Sermon for 8.14.05

This Sunday's sermon is now posted, complete with typos, other errors and some things I may or may not have said.

You can read it here.

As always, your thoughts, comments, and questions are always welcomed!

By the way, if reading the sermon piques your interest in Disciple Bible Study, send me an e-mail and I will get you all the information (and a registration form if you want one.)

peace,

will

Drawing Some Attention

Welcome to all who have found their way to the weblog after reading about it in the United Methodist Witness. They did a nice article about it this month. You can read it online here.

I will have this week's sermon posted either later today or tomorrow. I am still working on making it look like what I actually said.

peace,

will

This Sunday

In case you don't get the Sunday Preview e-mail, here is what is going on this week:

Sermon Title: "Disciple is a Verb"

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

We talk a lot about our need to make disciples and we often limit that discussion to how it is we can best spread the word of God. But I think we might be missing a step. In order to make disciples, we need to first be disciples.

This Sunday I will be talking about three things disciples do. I will also suggest some very practical things that we can do to deepen our own discipleship.

This Sunday is also "Rally Day." It is time for all of our children and youth to move to their new classes and a perfect day for adults to think about Sunday school and other educational and spiritual growth opportunities. We will also begin registration for our Disciple Bible Study offerings for this year.

abundant grace and peace,

will

It's Like a Circus (cause it is a circus)

In celebration of Alisha's birthday we went to the circus last night at the American Bank Center Arena. I know there are some that are opposed to the circus due to the treatment of the animals. I understand where you are coming from, but let me say a couple of things.

First, I think Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey is making a good faith effort to provide the best possible living and working conditions for the animals in their shows. I believe the trainer have a genuine affection for the animals and do whatever they can to keep them safe and healthy.

Second, I think that Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey is doing some good work in the overall conservation effort for these animals globally. As sad as it sometimes makes me to see majestic elephants doing tricks for my pleasure, I have to also realize that without agencies like the Center for Elephant Conservation (started by Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey) we might someday reach a day when these animals don't exist.

Before we put all the blame on the circus, we need to think about how our individual and corporate choices affect these and other grand animals around the world. I always hold on to the hope that a child sitting in the audience will see those lions and elephants, fall in love and grow up to find a way to ensure their future.

What do you think?

More on the circus later.

peace,

will

Young Adults - Back on this week.

If you are 18-30ish (I am about to turn 34 and they still let me come... then again, it's my house) join us this Thursday. If you are not, I bet you know someone who is!

We will join together again this Thursday at 7:30 at the Grace Parsonage for fellowship and discussion. Food will be modified pot luck, which means bring something if you can. I will try to have some sort of meat. We have a ton of chips and salsa and I think we are doing pretty good on sodas, although I am sure we could use more. If you can, bring some snacks or desert to share.

Here is what we will be talking about:

I don't know if you caught it in the news a few weeks back, but the Supreme Court handed down a decision regarding eminent domain. For a while, it has been the case that the government had the right to force you to sell your home or property if they needed to do something for the greater good, like build a road or a bridge or a fire station. With the new ruling, the government technically has the right to force you to sell your home or property to promote economic development. What this means, in plainer language, is that you could find and buy a nice home, in an area you like, fix it up just right, begin to raise a family there and one day, the government could come along and tell you that you have to sell them your house and move because they want to sell it to a company that is going to put in a strip mall. And you would have no choice.

This may sound unimportant if you don't own a home or property, but it really gets at the root of how we look at private property and the idea of the greater good. I think we will have a great discussion.

Next week, by request, we will be talking about the prevalence of sex and violence in video games and what we should think or do about it.

E-mail me to let me know that you are coming or for directions or more information or just show up!

peace,

will

Disciple I

I wrote a couple of days ago about Disciple Bible Study and I want to let you know that I have decided to offer it on Tuesday nights from 7-9:30. I know that time won't work for everyone who wants to take it, but I had to settle on something.

There will be a 1 hour orientation session on August 30th and the class will officially begin on September 6. The class is limited to 15 people. So, if you are interested, e-mail me soon.

peace,

will

Back and Ready to Go

I am arrived safely back from Dallas. I am pretty revved up after the School of Congregational Development! This was a pretty impressive conferences with some amazing ideas and visions for the growth and emergence of the Church.

If the growth of the church and reaching out to the people of our community is something that is on your heart, I hope you will come talk to me about it. Some people totally avoid the issue because they aren't comfortable with "evangelism." It is not always about going door-to-door to ask people to come to church. A lot of it is just creating a place where people can feel comfortable and safe to explore that internal invitation that God is already giving them.

Blessings on your week!

will

A Little Light Reading

I tend to get a lot of reading done while at conferences. It is not that I read during the seminars or that I skip the seminars. It is just that, when away from home, there is less to be done. When I wake up in the morning, it takes me a total of 15 minutes to get ready and get to breakfast downstairs at the hotel. When I get back to the room at night, there is no lawn to be watered or cut or anything else.

I just finished reading Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. Some of you may have read this when it came out back in 1986, but I just got around to it. Hawking did a wonderful job of explaining how everything works in a way that even I could grasp (mostly). What was most interesting for me though, and the reason I bring it up here, is his references to God. It would be hard for me to guess, just from reading one of his books to tell what his theology is, but he does have one. God enters into the equation, somehow.

I was also fasinated how our understanding, or lack of understanding, about how things work or how things are, can potentially place us in a limited framework of understanding about everything. Think about it this way: would you perception of God differ if you thought the world were flat? What if (and this example is from the book) you thought the earth was carried around on the back of a turtle? Mine might.

I also look at it this way. How can I pretend to know the mind of God, if I still can't wrap my head around the way the very building blocks of creation work. Hmmm.

Perhaps I have been at the seminar too long.

peace,

will

Sitting in Dallas

In case you have been wondering where I am, I am in Dallas this week at a conference on church growth and development. I love these conferences because I always learn a lot and meet great people. But, there is always too much sitting. The routine is always the same every day at every conference: eat, sit, eat sit, eat, sit, sleep. It is not all that good for the body.

In case you are intersted in what the conference is about, you can go to the website.

I am sure you will be hearing a lot about what I have learned in sermons and conversations.

I hope you are having a blessed week!

peace,

will

No Young Adults this Week

Since I will be at a conference all week, the young adults group will not be meeting. We will be back on next week. Watch this space for all the details.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

I am running behind again this week. I took a whirlwind trip to Austin to see my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew before they went back to France and my Dad before he went back to New York. Now I have one day before I head to Dallas for a church growth conference.

But, I have found time to post this week's sermon. Here it is.

Hard copies of the sermons are also always available in the glassway of the church.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts and comments, so post away!

peace,

will

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