The Return of Sound Effects

After my sermon, someone mentioned that they could tell I have little children in my house again…  “You used a lot of sound effects today!”, they observed.

~100

He would have been 100 on June 3rd.  But he died a week ago and I had the privilege to speak at his funeral.  He met Jesus through reading his late wife’s Bible – just a five years ago.  Last Christmas, he sent a new Bible to each of his descendents – down to the great-great grand children.  The marker in his wife’s Bible was at Psalm 73 so that was the text I used for his memorial service.

Drive by Call

One of our church members was in the hospital (he at some really BAD peanut butter), so I wanted to visit him this morning on the way to class.  I left in plent of time but I got lost on the way and I couldn’t find the hospital, so I called and got connected to his room and we talked for while I drove around and around – never finding the hospital. 

Oh well.  He’s feeling better and he’s coming home today.

A Free Lunch

There really is such a thing after all. 

Someone at church anonymously gave us $100.00 in gift certificates to a local restaurant – again.  What a privilege to be loved!

Wrong Steve!

I sent an email to a Steve from church, asking for a time to meet and catch up on things, and to talk to him about possible serving on the board at church this upcoming year.

Actually, the email went to a different Steve who works for one of my customers where I do software development work.  This Steve is on the team who decides what I get to work on. 

“Board”, “Team”, “meeting”, “after worship practice…” There was enough overlap to make it sort of make sense – but not enough to keep it from being really confusing.  Ha ha!  He must have thought I was crazy! 

Oblivious

A lady came up to me after my sermon yesterday – she was distraught and apologetic about the fact that her cell phone had gone off during the message.  I hadn’t noticed.

Then, today I got an email from someone apologizing for his wife laughing during the sermon.  Apparently, someone jokingly told this friend of mine that he looked like a 300 lbs canary in his sweater – so he told his wife, and she kind of lost it – laughing.  I didn’t notice that either.

 I wonder if I would notice if anyone was even there?  Ha ha!

Word from 1675

“Many preachers are more concerned to have the introduction shape up well and the transitions be effective, to have an outline that is artful and yet sufficiently concealed, and to have all the parts handled precisely according to the rules of oratory and suitably embellished, than they are concerned that the materials be chosen and by God’s grace be developed in such a way that the hearers may profit from the sermon in life and death.  This ought not to be so.  The pulpit is not the place for an ostentatious display of one’s skill.  It is rather the place to preach the Word of the Lord plainly but powerfully.”

Philipp Jakob Spener, 1675

Meat without bones is jelly

I’ve been working on this week’s sermon.  I’m often reluctant to use an obvious outline, because they’re often artificial and can overly influence the meaning of the text.  At the same time (read the title of this post again here).  Structure can do a lot to enable good communication.

When did I see you hungry?

Matthew 25:34-46 has been particularly haunting to me these days. 

I’m going to memorize this, and maybe post a copy of it over my door.  Following Jesus is more than doing church inside its four walls.

I don’t shoot as much

Probably because I miss too often…  But I’ve also discovered that’s it’s a lot more fun to pass well.  Actually, it’s more than double the fun because someone else scores, I get to share in the glory, and no one thinks I’m a ball hog.  Even if the other person misses it’s more fun, because I don’t get the blame and I still enjoy the fun of having made a really great pass.  Better than that, even if the pass isn’t a good pass and I fail, it’s still better than taking a bad shot and missing that – because everyone on the team loves someone who tries to make a good pass.

I’m experiencing it at church too.  Go figure.

I suppose it’s like gold - it’s rare.  That’s what makes it a treasure.