I just finished the first story in churchmember Bob Cook's new book of short stories A Different Kind of Killer. It is a story of men, for men, about hunting, fishing, lifelong friendships, and more. The first story is serious, dark, funny, crafty... My list could go on. Bob writes better than I do.
Check this out if you are interested.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Interview with Montreat staff
Bob Tuttle and I talked about youth ministry a few days ago. Here is the link
to the podcast.
to the podcast.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Newest Church Member
Ed and Tammmy's little girl was born on Thanksgiving Day (evening) and we are happy to welcome her to our church family. Here she is pictured with me and her big sisters. Below she is with Nancy.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Community Thanksgiving Service
Here I am with Carolyn Nelson, Jason Adams, and Milledge Baker, my colleagues of the Methodist and Episcopal variety.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
New name for this blog?
I think it is time to rename this blog. With the advent of Contemporary Worship at 8:30 we can't claim to be a traditional church anymore.
What would you suggest as a name for this blog? The comments (below) are enabled and I welcome suggestions. I've thought about something around the church's name like Northminster Musings or Walk's Words, but there is probably something better. Ideas?
What would you suggest as a name for this blog? The comments (below) are enabled and I welcome suggestions. I've thought about something around the church's name like Northminster Musings or Walk's Words, but there is probably something better. Ideas?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Another week with the Book of Job
You may click on the image to get a closer look. It may be necessary for your computer to have java installed to view it bigger.
I observe that I still use 'God' a whole lot. Maybe too much? What do you think?
Oh, I also noticed that the word 'pause' appears -- that is a note to self in the final version to slow down, pause as I preach.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
word cloud of today's sermon
Please click on the object, and if you have java, the computer should open a bigger picture from the wordle.net site.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Church History in 4 minutes
UPDATE: the person who produced the video below commented on it. Thank you Janet. When she gives me a link I'll give her better attribution.
Although this look at 20 centuries of church history shorts the last 500 years, as do many history classes, it is a good one. Enjoy.
Although this look at 20 centuries of church history shorts the last 500 years, as do many history classes, it is a good one. Enjoy.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Today's sermon
Sermon Aug 30
Ephesians 3:14-21
Psalm 1
Rooted and Grounded in Love
When I was a child I was very afraid of the movie The Wizard of Oz. The witch and flying monkeys just un-did me. But so did the talking trees. Remember that part: after a Dorothy picks an apple, the tree says, "ouch that's my apple." It grabs her and Scarecrow. Then in the Lord of the Rings movies and books the trees of the forest walk around on roots-as-legs. That scared me too and I was 40 when I saw that movie. It was the 2nd Lord of the Rings movie with those creepy trees. Trees don't walk around and choose their own soil. Creepy.
But can we choose some of the dirt we live in? Can we choose what soil we are rooted and grounded in? I think we can choose a lot of our surroundings, not everything. But we can, and we can choose what kind of soil we are going to be for others: warm, nurturing, supportive.
The Psalm we read this morning is about people, but the psalm compares them to trees and plants. In Ephesians, the writer, Paul prayed that the church would be rooted and grounded in love. Can you repeat that? Can this side say it, "Rooted and grounded in love"
Amen.
I've seen trees rooted in the rocky soil, they cling to the mountainside, and get their nutrients any way they can. It rains so much here that some trees have very shallow roots in the sandy soil and when a hurricane comes the trees bend over and pull out of the soil.
During Hurricane Hugo, 20 years ago next month, Nancy and I were in a house in Sumter South Carolina. In the path. Four big pines hit the house that night and with each one the house shook. The trunks snapped at 2o feet up and the house moved. When Hurricane Ivan hit our house 5 years ago the pine trees in this wet, sandy Florida soil slowly pushed over and landed on our house with a gentle crush. What hit yours? Thumps or crush?
The shallow roots did not do the plant any good, they still fell over.
In the psalm there is a difference between the righteous people who take delight in the law. They are like trees planted by the stream. They've got plenty of cool water to drink, even when the stream bed is dry some water still flows underground. Righteous, law-loving people are deep-rooted, thick-trunked, strong trees.
But shallow roots and dry soil mean the people blow away like chaff. They don't know what is right or wrong, they don't know what they believe in, they scoff at religious souls, they follow sinful paths. So shallow are their roots that in tough times they dry up and blow away. They can't stand before judgment.
In Scotland the golf courses are beautiful. It is so misty and humid there the grass practically grows in the air; the roots are shallow. So when a bad golfer takes a divot it is a small mark, the wet ground and shallow roots just peal back. I did not chunk the ball -- that's a story for golfers. The soil makes a difference in the grass and in the game. But it means, when the moist wind stops blowing off the North Sea; if it is an atypical couple of weeks in Scotland -- all that thin rooted grass (pause) dies, dries up, and blows away, like chaff.
For two Sundays Rew has been singing a song about being a Christian with deep roots and leaves in the sunshine, and fruit that is a sign of life and a nest for birds: I'm becoming what the Lord of trees has meant me to be, A strong young tree." By the river or in the winter or in a concrete covered city, I want to be that strong tree, a deep and strong Christian, rooted and grounded in love. Rooted and Grounded in Love.
In the Gospel of Luke Jesus said:
5‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. 7Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
Some of the seed fell in good soil, it was rooted and grounded in love. But some of it was pecked away by the birds. Some of it withered on the rocks. Some had weeds and thorns around it. Of course Jesus was talking about the gospel -- sometimes the devil pecks it away, sometimes the gospel is crowded out by cares and desires and all sorts of weeds. But sometimes you and I are ready for the gospel message; we're fertile soil for God's word. At its best, we in the church are fertile soil for the gospel, and we help nurture brothers and sisters to grow to be better Christians.
I've been thinking a lot about soil since I started my compost barrel. Now I'm thinking about the soil my life is in. How receptive am I to God's word. How receptive is the soil around me? and you? What kind of soil are you living in?
If your soil is the love of God, then you and I are strengthened by the Holy Spirit, we have the power to comprehend the love of Christ and can be filled with the fullness of God. That's from Ephesians.
What kind of soil is Northminster? Are we still rooted and grounded in God's Love? Are we doing a good job of teaching this to our children and to our new members?
We'll be going back to the basics in the fall dinner series.
I was not a very good baseball player when I was in elementary and junior high school. I wonder if I could have hit had I had glasses then; I am farsighted. I'm excited for the Pelicans and for the St. Louis Cardinals who are 9 games ahead with a month to play. Great ball players, whatever the sport, and great lawyers and doctors and preachers, salesmen, and every profession need to stretch and run and work. Much of their practice is mundane.
Paul is talking about stretching exercises for Christians. Look at the Ephesians text with me: I bow my knees before the father. I pray that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power from the spirit that Christ may dwell in you so you may have power to comprehend the fullness of God. I know I'm shrinking the flowery language. If you bow and are strengthened and have power, then you are rooted and grounded in love.
And if you are rooted and grounded then you'll know how big and loving God is. You'll have the power to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth to know the love of Christ, which passes all knowledge, and you'll be filled with the fullness of God. You'll be like those trees planted in good soil, by the cool streams. Trees that stand in the hot winds. Trees that know the law and love of God.
Final point: Paul says that he prays that the church will have the power to comprehend the love of Christ: he makes it explicit. He prays that the church can comprehend the height and depth and breadth and length of the love of Christ, and the fullness of God. John Calvin says that Paul is using a mathematical formula from his day. You can almost imagine a ship with those dimensions. Or any volume of area up, down, side to side. The whole thing, Paul is saying.
If Christians can comprehend the Love of Christ and the fullness of God, then nothing else is very important. Calvin even says that all other knowledge is frivolous. I'm not sure I would go that far: but some of the things we spend our time and energy on sure are -- frivolous. In his letter to the Corinthians Paul says the greatest of all things is love.
So we've talked about trees today, well, really about people. Only the creepy trees in movies -- well, they are scary to me -- can choose what soil their roots are in. We human beings can choose where we sink our roots -- in the fertile, moist soil of God's word and the church. We choose what we read and watch, what we think about and meditate on.
As Northminster church we need to think about what kind of soil we are for our members, and especially for guests. We have a choice what we are rooted and grounded in. I want to be rooted and grounded in love. Can I hear that? Rooted and Grounded in Love.
Ephesians 3:14-21
Psalm 1
Rooted and Grounded in Love
When I was a child I was very afraid of the movie The Wizard of Oz. The witch and flying monkeys just un-did me. But so did the talking trees. Remember that part: after a Dorothy picks an apple, the tree says, "ouch that's my apple." It grabs her and Scarecrow. Then in the Lord of the Rings movies and books the trees of the forest walk around on roots-as-legs. That scared me too and I was 40 when I saw that movie. It was the 2nd Lord of the Rings movie with those creepy trees. Trees don't walk around and choose their own soil. Creepy.
But can we choose some of the dirt we live in? Can we choose what soil we are rooted and grounded in? I think we can choose a lot of our surroundings, not everything. But we can, and we can choose what kind of soil we are going to be for others: warm, nurturing, supportive.
The Psalm we read this morning is about people, but the psalm compares them to trees and plants. In Ephesians, the writer, Paul prayed that the church would be rooted and grounded in love. Can you repeat that? Can this side say it, "Rooted and grounded in love"
Amen.
I've seen trees rooted in the rocky soil, they cling to the mountainside, and get their nutrients any way they can. It rains so much here that some trees have very shallow roots in the sandy soil and when a hurricane comes the trees bend over and pull out of the soil.
During Hurricane Hugo, 20 years ago next month, Nancy and I were in a house in Sumter South Carolina. In the path. Four big pines hit the house that night and with each one the house shook. The trunks snapped at 2o feet up and the house moved. When Hurricane Ivan hit our house 5 years ago the pine trees in this wet, sandy Florida soil slowly pushed over and landed on our house with a gentle crush. What hit yours? Thumps or crush?
The shallow roots did not do the plant any good, they still fell over.
In the psalm there is a difference between the righteous people who take delight in the law. They are like trees planted by the stream. They've got plenty of cool water to drink, even when the stream bed is dry some water still flows underground. Righteous, law-loving people are deep-rooted, thick-trunked, strong trees.
But shallow roots and dry soil mean the people blow away like chaff. They don't know what is right or wrong, they don't know what they believe in, they scoff at religious souls, they follow sinful paths. So shallow are their roots that in tough times they dry up and blow away. They can't stand before judgment.
In Scotland the golf courses are beautiful. It is so misty and humid there the grass practically grows in the air; the roots are shallow. So when a bad golfer takes a divot it is a small mark, the wet ground and shallow roots just peal back. I did not chunk the ball -- that's a story for golfers. The soil makes a difference in the grass and in the game. But it means, when the moist wind stops blowing off the North Sea; if it is an atypical couple of weeks in Scotland -- all that thin rooted grass (pause) dies, dries up, and blows away, like chaff.
For two Sundays Rew has been singing a song about being a Christian with deep roots and leaves in the sunshine, and fruit that is a sign of life and a nest for birds: I'm becoming what the Lord of trees has meant me to be, A strong young tree." By the river or in the winter or in a concrete covered city, I want to be that strong tree, a deep and strong Christian, rooted and grounded in love. Rooted and Grounded in Love.
In the Gospel of Luke Jesus said:
5‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. 7Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
Some of the seed fell in good soil, it was rooted and grounded in love. But some of it was pecked away by the birds. Some of it withered on the rocks. Some had weeds and thorns around it. Of course Jesus was talking about the gospel -- sometimes the devil pecks it away, sometimes the gospel is crowded out by cares and desires and all sorts of weeds. But sometimes you and I are ready for the gospel message; we're fertile soil for God's word. At its best, we in the church are fertile soil for the gospel, and we help nurture brothers and sisters to grow to be better Christians.
I've been thinking a lot about soil since I started my compost barrel. Now I'm thinking about the soil my life is in. How receptive am I to God's word. How receptive is the soil around me? and you? What kind of soil are you living in?
If your soil is the love of God, then you and I are strengthened by the Holy Spirit, we have the power to comprehend the love of Christ and can be filled with the fullness of God. That's from Ephesians.
What kind of soil is Northminster? Are we still rooted and grounded in God's Love? Are we doing a good job of teaching this to our children and to our new members?
We'll be going back to the basics in the fall dinner series.
I was not a very good baseball player when I was in elementary and junior high school. I wonder if I could have hit had I had glasses then; I am farsighted. I'm excited for the Pelicans and for the St. Louis Cardinals who are 9 games ahead with a month to play. Great ball players, whatever the sport, and great lawyers and doctors and preachers, salesmen, and every profession need to stretch and run and work. Much of their practice is mundane.
Paul is talking about stretching exercises for Christians. Look at the Ephesians text with me: I bow my knees before the father. I pray that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power from the spirit that Christ may dwell in you so you may have power to comprehend the fullness of God. I know I'm shrinking the flowery language. If you bow and are strengthened and have power, then you are rooted and grounded in love.
And if you are rooted and grounded then you'll know how big and loving God is. You'll have the power to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth to know the love of Christ, which passes all knowledge, and you'll be filled with the fullness of God. You'll be like those trees planted in good soil, by the cool streams. Trees that stand in the hot winds. Trees that know the law and love of God.
Final point: Paul says that he prays that the church will have the power to comprehend the love of Christ: he makes it explicit. He prays that the church can comprehend the height and depth and breadth and length of the love of Christ, and the fullness of God. John Calvin says that Paul is using a mathematical formula from his day. You can almost imagine a ship with those dimensions. Or any volume of area up, down, side to side. The whole thing, Paul is saying.
If Christians can comprehend the Love of Christ and the fullness of God, then nothing else is very important. Calvin even says that all other knowledge is frivolous. I'm not sure I would go that far: but some of the things we spend our time and energy on sure are -- frivolous. In his letter to the Corinthians Paul says the greatest of all things is love.
So we've talked about trees today, well, really about people. Only the creepy trees in movies -- well, they are scary to me -- can choose what soil their roots are in. We human beings can choose where we sink our roots -- in the fertile, moist soil of God's word and the church. We choose what we read and watch, what we think about and meditate on.
As Northminster church we need to think about what kind of soil we are for our members, and especially for guests. We have a choice what we are rooted and grounded in. I want to be rooted and grounded in love. Can I hear that? Rooted and Grounded in Love.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
word cloud for tomorrow's sermon
I like it, but I may take out a few uses of the word soil and add some about God and Jesus.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sunday's Pastoral Prayer
[I wrote this for yesterday's early service. With the Bible presentation and Women's officers installation, we did not have a pastoral prayer at 11. It is in honor of students and teachers; I kinda like it.]
Dear Lord, thank you for teaching us in so many ways. You taught in Bible times through prophets and priests and leaders. Miriam taught by her songs and dance, Joshua taught through stones piled up along the riverbank to remind each new generation of your mighty acts, o God.
Jesus taught with his words and his deeds, he taught your radical life-giving love through his death and resurrection. We're also grateful for all the parables: talk of vineyards and sheep. All the writers of books of the Bible taught us, especially Paul. Thank you.
All our teachers are important, and we are teachers whether we mean to be or not. Our children and grandchildren look to us for examples. The elders of this church bear such a burden, because they are examples, teachers, for good and not.
As school starts this week in Florida, bless our students and their teachers. Some are eager-eyed children with energy and freshness; some are graduate students exhausted by busy lives, our college students face many new challenges in and out of the classroom. All our students and teachers need patience and self-control, motivation, and love.
Lord, in this county we struggle with the place for prayers in schools. Give wisdom to our school boards, administrators, lawyers, judges. We pray for common-sense and fairness.
Education is one way out of poverty, Lord. We know how you are concerned about the poor, educate us so we are as concerned as you are. It is exciting to read about baby colleges in poor neighborhoods to teach new parents the skills to raise inquisitive children who will seek knowledge and love reading and education. We pray for Presbyterian missionaries teaching around the world. Your world, we pray for it together with Jesus' prayer: Our Father...
Info about Harlem Baby College fighting poverty. http://www.hcz.org/
Dear Lord, thank you for teaching us in so many ways. You taught in Bible times through prophets and priests and leaders. Miriam taught by her songs and dance, Joshua taught through stones piled up along the riverbank to remind each new generation of your mighty acts, o God.
Jesus taught with his words and his deeds, he taught your radical life-giving love through his death and resurrection. We're also grateful for all the parables: talk of vineyards and sheep. All the writers of books of the Bible taught us, especially Paul. Thank you.
All our teachers are important, and we are teachers whether we mean to be or not. Our children and grandchildren look to us for examples. The elders of this church bear such a burden, because they are examples, teachers, for good and not.
As school starts this week in Florida, bless our students and their teachers. Some are eager-eyed children with energy and freshness; some are graduate students exhausted by busy lives, our college students face many new challenges in and out of the classroom. All our students and teachers need patience and self-control, motivation, and love.
Lord, in this county we struggle with the place for prayers in schools. Give wisdom to our school boards, administrators, lawyers, judges. We pray for common-sense and fairness.
Education is one way out of poverty, Lord. We know how you are concerned about the poor, educate us so we are as concerned as you are. It is exciting to read about baby colleges in poor neighborhoods to teach new parents the skills to raise inquisitive children who will seek knowledge and love reading and education. We pray for Presbyterian missionaries teaching around the world. Your world, we pray for it together with Jesus' prayer: Our Father...
Info about Harlem Baby College fighting poverty. http://www.hcz.org/
Thursday, August 20, 2009
link to a neat site
I haven't blogged here in months. I will try to post a few pics, etc soon. Here is an interesting site I just stumbled upon. Enjoy.
http://monasticsonajourney.blogspot.com/
http://monasticsonajourney.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Word Art of Sunday's sermon
Here is word art of Sunday's sermon. If you're interested in reading it please comment to send an email and I'll post it. I think I need a thesaurus.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
construction on church driveway at Nine Mile
It is not a good picture, taken with my phone, but the driveway for the church, at Nine Mile Road, is blocked. Thursday, visitors to church were able to come through the Farm Bureau driveway and parking lot.
Nonetheless, we will worship at 8:30 and 11 with a patriotic theme at both worship services. See the next blog post for a link to the Declaration of Independence.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Declaration of Independence
Every July I reread the Declaration of Independence, I'm a little early this year. I commend it to you.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Fun in Faith Sunday
Here are a few pictures from Sunday's Fun in Faith (VBS) program at Northminster. It was a great weekend of education, food, fellowship, and fun. Many thanks to all our volunteers and staff who made it a success. If you want to see more pics, please send Walk an email or comment on one of these blog entries.
Thank you, Connie M. for taking most of these pics!
Thank you, Connie M. for taking most of these pics!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Fun in Faith Saturday
The following are a few pictures of our intergenerational VBS. Make a comment if you want to see more so I'll know there is interest. -- Walk
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Fun in Faith
Northminster Presbyterian Church in Pensacola, Florida presents its vbs, our Fun in Faith weekend. It begins tomorrow, Thursday, June 11, at 6:30pm. It continues Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 6:30 and Sunday morning at 9:40.
Here's a link to the flyer.
Monday, June 8, 2009
wordle and text of June 7 sermon on Saul and Stephen
The sermon was longer(and better, I think) at 8:30. I cut several paragraphs out and church was still long, with a baptism and the Lord's Supper. Here is a word cloud of the 11 o'clock sermon and the text is below. (Click the wordle box to enlarge it.)
Sermon June 7, 2009
The heroes are the men who fought at Midway 67 years ago and Normandy 65 years ago, but the bible story is about speakers and leaders. 25 years ago President Regan showed the power speechmaking when he spoke at Point du Hoc in France; this week President Obama did it again. Words, delivered well, have the power to change people's minds.
It is strange to read a story about people being so upset by... a preacher... that they ... killed him.
This mob, no doubt some of the same people who were impotent to execute Jesus and had to trick the Romans into doing their bidding, were so upset by Stephen preaching about the Risen Jesus, and about Jesus blood on their hands. Deacon Stephen's preaching so angered them that they covered their ears so they could not hear him and they ran him out of town, pushed him off a cliff, threw stones at him until he was dead.
And watching all of this approvingly, and holding the coats of the mob was a young man named... Saul. I should note for everyone that Saul is usually known by the name, Paul. Like he did with Abram and Jacob, when God changes a man, he often changes his name. If you want to find out what God is going to do to Saul, come Thursday night for Fun in Faith.
Luke is setting up a wonderful juxtaposition of young men in the Bible story. Stephen is preaching to Gospel of Jesus clearly, and Saul is i inciting violence, arresting Jesus' people, whipping up the mob, threatening the young church.
Saul and the crowd are willing to kill for what they believe.
Stephen is willing to die for what he believes in. Would you die for Jesus?
Would you be willing to die for preaching the Gospel or living like a Christian? Does it mean that much to you?
"Stanley Hauerwas has written about the mass suicide at
"Jonestown" when hundreds of followers of Jim Jones and his
"People's Temple" took their lives and the lives of their children
(p. 106). He notes that in contemporary media accounts of
the event two dominant theories were put forth to explain
Jonestown: (1) The followers of Jim Jones were under the hypnotic
spell of a maniac. They were insane victims of an insane
leader who led them to suicide. (2) The followers of Jim Jones
were mostly poor, ignorant, oppressed people whose suffering
made them easy prey for the alluring promises of a crazed
messiah like Jones. (pause) In other words both theories assumed that
in the modern world only insane people would die for what
they believed." (Willimon, William. Acts, Interpretation series p. 66)
Presbyterian missionary Lois Anderson, who served for four decades in Kenya and Sudan, and her daughter, Zelda White, were shot in a village a few miles from Nairobi on Jan. 27, 2007. In a separate incident on Jan. 27, Geoffrey Chege, the regional director of aid agency, CARE International, was shot dead near one of Nairobi's most upscale suburbs, He was returning from a prayer meeting with his wife, who was not hurt. Kenyan-born Chege would have turned 57 in March.
In headlines fresh as today's paper, Christians are persecuted and killed around the world for bringing the gospel of Jesus to those who do not know him.
Some of us went to Haiti in the early 1980s, when it was 'safe.' Trip Porch from First Presbyterian and a group of Presbyterians from Tallahassee are in Haiti now, bringing medical and evangelistic ministries to God's own people in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Have you ever risked anything to tell someone about Jesus or to take a cool up of water to someone who is thirsty? Have you risked embarrassment?
William Willimon in his commentary on Acts says "Upon entering the cafeteria at Princeton Theological Seminary, one sees three bronze plaques inscribed with the names of Princeton graduates who, like Stephen, paid for their vision in blood:
Walter Macon Lawrie-Thrown overboard by pirates in the China Sea, 1847.
John Rogers Peal-Killed with his wife by a mob at Lien Chou, China, 1905.
James Joseph Reed-Fatally beaten at Selma, Alabama, March 11, 1965.
These names remind us of some later-day witnesses who went
before us, some of whom paid dearly for their witness to the truth. (p.66)
Before Stephen paid with his life, he saw eternity and Jesus and was willing to preach the love of Jesus, even willing to die preaching the truth and forgiving his killers.
Saul was so incensed by what Stephen was preaching that his teeth were set on edge; Stephen's sermon was like fingernails down a chalkboard. Stephen had to die.
I love to talk religion and debate and discuss theology. There have been a few times I was so exasperated that I wanted to punch someone in the nose because of what they were saying -- but to resort to violence means you've lost the argument. If the only way I can respond to some nonsense is to kill the other, then my ideas aren't very strong. Violence is a failure of intellect. Saul and the crowd who killed Stephen killed the preacher, and lost.
Even in American society today people kill in the name of religion.
Is that the way we approach the Story of Stephen and Saul?
Saul is a murderous, angry young man in this story: offended by the followers of Jesus, rounding up men and women, throwing them in jail. This mob was angry. They had lost the argument of ideas; they were emotionally overwhelmed. I don't want to say more about Saul and the mob. They were wrong and proved they were wrong by resorting to violence.
While the mob was spinning out of control ... Stephen was quietly and ... lovingly talking about Jesus.
Only a man sure of his immortality, and sure that Jesus is risen and is standing at God's side could preach the gospel with such cool, calm, clarity. The more upset the mob became, the more calm Stephen was. Acts 7 is a wonderful Biblical sermon. Stephen takes several themes of the Hebrew Bible and weaves them through his sermon. Read it this afternoon. Acts 7.
Stephen preached Jesus from the Hebrew Bible. Then when the crowd was killing him, he looked into heaven and saw the Father and Son waiting for him. Like Jesus, he forgave his killers and asked the Lord to accept his spirit.
Jesus died for you and me. This table reminds us of the only death that matters. Whether we live or die, we live in the Lord. May this meal strengthen and encourage us.
Sermon June 7, 2009
The heroes are the men who fought at Midway 67 years ago and Normandy 65 years ago, but the bible story is about speakers and leaders. 25 years ago President Regan showed the power speechmaking when he spoke at Point du Hoc in France; this week President Obama did it again. Words, delivered well, have the power to change people's minds.
It is strange to read a story about people being so upset by... a preacher... that they ... killed him.
This mob, no doubt some of the same people who were impotent to execute Jesus and had to trick the Romans into doing their bidding, were so upset by Stephen preaching about the Risen Jesus, and about Jesus blood on their hands. Deacon Stephen's preaching so angered them that they covered their ears so they could not hear him and they ran him out of town, pushed him off a cliff, threw stones at him until he was dead.
And watching all of this approvingly, and holding the coats of the mob was a young man named... Saul. I should note for everyone that Saul is usually known by the name, Paul. Like he did with Abram and Jacob, when God changes a man, he often changes his name. If you want to find out what God is going to do to Saul, come Thursday night for Fun in Faith.
Luke is setting up a wonderful juxtaposition of young men in the Bible story. Stephen is preaching to Gospel of Jesus clearly, and Saul is i inciting violence, arresting Jesus' people, whipping up the mob, threatening the young church.
Saul and the crowd are willing to kill for what they believe.
Stephen is willing to die for what he believes in. Would you die for Jesus?
Would you be willing to die for preaching the Gospel or living like a Christian? Does it mean that much to you?
"Stanley Hauerwas has written about the mass suicide at
"Jonestown" when hundreds of followers of Jim Jones and his
"People's Temple" took their lives and the lives of their children
(p. 106). He notes that in contemporary media accounts of
the event two dominant theories were put forth to explain
Jonestown: (1) The followers of Jim Jones were under the hypnotic
spell of a maniac. They were insane victims of an insane
leader who led them to suicide. (2) The followers of Jim Jones
were mostly poor, ignorant, oppressed people whose suffering
made them easy prey for the alluring promises of a crazed
messiah like Jones. (pause) In other words both theories assumed that
in the modern world only insane people would die for what
they believed." (Willimon, William. Acts, Interpretation series p. 66)
Presbyterian missionary Lois Anderson, who served for four decades in Kenya and Sudan, and her daughter, Zelda White, were shot in a village a few miles from Nairobi on Jan. 27, 2007. In a separate incident on Jan. 27, Geoffrey Chege, the regional director of aid agency, CARE International, was shot dead near one of Nairobi's most upscale suburbs, He was returning from a prayer meeting with his wife, who was not hurt. Kenyan-born Chege would have turned 57 in March.
In headlines fresh as today's paper, Christians are persecuted and killed around the world for bringing the gospel of Jesus to those who do not know him.
Some of us went to Haiti in the early 1980s, when it was 'safe.' Trip Porch from First Presbyterian and a group of Presbyterians from Tallahassee are in Haiti now, bringing medical and evangelistic ministries to God's own people in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Have you ever risked anything to tell someone about Jesus or to take a cool up of water to someone who is thirsty? Have you risked embarrassment?
William Willimon in his commentary on Acts says "Upon entering the cafeteria at Princeton Theological Seminary, one sees three bronze plaques inscribed with the names of Princeton graduates who, like Stephen, paid for their vision in blood:
Walter Macon Lawrie-Thrown overboard by pirates in the China Sea, 1847.
John Rogers Peal-Killed with his wife by a mob at Lien Chou, China, 1905.
James Joseph Reed-Fatally beaten at Selma, Alabama, March 11, 1965.
These names remind us of some later-day witnesses who went
before us, some of whom paid dearly for their witness to the truth. (p.66)
Before Stephen paid with his life, he saw eternity and Jesus and was willing to preach the love of Jesus, even willing to die preaching the truth and forgiving his killers.
Saul was so incensed by what Stephen was preaching that his teeth were set on edge; Stephen's sermon was like fingernails down a chalkboard. Stephen had to die.
I love to talk religion and debate and discuss theology. There have been a few times I was so exasperated that I wanted to punch someone in the nose because of what they were saying -- but to resort to violence means you've lost the argument. If the only way I can respond to some nonsense is to kill the other, then my ideas aren't very strong. Violence is a failure of intellect. Saul and the crowd who killed Stephen killed the preacher, and lost.
Even in American society today people kill in the name of religion.
Is that the way we approach the Story of Stephen and Saul?
Saul is a murderous, angry young man in this story: offended by the followers of Jesus, rounding up men and women, throwing them in jail. This mob was angry. They had lost the argument of ideas; they were emotionally overwhelmed. I don't want to say more about Saul and the mob. They were wrong and proved they were wrong by resorting to violence.
While the mob was spinning out of control ... Stephen was quietly and ... lovingly talking about Jesus.
Only a man sure of his immortality, and sure that Jesus is risen and is standing at God's side could preach the gospel with such cool, calm, clarity. The more upset the mob became, the more calm Stephen was. Acts 7 is a wonderful Biblical sermon. Stephen takes several themes of the Hebrew Bible and weaves them through his sermon. Read it this afternoon. Acts 7.
Stephen preached Jesus from the Hebrew Bible. Then when the crowd was killing him, he looked into heaven and saw the Father and Son waiting for him. Like Jesus, he forgave his killers and asked the Lord to accept his spirit.
Jesus died for you and me. This table reminds us of the only death that matters. Whether we live or die, we live in the Lord. May this meal strengthen and encourage us.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Word Clouds
This is the word cloud of last Sunday's sermon on Pentecost. (I think you can click on either to see it larger.)
This is the first draft of next Sunday's sermon -- looks like I'm heavy on Stephen and light on Saul. (Acts 7: 54- 8;3)
This is the first draft of next Sunday's sermon -- looks like I'm heavy on Stephen and light on Saul. (Acts 7: 54- 8;3)
Jon's thoughts on Centering Prayer
I don't know how he is so prolific, but Jon Burnham has written a good piece on Centering Prayer.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Fresh Expressions of church and Pentetecost sermon notes
Graham Cray's excellent presentation on Fresh Expressions is online at the Church of Scotland webite. It's well worth a look. It will be referenced in my Pentecost sermon, May 31.
In Sunday's sermon I expect to quote from the following sources:
Emily Bazelon's article Sotomayor sides with the Cops in Slate magazine.
The Harvest Seasons of Ancient Israel.
I don't know that I agree with the author, or that he isn't grinding an axe, but here is a link to a short article on the emerging church.
In Sunday's sermon I expect to quote from the following sources:
Emily Bazelon's article Sotomayor sides with the Cops in Slate magazine.
The Harvest Seasons of Ancient Israel.
I don't know that I agree with the author, or that he isn't grinding an axe, but here is a link to a short article on the emerging church.
New Books
I just ordered this one and can't wait to read it. Get it, read it, let's discuss it.
xxxxx
I've read this one and have really been thinking about it. This book seems to explain the state of the church today. I recommend it!
xxxxx
I've read this one and have really been thinking about it. This book seems to explain the state of the church today. I recommend it!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Guests from South Africa
Earlier this month six ministers and elders from South Africa came to Pensacola to talk with leaders in the presbytey. Below Walk is pictured with Vuyo 'Victor' Mbaru of the Khayakhulu Village Church in northern South Africa, in the first picture Rev Dr Spiwo Xapile (l) is pictured with another South African and Elder Pat Patterson of Trinity, Pensacola. (Check out the J.L. Zwane church on the web.)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
a word cloud of my Mother's Day sermon
as with other word clouds (wordles) you can click it to go to their site and see a bigger picture. I wish I knew enough HTML to make this bigger; I don' think it is hard.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Living Waters for the World
Two years ago Anne Louise, Jack McNulty, and I went to Mexico to work on a Living Waters for the world project. Here is a great video about it.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Habitat for Humanity
Work started May 2 at the Presbyterian Habitat house on Mallory off MLKjr Dr in Pensacola. Many thanks to elders Susan, Lamar, and Bill.
At bottom, Walk and Bill are standing together amid the frames.
Relay for Life
Friday's Relay for Life walk at Tate High School was a great success. Many thanks to Kitty Yax and MANY members and friends who made the event a great success.
If you have not given to the American Cancer Society through our event you may click here and give.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Word cloud of the Easter sermon
These word clouds of the 100 most-used words in my sermon are fascinating. Someday I'm going to upload a draft of the sermon and use this as a tool to make me use more and different words. You can click on it to see a bigger version -- but look how often I said "Jesus," but seldom "Christ," "God," or "Holy Spirit."
I suppose I can post the text too, if anyone is interested.
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