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Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost October 4, 2009 UMH=United Methodist Hymnal TFWS=The Faith We Sing *Please stand as you're able, or stand in your hearts Choral Call to Worship Where Children Belong TFWS #2232 Prelude Tell Me the Stories of Jesus UMH #277 Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 25) Leader: We are God’s people, called to know and demonstrate the love, mercy and justice of our God. People: To you, O God, we lift up our souls. Leader: When the days are bright and laughter fills our hearts we learn to rejoice in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. People: Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. Leader: When the days are all too dark and we are surrounded by turmoil, injustice and affliction we learn to keep our eyes ever toward the Lord. People: Relive the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress. Leader: Now, wait on the Lord. People: Now, we w...

Fantasy Football has always intrigued me just a little. Simply explained—you put together your own team of professional, real players and compete with others’ teams each week. Your success, or lack of, is defined by players’ performance in their real games. I tried building a team about 8 years ago. Yea, we didn’t do so well. I didn’t have the time and know-all about players’ ability, etc. So, while I like the idea of a fantasy football team, I’m not good at building one, but… There have been many times I’ve thought, “I wish (someone from this church) knew (someone from another church).” That got me thinking about a fantasy team—putting together a group of people from different churches to help lead a worship service. Who would be my all-pro liturgist? The story teller who brings a special dynamic to a gospel reading or the calm one who might mess up, but does so ever so elegantly you almost don’t notice? What about an ushering group? Surely there might be some who might be b...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

If you ever catch your preacher reading their sermon it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. In twelve years I’ve heard a few sermons. Quite a few have been given by someone reading word for word a prepared manuscript. Just as many have been given by someone who had no use for notes, an outline or anything pre-prepared. In all these sermons, however, I don’t know I’ve ever questioned someone’s sincerity based on their preferred method of sermon delivery—to manuscript or not to manuscript. There wouldn’t be anything else worth writing about if everyone shared that same idea. To associate the passion, sincerity or faithfulness of someone giving a sermon (there not all given by pastors) with their choice or preference of how they deliver a sermon is a mistake. But it seems to me a common presumption of many. Following a church service a member was helping clean up the chancel area. The fact I remember a group of people helping with the clean up tells me it must have been a h...

In the sermon yesterday I spoke briefly on the idea many have that the book of Esther is a novella . Novella made me think of soap opera and in my preparation I remembered an old song from….hold on…. Carman . No, his music isn’t my first choice for anything, but was one of my first exposures to Christian music. The song was The Soap Song. It's funny: Also, as far as I can recall, yesterday was the first time I have sung Lift Every Voice and Sing during a Sunday morning worship service. I love that song; we used to sing it for school plays. So, just for kicks, I’ve gathered a few videos of the song for you today. I listened to these and a few more. Hope the song blesses you, too. Oh, and don’t forget there’s a sermon after the last video :) Stay blessed…john

Here are some pictures on my computer you might enjoy. Take a moment to laugh; it'll do you well. I don't know where I got them from. So, if you know let me know. When Are You Due? Rejection! The Proper Way to Weigh Yourself How Spock Got His Ears The Colonel Life is Sweet

From Galveston to Irving. No, we're not talking about me. Did you hear about the guy who escaped from the Galveston prison hospital? He made the news in Dallas when he--I believe--robbed a woman in Oak Cliff. Then he was caught in an Irving park. By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News teiserer@dallasnews.com Authorities captured a 21-year-old state prison escapee in Irving this morning. Joshua Barnes escaped Saturday from a prison hospital in Galveston, authorities said. He also is suspected of robbing a woman Monday morning at her West Oak Cliff home before fleeing in a white Chrysler PT Cruiser. Police had initially received a call of a suspicious person in an Irving park this morning. Barnes then fled into a home and later surrendered.

I received in the mail last week the latest edition of The Witness ( SWTX Conference Newspaper). It was like getting a letter from home. There was an article entitled Why Do Men Avoid Going to Church Today? The article raised many of the same issues you find in most relating articles. I thought I would share with you the reasons for lack of male worshipers (men in church?). These were a part of an article from Dean McIntyre, director of music resources for the UM Board of Discipleship. Here is the list: * Men must watch their language, mind their manners and be extra polite. * Sunday school teachers are mostly women * Other than serving on a committee or ushering, there aren’t many “manly” things about church. * Church expects men to be religious rather than real * Churches today proclaim a faith consisting of “having an unconditional love relationship” with Jesus, an idea that appeals to women more than men * Feminization of the church can be traced back to ...

September 27, 2009 UMH: United Methodist Hymnal TFWS: The Faith We Sing Choral Call to Worship Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesu s UMH #349 Prelude His Eye Is on the Sparrow TFWS #2146 *Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 124) Leader: Think of the times in life this week you knew God was with you. People: If God had not been with us surely we would have stumbled all the more. Leader: Praise be to the Lord who has not let us fall. People: Our help is in the name of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. *Hymn of Praise Lift Every Voice and Sing UMH #519 Opening Prayer Saving Creator, your hand covers our lives in many ways. So it is: when we face turmoil you offer us peace. When difficulty overwhelms our judgment you bring discernment. Your grace exceeds our stress, and your mercy teaches us love and justice. For this time of worship help us to allow your presence to overcome whatever burdens, fears, schedules or thoughts we have today so that we are reminded of the joy found in...

+hacking chrisianity

People have often asked me if the stories I use in my sermons are real stories. Yes, they are. Some have wondered how much I embellish the account I tell. Well, that’s between me and my God. No, I’m kidding; the stories I tell best/easiest are the ones that are true to me. If something seems a little memorable---that’s why I’m telling you the story! Yesterday’s sermon had one such story. I suppose I could see where someone might think the story with Slim Jim and I is a little too after-school-special. But that’s why I remember it; that’s why it has remained a vivid image of the Church for me.

Some would suggest if you’re not uncomfortable preaching you’re not challenging your church. The equivalent statement, I suppose, for those who don’t preach would be if you’re not uncomfortable listening you’re not being challenged. Agree or disagree? There are times, as a pastor, when you feel it necessary to say what needs to be said. In the Methodist church the Administrative Council is an appropriate place to address issues in the local church. I’ll confess my generalization; it’s based on my experiences. I’ll only speak from my experiences. For example, in my reports to AdBoard I do not restate everything we’ve done as a church. I’ll write it in a report for those who may not have been aware of activities, and for historical purposes. Please read the report. Instead, I would rather use that time to offer my pastoral perspective on what is happening (i.e. how our activities are relating to what our mission is, the involvement of church members and our looking to complete/ge...

Happy Birthday Brittani. I used to be able to hold her in my palm. Today she's 11, and that wouldn't be so easy today. Love 'ya B-girl.

All I have to do is type the title of the article: How will chocolate look in the future You know you want to check it out. It's an article from The Monitor (McAllen). It reminded me of a fundraiser we had at Edinburg FUMC once, "Chocolate Lovers' Delight." That was a great time! Stay blessed...john

As promised , here is my first weekly Order of Worship. This order is what our church will use the following Sunday. We follow the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) . Over the last six weeks or so we've had special inclusions in our services (baptism, etc); I've waited until I knew we didn't have anything outside of our usual service elements to post these. However, I can't promise you won't find some of those in the near future. You should be able to make sense of these when you see them. So, away we go: Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 20, 2009 UMH: United Methodist Hymnal TFWS: The Faith We Sing Choral Call to Worship Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus UMH #349 Welcome and Announcements Prelude Humble Thyself TFWS #2131 Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 1) Leader: Many would say, "Sleep in on Sunday morning; this is your day to rest." People: We do not follow that advice. Our delight is in the law of the Lord; on God’s law we will ...

I’m thinking about changing the name of the blog. Here are some possibilities--in somewhat descending order: easy like Sunday morning new places again john 1:6 unorganized religion here we go again another john I need your help. What would you suggest?

Yesterday our church wrapped up our short, two-week time of testimony (Give God the Praise). In the end only two people shared, me and our Lay Leader. Three others who originally signed up were unable to share. I’m sure, though, we got the point across. We don’t have to be brought from up from the pains of drugs, alcohol or devil worshiping to claim to have a testimony; though those might be worthy of the name. Our “answer” (1Peter 3:15) can be our testimony. Being raised in a faithful home is something to thank God for. We can thank God for not having been addicted to drugs, spent time in prison or….. So, I’m thankful we had that time and I’ve prayed we’ve learned the importance of living in thanksgiving to God. That was the intent. The sermon from yesterday is the second testimony. Even if you don’t know the speaker I think you can appreciate the story and words. I included the special music that ended our time. It is “Another Hallelujah” by Lincoln Brewster. Great song. ...

What do you think of this song? Here are the lyrics: No one laughs at God in a hospital No one laughs at God in a war No one’s laughing at God When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor No one laughs at God when the doctor calls After some routine tests No one’s laughing at God when it’s gotten real late And their kid’s not back from that party yet No one laughs at God when their airplane Starts to uncontrollably shake No one’s laughing at God When they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they’re mistaken No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door And they say “We’ve got some bad new, sir,” No one’s laughing at God When there’s a famine, fire or flood But God can be funny At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or When the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head You think that they’re about to choke God can be funny When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way And when present...

It is both liberating and difficult to consider how the Bible’s regard for humanity and religion differs from our modern interpretations. In contrast, it is easy, often convenient to forcefully assimilate scripture into our agendas and opinions. Itching ears and eager mouths can cloud God’s promises and prevent us from seeing life and faith how God intended. There is great reward, socially and personally, in attempting to peel back the limitations we place on the message of the Bible. Prejudice and discrimination have no part in God’s plan for salvation outlined in the Bible. Yet, both have been used, and continue a shared employment, by Christians against other faith traditions and even other Christian understandings. In almost every course I have taken at Perkins the professor has begun the course by reviewing the syllabus, including a statement and discussion affirming the value of varying opinions, but emphasizing the need to respect others’ opinions. Why is that a constant ...

webdrivenchurch linked to this picture. funny.

Starting next week I plan to add a new, not novel, element to this blog. Every Wednesday (shall we prayer) I will post a sample order of worship. It will include hymns, call to worship and prayers. I prepare a Worship Plan for our choir members and I to follow and use to prepare for each Sunday service. Of course, textweek offers these already—very good ones, too. There's probably no chance of me getting so ahead of my work I will be able to prepare these weeks in advance to have by Monday or before their respective week. I hope you will find it helpful or beneficial; if not, that’s okay. To Wednesday, and beyond! Stay blessed…john

Since I began full time ministry I have made every effort to be completely honest about my faith. So, when I didn’t know, I said, “I don’t know.” When I didn’t have the know-how I stepped aside and watched another take control. If I told you, “I understand your struggle” I meant it. You see this faith stuff can be difficult. Don’t have the impression your minister has all the answers. Every sermon I’ve written was first preached to me. Only when I figured out I haven’t gotten it figured out did I begin to get the most out of church. Then others in church weren’t just old people, or friends they were God’s people who shared the same life I did. I began to learn from, pray for and imitate many of them—something I still do. Eventually, I became a spiritual leader among them! All the while, and continually so today, I intentionally nurtured my faith in God. I share this as an encouragement for you to do likewise. I might be “preaching to the choir.” That’s okay; the choir need...

As I’m sure is a common tradition for many church preschools, Nathan’s school has chapel time throughout the week. One of the traditions is a birthday blessing. All children who had a birthday during the previous month are asked to come to the altar railing, kneel and receive a birthday blessing. The minister kneels with each child and asks their name and how old they are. She announces the name and age to the entire group and prays for them. We had already prayed for Nathan and another student in his class. The classmate turned four today (Nathan was five on Saturday). After our newly crowned four-year-old classmate was a young boy who just celebrated his 3rd birthday. So, the leader announces his name, and says, “He is three.” Nathan’s classmate also made an announcement: Hey, I used to be three, too! It’s the kind of feeling I get when I look back at previous churches, events or other ministry settings. Obviously, well okay hopefully, I am a different person now than what I...

Here is the 2009 SMU Football Anthem: For My City the best line..."It ain't easy to get tickets no more!" The SMU Mustangs have sold out the first game of the season against Stephen F. Austin. Sorry Melanie; I hope we win! SMU Sells Out 2009 Season Opener Stay blessed...john

It has been about four weeks I’ve noticed our family has recycled more items than we have thrown away. Irving makes available blue recycling bags for household items; there is a weekly pickup. This has helped us get into the recycling mode. Yes, I’ve even caught myself taking products (paper, can, etc) out of the trash to put into the recycling bag. Gloria helps and we’ve got the kids thinking along the same lines. She uses the reusable bags for shopping (of course she sports an Oak Haven UMC bag!). It has all helped us in this effort. It was something I wanted to at least give a try. They won’t be making any news reports about us; we’re just not that over the top with it like others. We can say though we’re doing our part. I also recycle at the office; I did in Bandera and Edinburg, too. Some of you wouldn’t believe all the mail that comes into an office! I fill a box to recycle every two weeks, at least. Still, like my man Kermit said: It’s Not Easy Being Green. Stay blessed…john

Here is a short story we used in a recent class. We used it as a discussion starter about how our perspectives influence our use/interpretation of the Bible. I found a link to it here .What do you think? An English lady, while visiting Switzerland, was looking for a room so she asked the schoolmaster if he could recommend any. He took her to see several rooms and, when everything was settled, the lady returned home to make the final preparations to move. When she arrived home, the thought suddenly occurred to her that she had not seen a W.C. around the place. She immediately wrote a note to the schoolmaster asking him if there was a W.C. The schoolmaster was a very poor student of English, so he asked the Parish Priest if he could help him in the matter. Together they tried to discover the meaning of W.C. and came to the conclusion that it means Wayside Chapel. The schoolmaster then wrote the following note to the English lady: Dear Madam, I take great pleasure in informing you that ...

I’ve learned a lot my first year at Perkins. Mostly, what I have taken away has little to do with factually information and more to do with theological skill. Anybody can pick up a commentary and find out facts—something I’ve done a lot of so far. There’s nothing harmful with that. Little by little I find myself learning more how to think through issues theologically. Yes! That is one of the goals of seminary. The question I’m wondering about myself after this first year is what has changed in me, my understanding of ministry and/or preaching? I’ve thought for a while and I don’t think I’ve come up with anything extraordinarily different. There are two things that stand out to me, however: 1) With regard to preaching, I am more serious about the text. I don’t think I was negligent, necessarily. I’ve always tried to match the text with the sermon. That is, I want the text to make sense to someone listening. I still do, but more now I am trying to match the sermon to the tex...