Break Taken

I had the privilege to attend an awesome church today...mine. The best part was, I didn't preach there this morning. I usually preach, but today I did not. Instead we had some shaggy headed hippie preach about openness and hiddenness out of 1 John 1.

The message of the text was presented with clarity and conviction.

I walked away thinking that our salvation is the result of open confession and "light-walking"

Neither of which happened when I first answered an alter call and asked Jesus into my heart.

It was a good break, thanks Dan!

Sex on the Brain

With February right around the corner I find myself once again preparing for a series of sermons on human sexuality.

This is not as much fun as you might think.

I mean sex is fun, but the annual process of preparing a series of sermons on the topic is a bit of work.

First you have the obvious challenges with content. What do you talk about? How do you say what you say? What does the Bible really say about this stuff? Where's the line that delineates between fearless teaching and offensive blather? I mean, I want people to learn something, to somehow develop a healthier view of sexuality without being so embarrassed by hearing the word "clitoris" that they don't learn anything.

That being said, I have no intention of teaching through the Song of Solomon, because, quite frankly people, that book is full blown Ancient Near Eastern Erotica.

My Office > Your Office

Things that are in my office:

1) Green Lava Lamp
2) Coffee
3) A picture of "Elvis"
4) A bunch of books
5) A mixer board
6) 2 large format printers
7) A couple diplomas
8) The fellers from Darkroom practicing for their up and coming CD release show.

Not a bad place to study the Bible.

Careful what you ask for

I had this great idea for the Sunday morning message this past week.

Motivated in part by the fact that I was sick and unable to do a lot of talking and also in part to my conviction that good preaching is a product of community, I decided to have an open discussion during the normal preaching time.

Instead of talking "at" I was actually talking "with" my church family. The subject: "Why preach?" which quickly developed in to "What to preach?"

I asked them to tell me what they thought we should spend time discussing in the year 2010.

Here are some of their responses:

- Heaven/hell
- Homosexuality
- The Trinity
- The Nature of God
- Reconciling the God of the OT with the God of the NT
- Church History, specifically Patrology
- Baptism
- What should Christian politics look like?
- Forgiveness and restoration
- Justice
- Intertestamental history
- Christian pacifism

Oh, and the above were in addition to the topics we had already slated for the year which include money, sex, peace, and the resurrection.

Someone has some work to do.