Working on a Saturday

I am spending my Saturday working on my sermon for Sunday. I usually like to be done long before Saturday, but some weeks it just doesn't work like that. Some weeks, like last week, get really busy and there is no time to work on a sermon. Other weeks, like this one, there is plenty of time, but it takes a while for the inspiration to come.

Part of me envies people who can just sit down and write. If I feel inspired it can just come pouring out. If I don't, I really can't force it. Sometimes it is easier when I work at home. When I hit a dry spell, I can go move the sprinkler or fix something in the garage. Then, hopefully, I can start hearing the Spirit again.

I hope to see you tomorrow. Peace,

will

Disciple, Planting The Seed

I am a huge fan of the Disciple Bible Study program. I know many people at Grace have already taken one or more of the courses. For those who haven't, Disciple is a series of long-term, in-depth Bible studies. The first course, Disciple I, is 34 week overview of the Bible. It is more than just Bible study, it is truly a transformational experience. Most people who go through the course not only learn more about the Bible than they ever knew, they learn about themselves and grow in their relationship to God and others.

The reason that I bring this all up now is that I plan to lead an evening session of Disciple I this fall and I want you to start thinking about it now. I limit my classes to 15 people and I am hoping to have a full class. I am still thinking about what night it will be. Right now I am leaning toward Tuesday.

If you have already taken Disciple I we are planning to offer some additional classes this fall as well. So far, I think there may be interest in sessions of Disciple III and IV.

Let me know if you would like to know more about Disciple.

See you Sunday!

peace,

will

Young Adults Tonight

We will have another gathering of young adults (18-30ish) at the parsonage tonight. The new, official time is 7:30, however, if you are coming from work and it is easier to get there a little earlier, you are welcome to get there early.

It is potluck this week. So, bring something if you can. I will have some chips and there are still a bunch of sodas in the fridge. If you can, let me know what you are bringing.

This week we will continue our new series of current events based studies. This week, we will be talking about the environment, discussing its current state and thinking about what the Bible says about our role in protecting it. This should be a great discussion, feel free to invite someone who might be interested.

peace,

will

This Sunday

Many of you recieve a weekly Sunday Preview e-mail. I realized today, that there are some who either don't get it, or it gets lost in the giant vacuum of the inbox and they don't get a chance to read it. So, I will try to remember to post it here as well.

Sunday Preview - Sunday, July 31, 2005

Sermon Title: "Multiplying Hope"

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21

When I watch and read the news, I feel helpless, nearly paralyzed. There is so much hurt, pain and despair in the world, in an effort to reach out as Christ's hands and feet it is hard to figure out where to start. This week, in a story about a hungry crowd, a little food, and a God who sees beyond limitations, we will listen together for a message of abundant hope.

blessings on the rest of your week,

will

Following Up on Sunday

On Sunday, the message was about prayer. Part of what we talked about is how some people just don't know where to start. So, I figured it might be helpful to talk about places to start.

One of the best places to start (and continue) your prayer journey is the Upper Room. The Upper Room is, of course, where Jesus and his disciples shared the last supper. The Upper Room is a ministry of the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. They provide a giant number of resources to help lead and guide us on our spiritual journeys. They provide everything from daily devotions, to books, they even oversee the Walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis programs.

If you are looking for a place to get started, I highly recommend their Daily Devotional Guide. I know many people who have using this as a guide for years. They come in a book form (both small and large print) and are available at the church. (They are kept on a little table just outside the sanctuary.) The same text is now also available online. You can even subscribe to have it sent to you via e-mail.

If you are looking for a way to get started on or enrich your prayer life, I recommend you check out the daily devotionals and all the other things the Upper Room has to offer.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

Alright, Bodhi is home resting from his stressful day (see post below) and I am back in the office and have my sermon ready to go.

You can read Sermon #3 - "On a Wing and a..." right here.

Feel free to post any questions or comments about the sermon or prayer in general.

Have a blessed week!

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon - Not Yet

I like to get Sunday's sermon posted first thing Monday, but...

Bodhi had to go to the vet. And how can you say no to that face? He is doing fine, he just needed his shots and a check up.

Bodhi is about 9 years old, and if you listen long enough, you will hear him come up in sermons. He has been a lot of places with me, physically and spiritually.

I will post the sermon soon. May God's peace be with you.

will

Young Adults Tonight

My wife Alisha and I will be hosting another gathering of young adults (18-30ish) at the parsonage tonight. The new, official time is 7:30, however, if you are coming from work and it is easier to get there a little earlier, you are welcome to get there early. We will be eating something, though I am still thinking about what. Feel free to bring canned soda to restock the fridge.

Tonight we will be starting a new series of current events based studies. Each week will be a new topic. This way, whenever you come, whether you are new to the group or have been away for a while, you won't have to catch up.

This week we will be talking about how we, as Christian engage the media. What are the tools that can be helpful to people of faith as we engage the media today. It should be a great discussion. I hope you can come.

peace,

will

While John is Away

Pastor John is off on vacation for a couple of weeks and has left me minding the ship. I have been working with John for over three years now and I am used to the pattern. It usually happens, when he leaves town, that things get very, very busy. So far, since he left last week, it has been pretty quiet, but I never want to speak too soon!

So far this summer, John and I have enjoyed some time to get settled in. We will get a lot busier in the fall. We have a lot planned including neighborhood meetings, Disciple Bible study and a number of other long and short term educational and fellowship opportunities. We have already met many people, but we are both looking forward to opportunities to get to know you all better is some smaller groups. We hope that when a chance comes along you will join us.

I hope you are having a great week! Enjoy the rain that is coming.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

This week's sermon is now available. You can find it online here.

Thanks to Cathy Roznovsky, you can also find hard copies of all of John's and my sermons every week in the glassway.

If you have any questions or comments, e-mail me or post a response to this post.

Emily

We welcomed a new girl into the family a few months back. My niece, my youngest sister's daugther is named Emily. Now Emily, the niece, hasn't been to Corpus yet. I think I would be much happier to see her the Hurricane Emily. Looks like she may visit Mexico instead.

peace,

will

Young Adults

We had a great group of young adults last night at the parsonage. Thanks to everyone who came and especially to Pete who took over the cooking duties!

We will meet again next Thursday, 7:30 at the parsonage. We will be talking how we, as Christians engage the media.

Have a great weekend.

peace,

will

Sabbath Revisited

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about sabbath and the importance of resting in God. Whenever I talk about sabbath, it always raises questions. As grace would have it, Interpeter Magazine, a publication of United Methodist Communications has an excellent article this month called "Reclaiming Sabbath." You can read it online here.

Let me know what you think.

Grace and Peace,

will

I'm Back - What a Weekend

I had a wonderful weekend at the boy's Chrysalis. Thank you to everyone who worked, helped and prayed this weekend and in the week's leading up to it.

If you are a youth and want to know more about Chrysalis, go here. If you are and adult and would like to know about the Walk to Emmaus, go here. And of course, I am always glad to answer questions or talk more about it. Also, if you have been on a Chrysalis flight or journey or a Walk to Emmaus and have questions or are seeking guidance in continuing your spiritual journey, please feel free to contact me.

Blessings on your week!

will

I haven't skipped town

My lack of entries shouldn't imply that I have skipped town. I am at the boys Chrysalis Flight this weekend. I can actually post from my cell phone, but I haven't quite gotten comfortable with that. I will still be at the flight on Sunday, so John will be your solo host on Sunday.

I will be back next Sunday talking about gardening.

peace,

will

Young Adults

I am firing up the grill and inviting the young adults to the parsonage tomorrow (Thursday) evening at 6:30. If you are 18-30ish (we won't check your I.D.) drop me an e-mail so we are sure to have enough food and chairs and come on by. I will e-mail you back directions if you need them.

We are just going to have some food and fellowship and talk about what sort of things we might plan for the future.

If you are not in the age group, pass the word along to someone who is. Or, if you are interested in helping with young adults ministries at Grace, let me know. We will take all the help we can get.

Grace and Peace,

will

Inch by Inch, Row by Row

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below
'Til the rain comes tumbling down

Name the tune, who sang it, or the show it was sung on and win. (Once again, I have no prize.) Name the album it was eventually on and you get double points.

This song popped into my head as I was working on a sermon on the parable of the sower for the 17th while also thinking about my lawn (which is starting to turn green) and the flower beds behind the parsonage that need some serious tlc.

Happy singing and gardening,

will

Sunday Worship

I was happy to see lots of people in worship Sunday even though it was a holiday weekend. I think the energy in worship is really wonderful at Grace. So many people who come on Sunday seem genuinely glad to be there. Trust me, that is not something to take for granted!

I love to hear feedback on the entire worship experience. If you ever have comments on the services or even questions, feel free to post them, or e-mail me.

A note about posting. Anyone can post a comment. You don't have to be a member of the blogger community. I always maintain editorial control. I rarely delete any posts. However, if I find anything inappropriate for any reason, I will just remove it. If I ever delete your post, please don't take it personally, or assume I don't think you comment is important. Feel free to e-mail me and I will explain why. With that said, comment away!

I hope you got a little extra time this weekend to rest and enjoy God's creation.

Grace and peace,

will

Sacred Space

One of the things I will try to do on the weblog is point out things online that I find useful, or at least interesting. The site I want to point out today is Sacred Space. You can find it at http://www.sacredspace.ie/

The site is run by the Irish Jesuits and is really quite and impressive ministry especially given the number of languages they translate it into. The method of prayer is loosely based the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

If you are looking for some direction in your prayer life or are just interested in some different modes of prayer, I highly suggest you check this out. If you just aren't comfortable praying in front of your computer, they also offer a book on the website.

Grace and Peace,

will