sermons – Page 3 – Salvaged Faith

Whose Baptism?

Posted on January 12, 2009Leave a comment

For a few weeks, I have felt a bit off in my sermon prep. The pieces I wanted to come together hadn’t, and it just seemed like the message wasn’t connecting with people where they were.

This week, I surely had a much different focus going into the sermon than what was produced, but I for some reason got into a roll on a modern interpretation of the passage from Acts this morning. I talked about a group of guys heading to the big city to see this crazy preacher lady. They just wanted to see the spectacle, but they were moved and were baptised by Jane B. in the river. And they headed home and while they wanted things to be different, nothing really was.

A few years went by and suddenly this traveling preacher came to town named Paul and he told them about what they had been missing out on – that they only had half the story – and immediately those believers were filled with the Holy Spirit.

I hope to post on this in a few days, but I read the book “The Shack” last week. It absolutely amazed me. Yeah, there are some theological points that I don’t agree with, but if I’m honest with myself, there are far more that resonate with my own theology than don’t. Especially when it comes to really being open and trusting that God can dwell within you. That your life can be different because God lives within you.

In my sermon this morning, I tried to move from that story of missing pieces to talk about how we don’t fully understand the power of the Holy Spirit that is given to us in baptism. We underestimate its power. We don’t trust it. And so we are not able to do the things we know we are called to. We get caught up in fear and hesitation instead of resting in the knowledge that God is within us, God has filled us, God loves us and God is for us.

In the service we also had a time to remember our baptisms and I think the morning went very well. I had a number of people come up to me after the service and talk about how meaningful it was for them. And what was even more amazing about the service is that I felt like I really worshipped this morning too.

Afterwards we had our first ever worship committee meeting to talk about plans for Lent and Easter. Getting answers and ideas out of them was like pulling teeth, and I’m not sure if that’s because I’m asking the wrong questions or if they just aren’t used to being asked these kinds of questions. I think we did come up with a general theme for the lenten season: Simplicity and Spiritual Disciplines… about what we need to let go of in order to really enjoy our relationship with God… as well as some songs to guide us through the season. We talked about plans for Holy Week, Ash Wednesday, and then Easter Sunday.

To my amazement, someone suggested that we scrap the Sunrise Service – because it doesn’t have a large attendance, and the youth aren’t really involved in it anyways. And then someone agreed. And someone actually said: just because we’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean that it’s worth doing. WOO HOO!!! Last year’s Easter Sunrise service was something the youth group helped me put together – complete with hard rock songs instead of hymns… and then none of them showed up. So this gives me permission to not do it… yay!

The rest of the day was spent on the couch watching moves. Lots of movies. “I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry” “Music and Lyrics” “Burn After REading” “Hancock” “Ratatouille”… it was just one of those kinds of days.

Ice

Posted on January 5, 2009Leave a comment

I finished the sermon prep last night at about 1:00 and headed off to bed – completely oblivious to the freezing rain outside. I had heard that it was coming, but in all honesty had thought it petered out. My bad.

I had planned on getting up at 7, but for the first time on a Sunday… ever… I slept past my alarm and woke up at about 8. And panicked because I felt like I had something to prepare. But it was all done. Everything but my sermon was at the church, waiting for me, all ready to go. (which is sometimes a rare occurance… see post on procrastination).

So I showered up and sat down at my computer to print off the sermon and I get a phone call from the church… “Pastor Katie, are we having church this morning?”

Having church? Of course we’re having church… why woud we not have… and then I looked out my window. Ice. A beautiful thin layer of ice over all the roads. It didn’t seem so bad – after all, the powerlines were fine, the trees didn’t have that amazing glaze of ice over the branches. Piece of cake. Yes, we’re having church.

I have to admit right now that deciding whether or not to have church because of bad weather is one of my most frustrating and hand-wringing parts of my job. Do I cancel and keep people safe? What if it’s not really so bad? Will I look like a wuss? I’m young, and I can get there, so we should have it, right? *sigh*.

I hopped into the “ghetto cruiser” and headed off to church. All was fine until I hit the road that our church is on. Solid ice. I think I fishtailed 3 times in 4 blocks and was unable to pull into my usual parking spot. I coasted right by it.

Outside were all of the wonderful but older faithfuls of the church, heading in for Sunday School, trying desperately to stay upright. And a terrific older man with the bag of salt, trying to get some traction on the sidewalks. And I started to wonder if I had made the right choice.

Church went beautifully. We actually had a pretty decent crowd, which surprised me. And then we had Ad Board afterwards (which would have been a p.i.t.a to reschedule). So all was good.

My photo for the day actually comes from this afternoon. My little brother called me up to take him shopping, so we met at my Babi’s house. I haven’t driven on ice like this for quite a while, so it took me much longer than expected to get there – including a few heart-pounding fishtails into the oncoming lane… without traffic oncoming – thank God! I think there were about four different close encounters of the ditch kind thoughout my travels today, but we made it to the store, and home again safely.

I had a ton of fun hanging out with DJ. I have a friend from back in Nashville who was the youngest in her family, and she always would tell me about the great things that her older siblings were doing to help her out. DJ didn’t have the best 2008 in the world… in part because of some poor decisions, but all I want to do is spoil him rotten and make sure he has the things he needs. It kind of feels like it’s part of the whole “big sister” job description. I got to thinking on the way home (on the icy roads) about when DJ was born. My other brother and I both had these cute little sweatshirts that our mom had made with puff paint. It said something like “I’m the big sister” and “I’m the big brother.” I take my job very seriously =) Tuesday will be his 21st birthday! And it makes me really happy to watch him grow up and to talk with him now as an adult.

Last-Minute

Posted on January 4, 20092 Comments

Tiki is sitting at the base of my chair, mewing for me to pay attention to him. I reach out and scratch his head and before I know it, he’s up on my desk, watching the candles flicker.

It’s another Saturday night spent working on the sermon for Sunday. I could use New Year’s as an excuse, or the fact that we did the newsletter this week, or even my trip to Des Moines today to hang out with friends from college, but no, Saturday sermons are pretty typical for me.

I’ve always been a procrastinator. The ideas and words seem to flow better when there is a sense of urgency. Yeah, yeah, I know that last minute work often has less proof-reading and editing… but I can’t seem to get myself to focus until I’m down to the wire. It’s my modus operandi. We’ll see if that changes any in this next year.

At least I’m writing at my desk. Normally it’s on the couch in the living room, but I’m trying to use my personal space better this year. So far today, I’ve used my office to work out, practice guitar, blog, and now procrastinate on the sermon writing. Probably more use than it has had in a month. That’s a pretty good start to ’09.

Here is a question for all of you pastors out there. What is the difference between preaching and sermon writing? Are the two ever mutually exclusive for you? And how do you preach a sermon that someone else has written?

I ask mostly because I’m feeling beyond inadequate in my writing tonight. Everything that gets typed gets deleted. I know what I want to say, but I also know of people out there who have put it into much better words than I have at my disposal right now. So maybe this is a question of calling. I feel called to preach, not because I have anything particularly interesting to say, but because I have come to see that I’m a good communicator of God’s Word. Is that because I know how to put the gospel into a form that others can empathize with and understand? Or is it because of years of drama and speech experience? Or am I just procrastinating even more?

Updated “Back to the Basics” Fall Plan

Posted on July 27, 20081 Comment

,I’ve gotten some inspiration on the alphabet thing…

The overall theme is going to be ” Back to the Basics of Being the Church” (we made BE the CHURCH t-shirts earlier in the year). I’m also going to be tying in some of Robert Schnasse’s ideas from “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” – but not in as obvious a way.

I’m not quite sure if I’m going to go strictly with an alphabetical listing anymore… but, if I do, here is another stab at it:

A= Acceptance of God (and who God is… not who we want God to be)
B= Body of Christ – Blessings and Curses – We’re All In this Together (this one is a little rough still)
C= Care for One Another (its a stretch from the readings… I may just have to go off lectionary for this one and tie these scriptures in with the previous week)
D= Dealing with Doubters and Grumblers
E= Emptying Yourself & Putting on the Mind of Christ
F= Fallen Family & World Communion Sunday (talk about our lack of unity – and confession)
G= Grace (tied in with Radical Hospitality – Five Practices)
H= Holy Humility (tied in with Passionate Worship – Five Practices)
I= Incarnating Christ to Others
J= Journey to the Jordan (All Saints)
K= Kingdom of God is Near (tied in with Intentional Faith Development from Five Practices… keeping your candle ready)
L= Living out of your Potential (tied in with Extravagant Generosity from Five Practices – parable of the talents)
M= Mission (what we are called to do. tied in with Risk Taking Mission and Service from Five Practices)

ABC’s of …

Posted on July 14, 20085 Comments

I spent a lot of time in the car last week – having to drive to the hospital in another city and then traveling yet again to meet with my clergy mentor. And as I did so, I kept thinking about how we can really ramp up energy for the fall and then sustain it. What would get people who haven’t been in a while to come back? What would be appealing for those in our community who have never checked out our church? How can we reach out and really start at the basics?

And then it hit me… back to school… back to the basics… what about focusing this fall, beginning with the return to our normal schedule/sunday school/3rd grade bible give out, on the ABC’s?

I struggle with the ABC’s of what… ABC’s of the church? ABC’s of faith? ABC’s of Christianity? So bear with me as I figure that one out… (or if you have suggestions – please comment!!!)

I’m also a fairly consistent lectionary preacher, so in thinking about this, I’ve been trying to figure out how each Sunday, from Aug 31 to Nov 23 (because then we start Lent), fits not only a letter, but also the weekly texts. Some have worked beautifully. Others, not so well. So I’m asking for some help.

1) Am I trying to hard to make this concept work?
2) Suggestions for the letters that have no direction yet (B, H, I, L)

Here is what I have so far:

A: Alpha/Omega or I AM

focusing on who God is, using the burning bush scriptures from Exodus, and combining this and the previous week’s gospels – Mt 16:13-28

B: Body of Christ, Blessed, ?

scriptures for the week include teaching on how to reach when someone offends you in the church, the institution of passover, and in Romans, the call to love and call to prepare for salvation by putting on Christ. Sidenote: after reading a sermon recently on Psalm 119 – I really was thinking about using “Bible” for my B… so that may be an entirely different direction

C: Care, Compassion, Community

scriptures include the law of forgiveness, the call not to judge one another, and the parting of the sea in exodus. Originally when I thought about this series, I really wanted to focus on care during this week – and to emphasize our role as a community to care for one another, and my desire to care for them. I’ve noticed that people don’t call me or tell me when something happens in their lives – like if they have to go in for surgery or suddenly end up in the hospital – which may be simply that they aren’t used to telling their pastor these things. I want to talk about how together we are supposed to care for each other.

D: Disciple (but I was really thinking about Doubt too)

scriptures: Paul’s exhortation to live lives worthy of the gospel, the parable of the landowner and the wages for workers, and if I went the doubt route – the manna and quails and the people grumbling in the wilderness

E: Emptying

I really wanted to use Kenosis for K… and then realized that the Christ Hymn fell on the E Sunday – which is perfect! (since its the same concept)

F: Faith (and maybe Fear also) ooo… maybe Fall?

This is also World Communion Sunday – so I was stuck a bit. The scriptures for the week don’t fit really well with the scope of world communion Sunday and I was stretching trying to make fruit work. Scriptures are supposed to include the parable of the wicked tenants, the 10 commandments, and the example of Paul – I press on toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ. I could use the wicked tenants and the 10 commandments to talk about the Fall, and our place before God – why we need the law. But another idea is to actually take the readings from August 10 and use them here: Jesus walking on the water (faith and fear) along with Paul talking about faith and the idea that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all. (which I think works much better for World Communion Sunday). Thoughts?

G: Grace

This would be a great time to talk about grace from the Wesleyan perspective. I think the three main readings can help illustrate prevenient grace (the sinners invited to the feast), justifying grace (moses interceding after the golden calf), and sanctifying grace (stand firm, help one another, rejoice from Philippians)

H: Holy, Holy Spirit, Humility

I’m stuck here. Readings include Jesus call to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, as well as the pharisees trying to trap Jesus in questions; Moses having the chance to encounter God’s presence, but not being able to look at God’s face; and Paul giving thanks for the Thessalonians who received the gospel with power and the Holy Spirit. Could go lots of different ways.

I: ? Instruction? Idolatry?

Again, stuck here. Readings include the greatest command – to love, the death and burial of Moses, and Paul assuring the Thessalonians that he comes to bring them not only God’s word, but also their true hearts (you are witnesses to how blameless our conduct was towards you)

J: Joy, Journey, Jordan River

All Saints Sunday – which fits in PERFECTLY. Joshua is leading the people across the river Jordan where they remember the promise of God and leave 12 stones for remembrance, Paul gives thanks for witnesses, and Matthew warns against trying to be better, but that we should all be servants – what a great day to celebrate the saints among us who have passed before us?

K: Kingdom of God/Heaven

parable of the 10 bridesmaids (the kingdom of heaven will be like this!), choose this day who you will serve (Joshua)

L: ? (Lord, Light, Love, Law, Life, Lord’s Prayer, Logos)

readings include the parable of the talents; Paul claiming that the Lord will come like a theif in the night – so we should be children of the light; and simply the introduction of Deborah as a judge – not even the full story. Part of me wants to switch this week with the greatest command to love scriptures (week I) – which would mean going a different direction with week I (could they just be flip-flopped?)

M: Messiah

Christ the King Sunday – Readings include the sheep and the goats, Christ as the head of the church, and Ezekiel’s description of the shepherd who seeks the lost.

That brings me to the first Sunday of Advent – which I want to focus on in its fullness.

Theologically Worrisome

Posted on June 22, 20081 Comment

I’m procrastinating on my sermom fine-tuning by posting here, but it is something that has been troubling me. If people in my congregation are having thoughts that I feel are theologically worrisome, do I let them continue in them, or just keep telling them my own over and over?

Specifically, this is about interpreting the string of natural disasters that have hit our world as warnings from God. There is a strong sense that we are getting ever closer to the end times and these tragic events are reminders to straighten up and fly right. And everything within my cries “no.” In the local UM pastors meeting, we talked about not judgment, not warning, but about God leading us throught the stormy waters, about the promise that the waters would not overcome, about Christ being the rock we cling to in these times…

it’s really a question of theodicy and God’s soverign power. Is God behind natural disasters, or not? Can God stop them? And if God can and doesn’t, what does it mean? I reside much more in the mysteriousness of God’s power and the reminder of God’s promises… whereas, my congregation holds fast to God’s power over all and unending desire to get us to obey… so we come out in different places. I’m gently urging them not to consider another person’s disaster as an intentional means of God speaking to the world… especially when so much life has been destroyed – to me, that seems so counter to the God I know and love and follow. But I still struggle.

grey area.. greys anatomy

Posted on March 5, 20083 Comments

I haven’t written in here for a while. Lots going on. Had a young adult clergy retreat this last weekend and really really enjoyed being with other young pastors and just hanging out. It was good to veg for a while.

The whole sermon thing is starting to feel like homework. Especially this week. I feel like I am back in theology class having to write my christology/soteriology/resurrection-ology. I honestly don’t remember ever having to preach an easter/resurrection sermon before… well – except at the two funerals that I have done already. And as I work this week with the raising of Lazarus and then think about Easter in two weeks, my mind is just stuck. What do I want to say about resurrection? Or more importantly, what I have I experienced in my life that is resurrection? I’m still a young person. And there have been a few bumps in the road… but I don’t know that I have had a real resurrection experience. Everything I try to draw upon feels too fluffy and sappy and cheesy to work. To really connect with the lives of people in my congregation.

This week, I really am thinking hard about how this moment in John’s gospel is really the beginning of Christ’s passion. Raising Lazarus is what signs his death warrant here. And he comes so close to Jerusalem in order to do so. From here on out, we know how the story goes. I really want to include some of that tension and pain and passion in with this week. Especially since next week we are doing a sort of lessons and hymns and recalling the whole palm/passion story.

I just feel stuck. Not quite sure what direction I want to take. And instead of really sitting with it, I’m letting myself get distracted (I’m getting excited for Grey’s Anatomy coming back… even though I still have a month and a half to wait! The old episodes, my dvds, are calling my name).

long time, no post…

Posted on January 23, 20081 Comment

lots has been happening in my life and my church/family life lately – but my main excuse for not blogging is that I haven’t been feeling well. Stupid colds.

So far, I have been able to establish a sort of strange routine and get my sermons at least written by Wednesday afternoons. Starting in February, I’m meeting with a group from the church on Monday afternoons for a bit of “roundtable pulpit” action – will explain later.

Last weeekend, my brothers, dad and sister-in-law went to the Packers/Giants game up in Green Bay – and probably froze their butts off.

Will post more later.