09/11/2023
Great Quote that Just Missed
‘The Cut’ to be Included In the Sermon
Jen Wilkins, in her excellent exposition of the ‘Ten Words’ writes:
“If I am walking into my home and see a ladybug on my doorstep, I smile and take care to relocate it to the nearest plant. But if I see a cockroach, I have a different response. Why? Because I feel affection for one and contempt for the other. Any decent entomologist would tell me that these two creatures are essentially equals, but I have devoted myself to elevating one to “delightful” and the other to “despicable”. A faulty entomology has its consequences, but how much more so a faulty anthropology? Contempt directed at an image bearer breeds all manner of violence.”
As the father of an entomologist, I love the line that says: “A faulty entomology…(vs.) a faulty anthropology. I would add a faulty theology—a misunderstanding of who God is and what God desires for his earthly children. The difference between a cockroach and a ladybug is a difference in point of view and nothing more. The difference from a Maga Republican and a Progressive Democrat is a difference of two competing visions of what is best for our nation and the world. Nothing more. No insidious conspiracies, no passion to take away anyone’s rights, just two citizens of the same nation who want that nation to live up to its highest ideals.
Anger that leads to outrage and outrage that is harnessed by “anger merchants” and turned into contempt—that is a deadly influence to the heart of a Christian. It poses a clear and present danger to neighbors living with neighbors as well as our shared love of constitutional democracy. As we have been seeing among United Methodists, it also has the power to break down the body of Christ into little homogeneous islands of like-thinking denominations/congregations.
Archived Posts
The Perfect Church
There is an old joke about the perfect church. We talked just a little about the perfect pastor, but turnabout is fair play. It goes like this:
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.