04/24/2023
Yesterday, after Pastor Daisy’s excellent sermon, I had a few moments with the 10:30 folks and I mentioned two other ways God’s mission becomes our mission.
First, we are a congregation are working on refining our mission statement. My current favorite is this:
We’re called to be the Heart of Jesus,
in the Heart of Carmel:
helping our neighbors
make a difference in the lives of their neighbors
for Christ’s sake.
Secondly, I always think it’s helpful to have a personal mission statement, especially when it comes to guiding how we relate to others with the heart of Jesus. Here is one of my favorites in that category as well:
When it comes to those closest to you:
If you find a need, fill it.
If you find a hurt, heal it.
If you encounter a problem, help solve it.
If you cause a division, bridge it.
And pray that you can be to them
what you would like them to be for you.
I’ve been reminded by the baptisms we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing over the last few weeks, that God has a unique purpose and plan for each of us. Discerning that plan and hewing to it is a big part of what it means to live a faithful life. May the Spirit fill you with everything you need to grab a hold of that plan and make it your own.
Archived Posts
The Clothes You Wear
Sunday I talked about Joshua the High Priest having his filthy clothing replaced by a cleaned and beautiful garments. I also used the illustration of a boy becomes a dragon—who ‘wears’ dragon scales—and is stripped of those scales in order to be restored to a boy. In fact, I could have done the whole sermon around all the clothing imagery in scripture.
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...
So many quips and quotes...
So little time to preach
I wonder what Mary and Martha’s phones might look like:
* Martha = the open browser with 27 tabs
* Mary = the single window that matters
* Psalm 46 = God saying, “Close the tabs.”
Quotable Outtakes That Didn’t Make the Sermon This Week
“When you try to control everything, you don’t just exhaust yourself—you quietly replace trust in God with trust in you.” & more
There is a challenge when it comes to preaching the Word of God.
Preachers are called to open up and interpret the word—inspired and written down thousands of years ago—and make it relevant to a very different world. On top of that there’s a degree of persuasion that goes along with the process.
What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…
When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog. I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it.