The Pulpiteer

This week’s sermon is in between two series.  We finished our discipleship series and next week we are launching into Lent with a series called “reNEW.”  This time in the Protestant Christian Calendar is traditionally the Sunday when we remember the Transfiguration of Jesus.  This year’s lectionary reading comes from Mark 9:2-9. The secondary reading that we heard was 2 Corinthians 4:3-6,

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

I’ll link the NT Wright book I mention in the sermon below. If you’re looking for something fairly profound to read I’d recommend this book. Anyway, I have come to love the story of the Transfiguration for reasons you’ll hear in the sermon. At the end of the day, I think Bev had it right all along – there’s something special going on with Jesus.

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I don’t put much up here in regards to the music I listen to, but I thought I’d share a band that you may not have heard of.  Lost and Found is a group I heard in 2000 and went to one of their shows.  I’d love to go see them again sometime (I’ll have to talk to the youth people about a trip or something).  They’re more of a grassroots band, under the radar kind of thing.  But if you’ve heard of them or gone to a show you’ll know that they have a very loyal following.  They’re a great live group.  Anyway, I was thinking the other day about seeing them in concert and I remembered a song that I thought was really touching and moving, but I couldn’t remember the name of it.  I found it and just ordered a CD with the song on it.  It’s called, “Used To Be.”  Here it is: Continue Reading »

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I thought I’d post the poem that I shared with everyone on Sunday. I’ll link the book at the bottom. It’s a pretty neat book, a collection of thoughts about and writings on prayer that are what you would probably expect from a book titled, “Ragamuffin Prayers.”

What have your prayer journeys been like?

“A Terrible Prayer” by Mike Yaconelli
I have always been terrible at praying.
I forget.
My mind wanders.
I fall asleep.
I don’t pray enough.
I don’t understand what prayer is
or what prayer does. Continue Reading »

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Discipleship

This is the fourth in the series on discipleship. We continue with 1 Corinthians 9 and this week we finish out the last three verses of the chapter with Paul’s analogy between our lives of faith and running a race. I spent some time on the spiritual discipline of prayer and it is my hope that as we get closer to the season of Lent we can, as a community, be a people of prayer so that God can shape us. Thanks to those of you who spread the word about the sermons, I appreciate your support. If you could continue to do that, especially to those in our church community, then this podcast will serve its purpose best. Also, if any of you listen via itunes or another podcast catcher I’d appreciate any reviews you could leave there.
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Discipleship

This is the third sermon in the series on discipleship and it comes from 1 Corinthians 9:16-23. In this sermon I really examine the verse, “I have become all things to all people so that by all means I may save some.” I give a little bit of background on where we are culturally in the US as a post-Christian nation. I hope we can understand that our task today as the church is a missionary task. We have to do work in a culture that is not only different, but increasingly hostile to the Church.  The research I mention is from a presentation by David Kinnamon in regards to his book unChristian – linked here.  In this context, Paul’s challenge that he was all things to all people in order to save some, should be a word that forces us to consider what is essential and what is cultural. By the way, the VH-1 show I referenced is Sober House.

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