the pastor of a church- a religious institution?  Did he say that religion leads nowhere?  I’m pretty sure he used the phrase “religion stinks.” It sounded like he said that religion is much more likely to produce hate than love.  He accused religion, in the name of Christ, of being guilty of genocide, war, slavery, forced conversions, segregation, bombings, protests at gay people’s funerals, gossip, judgment and prejudice.  Did he suggest that maybe we should give up our religion altogether?  I know I heard him say all this stuff, but I didn’t get his point.   Did he mean that Jesus is different than religion, different the church, different than Christianity?  It almost sounded like he attacked everything I have always accepted.”

I would not be surprised if this conversation has taken place this week after last Sunday’s message.  The sermon was meant to be a direct hit at religion.  As I understand Jesus and the pronouncement of His kingdom, religion doesn’t play much of role.  As best I can tell, Jesus never advocates religion but often dismisses it as hypocritical and wrong minded.

This message is important to me because I am, as I often do, challenging myself with the question, “what does it really mean to be a follower of Jesus?”  As I am reading Matthew afresh and spending time in the rest of the New Testament, one of the conclusions that I come to is that “religion” has little (or nothing) to do with following Jesus.  On the one hand, we do religious stuff to make us feel good and we adhere to a set of religious teachings so that we can feel like we believe something.  Jesus, on the other hand, calls us to follow him, to live a life of self giving, to practice unconditional love, to provide unconditional service, to treat others with respect and grace, and to go the distance with Him. 

The argument made in Sunday’s message was that adherence to religion actually distracts us from following Jesus.  That is a harsh charge.  But I believe it to be true in my life and I believe it is true in the lives of many others. 

I finished Sunday’s sermon with a quote, “I gave up Christianity to follow Jesus.”  I am challenging myself to discover what it means to live for Jesus without allowing the religious trappings to sidetrack me.  I challenge you to do the same thing.    

·         It is great to have Mike back in the saddle.  His leadership is greatly appreciated.  I have loved the music he has put together since he has been back (the thousand voice choir Sunday was way cool.

·         Let me throw props out to the guys in back who do the hard work at computer and sound board.  There are lots of ways to mess up back there and they do right almost all the time.  The occasional snafu, like Sunday’s video not working, is generally a glitch that no one can foresee.  I appreciate the way they handle all the stuff that comes their way.

sunday, august 10, 2008

 

“When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.” Matthew 7: 28 – 29 (The Message)

Can you imagine what it was like to listen to Jesus speak?  His words were idealistic and high-minded, but when he spoke they sounded attainable.  For three chapters, (Matthew 5 – 7) Jesus exhorted his followers to grow to new heights in faith.  He called them to live differently than they had ever lived before.  He called them to live differently than anybody had before.  He called them to live as citizens of the kingdom of God.

According to Jesus, kingdom living meant living for others.  According to Jesus, kingdom living meant choosing not to judge, not to seek revenge, and not to hate.  According to Jesus, kingdom living meant loving insiders and outsiders.  According to Jesus, kingdom living meant choosing God over stuff, trust over anxiety, and service over control.  According to Jesus, making His words foundational would mean life as it was meant to be lived.  On the other hand, hearing His words but choosing not to live by them is mere folly.

At the end of the message, the crowds were excited.  Never had they heard such amazing words that sounded so sensible.  Maybe if Jesus wanted them to, they could live life differently.

His words to his followers are His words to us.  The question for you and me is what will we do with his call.  Same as always- lip service and minimal action, or will we allow God to really work in us?  It is our decision to make.

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How did the service speak to you?  Were you blessed?  Let me know what made you smile.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

What would happen if we really did it?  What would happen if we really took Jesus’ words seriously.  He said, “. . . in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12

Jesus wasn’t the only one who said it.  Every major religious group has a take on the “golden rule.”  In fact, if statistics are correct, fully 80% of the world’s population adheres to religious beliefs that make the “golden rule” a necessary component of faith. 

So, if 80% of the world’s poplulation claim they follow the edict “do to others as you would have others do to you,” what’s up?  War.  Crime.  Poverty.  Abuse.  Human Traffickng.  Racism.  Prejudice.  Gossip.  Classism.  Hate. 

I really don’t get it.  We all claim it, but few of us live it.  Sure, we can blame the Muslims, or the Buddhists, or the Hindus if we want to, but the reality is that you and I, as followers of Jesus, have to examine ourselves.  When we back bite, or gossip, or treat people unfairly;  when we judge them based on their looks or color or income; when we place ourselves, or our traditions, or our prejudices above them, we are ignoring Jesus’ words to us.

What would happen if we quit it?  What would happen if we quit summing up folks by externals, quit demanding attention, quit thinking our viewpoint was the only one that mattered?

I can talk a good talk, but do I have the guts to be radical and revolutionary in my daily life as I love folks and treat them (all) with respect and graciousness?  What if all of us at First Baptist Church chose to take Jesus seriously?  What if our interaction with each other, and with folks in the community around us was based on Jesus’ words?  Could we be the beginning of a “love” revolution that impacted our church, our families, our community and even our world?

The New Testament tells the story of a small group of people so energized by Jesus and His love that they turned the world upside down.  We are called to do no less!!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

“Don’t judge.”

Not my words.  Jesus’ words. 

The focus of Sunday’s sermon was these words.  The thrust of the message was that hearing and practicing these words serves as unique display of kingdom living. 

Unfortunately, while Jesus said the words, reiterated the words and lived the words, and while Paul followed up by stressing the concept over and over, church folks have been notorious for disregarding the words.  We are recognized as pros at judging others and practicing self righteousness.

Philosopher, and leader of the band “Mothers of Invention,” Frank Zappa once wrote, “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”  My point in the sermon was that Jesus is calling us to deviate from the norm and take his words seriously.  “Don’t judge.” Period.

Hopefully, the bluntness of the message, and the reality that “judging” is a way of life for many of us, causes us to think and rethink.   Is it possible to “deviate from the norm” and truly reflect Jesus’ words?  That is our challenge.

I have had several conversations about the sermon.  All have been positive as people are thinking and rethinking and trying to take Jesus seriously.  The most meaningful question I have been asked is “how do we refrain from judging and still stand for what we believe?”  Great question.  And one that I continue to work through in my own life.  Right now, I am focusing on a similar question, “Do my personal convictions cause me to judge others?”   I don’t think so.  My convictions cause me to continually evaluate me, but needn’t cause me to evaluate those around me.  My responsibility to those around me is to live out Jesus’ love and grace.  My thinking is that if I live out my convictions and live out grace and love, everything else should fall in place.”  Maybe I’m naïve, but I am convinced that my job is not to tell others how to live.  My job is to live out His grace and love so that they might know Him and discover how to live through Him.

If that is naïve.  Then I accept naiveté as a way of life.

 

 

The service was sweet.  Jack did a great job on the organ.  Erin’s song was beautiful.  The Praise Team sounded really good.  The “don’t judge” theme ran throughout the service and Marcia did a good job sharing that message in the children’s message.

I do hope that when you come to a stop sign, you will be reminded that when it comes to judging, we are called to “stop it.”

Sunday, July 13 2008

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 ”No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.  Matthew 6: 19 – 21, 24

My life is being rethought as I sit here to write.  Last Sunday’s message was a strong call to examine our lives in response to the materialism of our culture.  I not only prepared and delivered that message, but I also am being challenged by its implications.  Sometimes preaching seems like an academic exercise wherein we evaluate the quality of the delivery and the appropriateness of the content, but I feel like this series of messages from the Sermon on the Mount are more like a slap upside the head.  Jesus’ words are strong and direct and simple and demand a response. 

If you are going to be a part of His kingdom, He calls you to some serious decision making.  Specifically, how are you going to deal with money and stuff?   Is it something you commit to and use for God’s kingdom, or is the acquisition of things the point of life?  And sadly, in our culture, many folks would have to admit, if they were honest, that the acquisition of stuff and maintaining their standard of living has become the point of life.  It is radical to follow Jesus’ way.  He does not call use to give a little, or even a lot.  He never  says “give out of your abundance” or “give 10%.”  His call to us is that everything we own is to be used for His kingdom and all of our resources are to be available for the implementation of the Kingdom of God.  

This next Sunday’s message focuses on how we line up our priorities if we decide to follow Jesus.  It promises to be a humdinger!

   

sunday blog july 11,2008

I haven’t blogged for several weeks.  A little bit of a time issue has been part of the reason I haven’t written.  A little bit of writer’s block has been another part of the reason.  The primary reason, however, is that I have been so overwhelmed by the material we have been covering in worship that blogging has seemed inconsequential.

Several months ago, I felt lead to begin a study in the gospel of Matthew.  I love the gospels and it is natural for me to find my preaching zone in them.  I was optimistic that our Matthew study would be helpful, challenging, and hopeful.  What I was not ready for, however, is the way the scripture would pierce my heart and affect me personally.  The eyes of my heart are opening as I hear His words like I am hearing them again for the first time.  I am being challenged at the very core of my understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It has been an amazing few weeks for my faith as we are working our way through the Sermon on the Mount.

Perhaps it is because of where I am in my personal life and perhaps it is the influence of the authors I am reading right now, but I am feeling overwhelmed by Jesus’ straightforward and simple call to “follow him.”   My daily question has become “How will I follow Jesus today?  What action will I take, what decision will I make, that brings glory to Him.”

While I am being overwhelmed by the words of Jesus as we study Matthew, I fear that I am not adequately translating those words on Sunday morning.  I believe the material I am sharing has life-changing potential but I am not confident I have the ability to share it with the “umph” that it deserves.  I can only trust that the grace of God is working in each one of us as we open the Word of God together.

sunday, may 25, 2008

POP!

Today’s service was fun.  After a neat prelude by Katie on the flute, I introduced the day by talking about how popcorn works- what makes the kernel pop.  The answer is simple.  heat and water- heat applied to the kernel which causes the water inside the kernel to turn to steam and expand.  The pressure on the shell becomes too great and pop!

After some good congregational singing, the choir (thanks, Joan) blessed us with a sweet song of assurance.

More special music came from Cindy as she directed her piece to the graduates who were with us.  It was a great song for all of us, but especially for our folks who are in the process of graduating and getting on with the next phase of life.

We took a few minutes to honor our graduates as RuthAnn shared bios and I passed out gifts to each one.  Thanks Kelsey for putting everything together and thank you Mike for the monogramed pens- they are cool!

RuthAnn’s message to the kids was stellar as usual.  I wish she had left a few peanut butter cups up front but maybe next time.

The message this morning focused on the kingdom of heaven/God.  It is a concept with which I have been reaquainted as I have been looking again at the gospels.  Jesus talks alot about the Kingdom.  It is exciting stuff.  The kingdom is the Good News personified.  People, Jesus first and then His followers, who give their lives to a way of living that focuses on grace, love, forgiveness and service.  In the sermon, I tried to focus on Jesus’ words so most of the message was simply restating what He said in the gospels.  I would encourage you to do a personal study of the kingdom- just go to a concordance or biblegateway.com and do a word search for kingdom in the gospels.  Read each passage in context and prepare to be surprised at what Jesus teaches you.  A great book on the Kingdom is “The Secret Message of Jesus” by Brian McLaren.  I would recommend it highly.

I closed the message with a parable that I thought fit in well with the kingdom stories Jesus told.  Using a demonstration, I talked about popcorn being popped in a popper with no lid.  As the popcorn kernels heat up, the pop takes place and the resulting pieces of popcorn come flying out of the popper.  When we are heated up by God’s grace, love and mercy, we are moved out of the pew and into the community to become agents of his kingdom.

I had an application page on the back of the seromn outline.  In the midst of the service I forgot to direct the congregation’s attention to it (what’s up with me?), but I hope most folks will take some time to think about how they can “pop” for Jeus in the coming weeks.

I am looking forward to some online discussion, so feel free to make a comment.

Steve

Sunday, May 11, 2008

What made me happy this Sunday?

Well, my mom was with us for Sunday service and that made me happy.  This is the first Sunday that she has been with us since we have moved to Illinois.  She was really impressed with the congregation’s friendliness.  I have said it before- it is our biggest asset. 

The attendance made me happy.  We looked pretty good.

The look of the sanctuary made me happy.  As we entered the buidling, we were greeted by smiley faces in the windows.  Four happy face posters (thank you Polly) ushered us into the sanctuary.  The platform looked so cool.  Smiley face balloons, beachballs, furniture and knick-knacks were everywhere.  It was festive.

The attitude of the congregation made me happy.  There was a good spirit Sunday.

The prelude made me happy.  Lively and festive- great job Mike.

The story of the Pig of Happiness made me very happy.  The pig chose happiness and developed so much of it that it leaked out to all the other pigs and onto the other farm animals as well.  What a great story. 

The congregational singing made me happy.  The praise songs were great.    I love “Shout to the North.”

Marcia’s Moment in Mission made me happy.  To be reminded that mission is who we are and what we are about is important for us to hear.

The sanctuary choir made me happy.  Their song was wonderfully done.  Many churches don’t have choirs anymore and it is exciting to see this group who week after week work hard to prepare and then share God’s word in song.

Shelby’s song made me happy.  The song itself is moving, and her rendition was great.  She is a very talented young lady and I can’t wait to hear more from her.

RuthAnn’s basket message always makes me happy.  It is a highlight of the service.  And the kids were great.  I talked to them at breakfast about staying off the platform because of the temptation to mess with all the stuff, and they responded wonderfully.

The puppets made me happy.  The black light puppets are so funny.  They did a good job with the song and the acrobatics cracked me up.

I was happy with the message.  I think I made the points I was hoping to make.  As we spend a few weeks in Matthew 5 – 7 (the Sermon on the Mount), I wanted to emphasize the importance of these chapters as fundament to understanding Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdome of heaven.  Hence, the idea that the Sermon on the Mount is reflective of Jesus’ stump speech- his ongoing teaching.  In particular, we looked on the Beatitudes.  Jesus focuses on what makes us feel blessed, happy, fulfilled.  Interestingly, it is not the stuff most of us would list.  Rather, it is the recognition that if we take Jesus seriously, life changes and the facts of life, the circumstances of life, are not the stuff that bring us joy or happiness.  It is life lived in the presence of God.

I was happy that Samantha, Shelby, Kailey and Joel chose to make public professions of faith at the end of the service.  Now, it is the congregation’s responsibility to nurture them through our words, actions, and prayers.

It was a happy day.  What about you- what made you happy?  Feel free to share a comment- it would make me happy!

Steve 

may 4, 2008

ahh, a fascinating Sunday morning.  One person commented that my sermon was “interesting.”  I said ”thank you,” but I am not sure I was being complimented.

We were trying to build the service around the temptation story in Matthew 4.  Using the title “Toe to Toe” we developed boxing imagery for the day.  I constructed a partial boxing ring on the platform, had gym equipment scattered around, and dressed the part of a trainer for the message.  I thought the metaphor worked very well.  In fact, I thought the metaphor worked better than the sermon itself.  The message, including “Rocky” clips, was that we are more prepared to go toe to toe with temptation if we have trained.  We train by developing a relationship with God and by serving people. 

Mike’s prelude was cool!  Very big.

The choir introduced us to the table as we gathered to share communion. 

I was in and out of the sanctuary through some of the other elements but things sounded wonderful.  Marcia’s song was beautiful, the praise team sounded very good, the children’s sermon was excellent, and I liked the way Mike stopped the instrument on “Sanctuary.”  It was very powerful as the congregation sang those great words without accompaniment.

One of the cool things in the service was the powerpoint during the scripture reading.  Bob put it together and it was really helpful in highlighting the experience of Jesus in the desert.

I look forward to your comments.

Next week is mother’s day and our theme is “Be Happy.”  It should be a great day!

Steve