Random Photo

I was sorting through some old photos and found this one of our Lab, Bodhi. If I remember correctly this was taken in the White Mountain Wilderness in New Mexico.

peace,

will

_logging is good for you.

A colleague of mine just sent me an email that ended with this:

(I can't sign my name right now since I've lost the use of the letter that is the first one in my name!!!!)

It makes me wonder what exactly happend but also what goes into trying to do your work without a certain letter on your keypad. I am posting as an experiment to see if I can do it. I am refraining from using the same letter and it is working pretty well. She was obviously missing the second letter of the group of letter we use in English. (There is a much easier way write that with that letter.)

peace,

will

So What Are You Reading?

If you were in worship this week or read the sermon online, you know that the homework this week is reading scripture every day. So what are you reading?

I am rereading Matthew's Gospel. I read the first three chapters yesterday and read through chapter 5 this morning. I actually read out loud to Josh this morning. He enjoyed the beatitudes.

Post a response and let me know what you are reading.

peace,

will

This week's sermon

This Sunday's sermon, week 2 of our Friday Night Lights - Sunday Morning Insights series is posted here:

Sermon #49 - Learning the Playbook

peace,

will

Blogging on the Sabbath

I talk a lot about our need to find time for sabbath in our lives, to follow God's Biblical command to rest. However, over the last few weeks, I have not been following my own direction. The massive amount of work I have been producing for my ordination plus my workload at the church plus a two year old has meant that my regular day of sabbath, Friday, has lately been filled with work.

Even though I am taking a moment to post, today is finally a day of rest. I believe that sabbath is more than an act of obedience, it is a gift from God. I don't know about other lifestyles and professions, but I know that I cannot be a very good pastor without time to rest, pray and play, time to be rested and recreated. What many people often appreciate in a pastor is passion, energy, creativity and compassion. Members and visitors of a church often expect sermons that express the gospel in exciting and new ways. People are often energized by new and different class offerings. Christians look to pastors and spiritual leaders who are energized by prayer. Honestly, I don't believe that pastors can maintain and live out these expectations without disciplined, regular and carefully guarded sabbath time.

Perhaps the message is for me as much as anyone. But I hope the lesson I keep learning can be helpful to you. Everyone has expectations put upon them. All of us have ways and times that we need to be creative and energetic, passionate and compassionate. All of us, as Christians, are seeking to root our life in prayer. Are we allowing time for God to be at work at us?

shalom,

will

Almost there

I am at Mt. Wesley in Kerrville this morning. In a couple hours I will present my theological project and be done... for a while. The only other major written hurdle I have is any revisions I will need to make to my theological questions once my first draft comes back from the readers who have it now. So, I am not completely done, but I celebrate small victories.

peace,

will

A Sermon Backlog

I had a few free minutes this morning so I powered through and posted all my back sermons. If you were paying attention, you may have noticed that I hadn't posted in quite a few weeks but they are all now there typos and all.

http://gracesermons.blogspot.com/

peace,will

Still a little time to read...

All the work I have had to do lately has cut down on my reading time, but I can still find a little. My friend Barbara gave me this book as a gift a really long time ago and I lost it and then found it again (I had left it in my suitcase and had actually been carrying around for some time.)

I just finished The Plot Against America by Philip Roth. I am not usually a fan of semi-historical fiction but Roth is such a good writer, it worked for me. This is a fictional what-if book telling the story as if FDR had lost his third term and instead America elected Charles Lindbergh running on the single issue of staying out of World War II. It paints a picture of a very different America, especially for Jewish Americans.

What I do like about semi-historical fiction is that when you mix real history in with complete fiction, it forces you to remember the real history, all that stuff that may have slipped into the back of your brain with algebra. It is good to shake those things loose once in a while.

peace,

will

Sporatic Blogging

I apologize to my regular bl0g readers, my ordination requirements are eating my lunch. I have sent around 70 pages for first draft reading in the last week. The bulk of those were my doctrinal questions. They will be reviewed this month and sent back to me for final revisions before they are submitted to the Board of Ordained Ministry. I will eventually sit in front of an interview committee and be asked lots of questions about them.

The rest of the pages are my theological project on Wesleyan Sanctification and Discipleship Systems. My theological tutor in San Antonio is reading that now and will return it for revisions this week. I have to present the next Tuesday in Kerrville. My brain hurts.

peace,

will