In this series, we are considering what it means to love God, our neighbors and ourselves. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount will guide the series.

You can use the mini sermon player or click on the sermon title to hear each file.

Sermon 1: Blessed to Bless


Sermon 2: A Super Kind of Faith


Sermon 3: A Get-and-Give Life


Sermon 4: Neighborly Ways


Sermon 5: Last But Not Least, You

It's been a while since my last ministry Super Bowl party. The two I can recall were pretty fun with the multiple televisions, food, video games etc. It's funny, though, how a game can have so much attention. Don't get me wrong; I love football. My Sunday afternoons are spent watching games, and I'm a sucker for a good highlight. Oh, and I think the Steelers are going to win. I can't stand to see any other NFC team playing other than mine, and there's a Galveston connection to this year's game--again.

However, I've watched Super Bowls and I've missed Super Bowls.   The saddest one was when my team made it.  I couldn't watch it because our cable wasn't connected and we only received two channels through the air--even the radio transmission was horrible.  And Are I Yet Alive.  I have survived.  So, please don't think I have anything against the Super Bowl.  Some stories just need to be told.

It was a day not unlike most.  Winter was in full swing, and images of the Super Bowl danced in everyone's head.  Preparations were being made for many events.  Of course, there were the Super Bowl parties with family and friends: What kind of drinks do we want?  How many McNuggets can we possibly eat?  When do we start planning for next year? 

But there were other events to plan as well.  One pastor happened to be doing just that, planning an upcoming Sunday-evening study for the church.  Sure, this pastor had Superbowl thoughts like everyone else, but there is indeed a time and a place for everything: A time to be holy and a time to beat the holiness out of someone.  "Oh," the pastor thought, "this study addresses a concern many people have right now.  This will provide a wonderful opportunity for my congregants to consider their own lives in light of the hope scripture offers to them.  I can't wait to share this with my congregation." 

By all accounts the study did seem very beneficial, something many people expressed a genuine interest in.  The length of the study also seemed to be an appropriate amount of time for most people to thoroughly delve into the matter at hand.  "Our study," the pastor began to explain, "will begin on March Nrd."  Well, March Nrd, as you know, sounds a lot like February Nrd.  It must because almost immediately the response from the congregation was, "That's Super Bowl Sunday!  Is that really a good idea?  People (not them, of course) will be doing other things that night."  "What?" the pastor thought, "I didn't see that on my calendar.  Which synod designated that title?"

The pastor assured the congregation the study was planned for March Nrd, a month after February's Super Bowl.  "Whew," one congregant replied, "So tell me a little more about this study."

And the church lived happily ever after every Superbowl.

Any Super Bowl predictions? I'm taking the Steelers 24-17. Stay blessed...john

One thing I wish I could learn to do is sing.  I don't have to be the next Grammy-award winning vocalist.  To be able to lead a song in church that is somewhat bearable for others would be more than enough.  Is that too much to ask for?

Since I can't sing , and consequently won't sing, I always appreciate when people are able to do amazing things with their voices.  Case in point.

Likewise, this next guy is pretty good.  You can view his YoutTube channel here:Turdbol.  He has other videos, but these were some of the one I thought were good.  He sings all the parts himself for a wonderful compilation. 




















Stay blessed...john

Technically, this is the second newsletter of the year.  However, last month's edition never made it to the copy machine.  With everything else I was doing then to put a few hours into the newsletter would have been the tipping point for me.  No worries.  We are back on track.

I threw the idea out (in the newsletter) about transitioning to a purely digital copy of the newsletter.  The idea is not that we would be unwilling to print out some copies, but that our main forms of distribution would be through email, website, Facebook and Twitter.  There are obvious advantages: price; time; ease, to name a quick few.

So, what do you think?  Is forgoing the printed newsletter a good idea for a church?  What are some other advantages, disadvantages or other deal makers/breakers?  I would appreciate your input. 

You can view the newsletter below, or by clicking this link: Under the Oak: February 2011
Stay blessed...john

Sure, I have a Tim Hawkins bias.  I think he's hilarious.  However, you won't regret watching the entire six minutes and thirty seconds of this video.


Stay blessed...john
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Have you ever heard of broken English? Have you ever heard someone recount an experience with someone else who made use of broken English? What kinds of feelings or attitudes were involved?

My experiences have included mostly negative connotations about broken English.

Have you ever heard someone you know share their Mexican adventures? Maybe it was a short trip across the border, a honeymoon in their Spanish paradise or just a visit to their favorite Mexican restaurant. I’ve heard them, too. Why don’t those stories include broken Spanish? It may sound funny, but putting an "O" after every English word doesn't constitute good Spanish.

So, who says what is broken? Stay blessed...john

Do not be so quick to throw away that calendar. You can use it again in a few short years—you Justin Beiber fans will be sorry. In fact, find out exactly when your old calendar will be perfectly fitted to lead you through the year by clicking here:When Can I Reuse This Calendar?

People recall events; they remember being a part of the event either by being there, listening or hearing the news. They can tell you how exciting it was to witness the Memorial Day Miracle, the joy in seeing the fall of the Berlin Wall or the terror of 9-11. Of course, there are many more events people recall that may or may not be as significant. Who can forget Uncle Charlie at the Family Reunion (Note: I don’t have an Uncle Charlie)?

As I understand it, a sermon is an event. It is something that happens within a faith community. We can say, then, there are sermon-events that are joyous, convicting, inspiring and everything else in between. The sermon as an event belongs to the community, usually a church, to which it was first given. That is not to say that it cannot belong to a larger community, say the church, but there is something about being a part of the event that makes it meaningful.

Who is this guy anyway?

However, even the best sermons I have heard—when I was a part of the event—sound a little different if I hear them again. Of course, that doesn’t take away from their meaning or inspiration, but it makes me wonder. When, if ever, is it appropriate to re-use a sermon? Didn’t John Wesley say he threw all his sermons away after seven years? That implies re-usage, doesn’t it? I’ve preached more than one worship service on a Sunday morning before, but other than that I’ve never preached a sermon twice. I’m not sure I would want to, but I’m not sure that means there isn’t any value in doing so either.

Which sermons would you repeat, or want to have repeated? Is it a practice, or just something that is done every once in a while?  What would be the reason for using a sermon again? Preachers, don’t tell me you ran out of time! I’ve heard sermons repeated and I can say there are certainly some that would be worth repeating. What about you? Do you notice if your preacher(s) offers an old event? How might that be beneficial, or not? Preachers, under what circumstances would you, if you would, re-ruse a sermon?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve a sermon to write. Stay blessed…john

Most of you know how scatter-brained I am. But don't try to pull one over me. At this point in my life: I remember what I forget, and I don’t forget what I remember.


How long will that last? Stay blessed...john

For the sermon yesterday I used this scene from Emo Philips:



The sermon was about Christian unity--what it is and what it isn't. It was appropriate for a number of reasons: This was the week of Prayer for Christian Unity; our church is planning our year's work together this week; and Christians need to get on the ball with the whole all-of-them-may-be-one-Father-just-as-you-are-in-me-and-I-am-in-you thing.



By the way, what did you think of the video?  Stay blessed...john

Music Mondays are good for me; how about you? I like sharing music, especially songs you might have missed. Quite often, music speaks to our experiences as living creatures. Those experiences involve other people, people we love, hate, want to know, people who have wronged us, blessed us or forsaken us. Of course, our music often speaks of our relationship to our Creator as well.

But don’t take my word for it. And, don’t let me be the only one who chooses music for Mondays. You have favorite songs; I know you do. Share them. Comment or email music selections you think would be good for us. Remember this isn’t my blog; it’s ours (The Blog That Ties).

Let me know the title of the song; I'll find the lyrics and other info.  If there is a particular cover (certain artist who sings the song) you want just let me know. It doesn't have to be a song directly related to faith. Let me take care of that. For each song I’ll include a small link (tie) to our faith and a small prayer—props as well.

Thanks for making anotherjohn better. Stay blessed…john

There's a common phrase preachers use: That'll preach.

Typically, someone shares a story, illustration or saying. Maybe it's a story from the headlines or just some observation. Since preachers are always looking for ways to connect their sermons together, these stories become valuable. Maybe the preacher hasn't decided if she/he would use the illustration; maybe the preacher doesn't know how she/he would use the story. What is sure, though, is that it would preach.

These stories are good because they need extra explaining. They can be told and the link to whatever spiritual theme(s) can almost automatically be applied by any listener, or will help drive the point home.

I watched the video below and thought, "That'll preach."

A Mystery: Why Can't We Walk Straight? from NPR on Vimeo.

Now, you've seen the video. I'm not using it anytime soon, but that doesn't mean you can't. What spiritual message could you take from this video?

Stay blessed...john

Okay, I'm giving you unlimited access here.  This is probably a place many of you have never gone before--behind the pulpit!  That's right, uncut.  I didn't take time to tidy the place up.  There she is full of pens, dated bulletins and candy wrappers all for the world to see.  And is that really a bottle of hand sanitizer when standing up people will see because it's too tall?

So, what's behind your pulpit?  Take a peek and see.  You might be surprised. 

Speaking of getting behind the pulpit, I am looking for liturgists.  We have two individuals that have taken that role and done a great job.  Having different liturgists is a great way to introduce the church to other people, and is a valid way to participate in the life of our church. 

Let this be your invitation Oak Havenites, or your push to volunteer one Sunday at your church.  Stay blessed...john

Isn’t that just like us? When we come across something we don’t like, the easy thing to do is to try to get rid of it. One guy—probably others as well—isn’t quite happy with The United Methodist Church. So, the easiest thing to do is DREAM it away. Read about it here: Tea partier’s dream: ‘No more United Methodist Church.

What bothers you about The UMC (or your church)? Is it worth dreaming it away?

Stay blessed…john

There was no Christmas holiday festivities or no visiting family. You might say it was another Sunday. Could it be things are back to normal? Here is yesterday's sermon entitled Next Day Delivery. Remember: God provides for today and prepares for the next.

Today is the observance of Martin Luther King's birthday.  Most of you know what I think of his work and ministry.  His courage and faithfulness are what I hope I can have when I need them.

So, in that light, today's Music Monday features MLK.  Let me tell you a little bit about this.  Last semester I took a class entitled Evil, Suffering and Death in the New Testament.  It was a great class.  In lieu of a final exam we had a creative project.  On the first day of class the professor told us to find a way to "express yourself" with regards to the subject matter.  My initial project idea didn't fly real well: I was to turn over chairs and tables and scream. Some people just aren't as creative as I am.

I bounced around a few other ideas and ended up with a song.  Other students presented great art pieces, short stories, poems and even a wonderful musical arrangement.  For my topic--based largely on what I took away from this book--I decided to do something that I would have paid attention to 15 years or so ago.

My project was a rap that presented The Powers at work in the lives of two people.  Both don't realize how the other suffers, thinking their own situations are more strenuous.  Consequently, there is a divide between them.  The title is "Take It Away."  Both people in the song conclude they will keep living in a fog or someone else's lie until somebody takes it away.  The main point is that their lives have already been taken away.  Their situation is not what God has set up.  That's what The Powers do.

This is where MLK comes in.  He was all about making things more like God wants them.  In that process, however, many people can turn on each other.  That doesn't help, and only furthers our divide.

Give it a listen.  Considering The Powers That Be, are there areas of your life that have been taken away?  What do you think?  Stay blessed...john

This would so match another piece of our furniture.  Everyone is always impressed by how devoted our family is to reading when they see our book end table.  It's 5-6 thick books piled on top of each other.  Of course, the top one has a drawer in it and all the others are hollow.

This lamp would go perfect with it.  Stay blessed...john

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I got this picture from Hyatt's blog.  Is that bad?

Michael Hyatt is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Nelson Publishers.  I subscribe to his blog and have benefited from a lot of what he has had to say from time to time.

Wednesday he posted the top 100 best-selling Christian books of 2010.  The number one was Jesus Calling.  I haven't read that one, but was surprised to see I have read 15 of the selections.  Michael acknowledges the limitations of the list; it is still interesting to see the titles.  Some are classics that keep on selling.  Others are workbooks of popular books, and there are even some Bibles on there!

As I learned from this post, some of us find it difficult to impress our friends with tiny, empty bookcases.  Oh, we are so not shallow!  So, how many books from the list have you read, or are planning to read?  Which ones would you have thought to see? 

Stay blessed...john

This past Sunday was a blessing for me.  It was the first Sunday Gloria's parents visited my church.  There are a few other mentor types I would be blessed to have join us, but her parents were the ones who started all this preaching business.  So, blame them!

As you listen, you can tell it started snowing during the first minute of the sermon.  It was a surprise, and something nice to look at for a little while--besides me :)

The title is Still Wet Behind the Ears.  It wasn't a doozy, but my 3-week semester ends tomorrow. 


Stay blessed...john

We've all known people who have had to say good-bye to a loved one too early, or have to endure some great hardship. What about the spouse who is, with almost no hope otherwise, doing everything to save a failing marriage?  Who do we know with life-altering medical conditions?  How do we respond to those situations? I wonder if most of us are not ready to.


The Two No-Nos
Somehow we've been trained, insufficiently trained, to respond in two ways that bother me.  First, we try to rationalize the situation for the other person(s). We feel like we must offer words of wisdom or some sort of explanation. I imagine there are a number of reasons we would want to do that; some of them may not be as noble as we think.  Still, I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t think most of us do either. It seems more like a defense mechanism when we are quick with the, “Well, God meant for this to happen…”

What about when we say, “I’ll be praying for you.” I hope the only reason you would say that is because you will actually fulfill the promise. And, if you are, do you know what you are praying for?  A cure?  Total recovery?  Peace? Fulfillment?  There may be obvious prayer concerns, but not always. 

What Can We Do
Something I think people need more of is a person who will really tough this out with them. You don’t have to have answers. Answers and the time to find/give them will come. Someone suffering through a difficult time does not need another person to say, “If you need anything call me.” They won’t call. Maybe that’s wrong, but they won’t. Perhaps some of us are hoping they won’t and will just accept our puny offer as a sign of our condolence.

What that person needs is someone to say, “I’m calling; what do you need?” That call happens not only during the circumstance, but even after all the attention has faded and everyone else has gone back to their normal routines. The NRSV translates James 1:27 like this:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Other translations use the word visit. Obviously, visiting is important. The charge to “care for,” however, communicates more of a process. Care comes in many different forms. Caring for someone might entail calling, bringing food, checking the mail or offering a crying shoulder, just to name a few examples. It is also something that continues.If prayer is part of your care, make sure to ask the person what they want you to pray for.

Who do you need to follow up on? Are the names on a church prayer list being prayed for?  How can our churches make sure “to care for” each other more intentionally? Stay blessed…john

My kids read better than I do. I’ve done my job! I read a few choose-your-own-ending stories as a kid. The demise of the Autobots was all my fault! How could I handle all that pressure? Consequently, I didn’t start reading regularly until about 8 years ago. Now, it’s something I don’t see how I could do without.  Gloria has a house rule: Keep your books at the office. 

Some time ago, I read my first audio book. That was okay. Being able to write and highlight on pages, though, is something I need. Last week, for my mini-semester, I purchased my first two e-books. I downloaded them from Amazon and used the Kindle for PC application to read them. My laptop is not a Kindle. So, I recognize I may be missing some of the experience, but I’m not sure where I stand with them. You can highlight and write in notes.

That is helpful, but it’s just not the same. Please don’t let me sound like the old guy who can’t stand all that loud music. However, it seems so strange not to count my pages earned read, and focus on percentages. I was never good at math. I’ll probably try to download some other books to see if I can get used to them. Also, as a young minister people have always been able to pass on their used books.  How will they do that with e-books?

What have been your experience(s) with e-books? What am I missing?

Stay blessed…john

What are you reading in 2011?

So, how has your United Methodist church participated in the Imagine No Malaria campaign?  You do realize the emphasis we are putting on it, right?

Our church's UMW and UMM have given an offering to the Imagine No Malaria fund; during our VBS the children collected loose change as well.  We're considering other ways we can be a part of the ministry. 

I cam across the following video.It's not from Imagine No Malaria, and it certainly lacks a bit of theological appeal. I'm sure, though, I don't have to remind you that someone once said

Whoever is not against us is for us.

Whether it's the UMC or anyone else, someone's got to step up.
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Here is a video from the UMC's Imagine No Malaria website:


Stay blessed...john

Ah, another Monday. I had a high school coach who used to tell us to stop whining about Mondays--be thankful you have one! Wise words?

If you ask,

"John, what does this Music Monday selection mean for you? How does it relate to who you are as a person, or to our faith as God's people?"

My response would be,

"I have no idea, but it's really cool to watch."

I haven't a clue as to what this song is about. It's more about the dancing than the music. Still, it's music, it's Monday, it's Music Monday. Stay blessed...john

I stopped making New Year’s resolutions many years ago. They had become rather pointless. Breaking bad habits and toning up sound nice, but you know how it is. Instead of waiting for the 1st of January, I started making New Day resolutions. Waiting for the beginning of the year made it harder to become the new creation I wanted to be.

However, I never thought there was anything wrong with making resolutions. Apparently, though, some people do. Read this quick article to see what I mean.

What do you think? Did you make resolutions this year? Which resolutions have you been most successful with?

Some of these looks familiar, but funny enough to post again. It's Friday; you need a laugh. This will do it. My favorite moment is at the 3-minute mark.

Have a great weekend. There's a family wedding for us on Saturday. So, we'll be busy or something. Stay blessed...john

Children are a wonderful part of church. They are a blessing and a joy. The sound of feet stomping up and down the stairways is a sign of life we should be thankful for. I would love to say most people feel the same way, but I have heard too many complaints about children making noises during the worship service, scuff marks on the floor and crayons in the pews. That’s another post for another time. To those who are more willing to put up with noises in church (oh, the jokes we could tell), I want to tell you a story.

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time a young child was asked to be a church acolyte. How exciting! The child had watched the older kids and was excited about this almost rite of passage. Training? Got it. Plays well with others? Always. Bringing in the light of Christ? Easy like Sunday morning.

Months passed, with plenty of other candle lighting opportunities with no problems. Until. One Sunday there happened to be an extra amount of candles to burn away the darkness. The extra candles were on a newly purchased candle holder, being a little taller than the usual ones. It was a lovely purchase that prominently displayed the candles for the entire congregation to see. The child, however, had a hard time seeing the top of the candle from his/her point of view; children are closer to the floor than their adult counterparts.

It was a precious site to watch the struggle to get the wick burning, with no success. No one could ignore the ripple chuckles throughout the church—not even our once excited and eager acolyte. It wasn’t precious for the mother to hold her crying child; didn’t Mom hear everyone making fun of him/her?

We Didn’t Mean It
Of course, no one in that story meant any harm. The experience, though, does teach us something. Many times it is difficult for me not to laugh during our children’s moments. What we have to realize, though, is that while kids may say the darndest things, they aren’t always trying to be funny. They give honest answers to our questions; they’re better at it than we usually are. They want their parents, teachers and others to love them. Then again, don’t we, too?

Many of our children get ridiculed, rejected and let down in many ways. Church shouldn’t be another place where that happens. Realize that sometimes when we, for example, laugh at something our children do, we may be communicating something we don’t intend to. In this case, and in others that I am aware of, it is the equivalent of me ridiculing you for mispronouncing a Bible name, or missing a line in the prayer that you are leading. Those kinds of things happen all the time, and the thought of them happening "to me" keeps many people from participating in our worship experiences that way.

Imagine being a child and feeling as if everyone is ridiculing you that way.

What to Do Instead
Kids in worship--it should be a reality show. Children will make mistakes, tell the truth and be children. Love them for that. If, and when they do make a mistake, let it go, please. It might be more helpful and thoughtful to say something to them after service. Tell them how much you appreciate what they are doing, that they are doing a great job.

You would hate for your local young acolyte to grow up to be a 6’4”, 315lb monster who could whip you up. Then again taking a beating might be better than being thrown into the sea with  a millstone tied around your neck.  Actually, you want the church to be a safe place for children to grow in their faith and meet with God week after week—just like you want to.

What are other ways the entire congregation could encourage our young people? What would you tell the Crying Acolyte?  Stay blessed…john

In March our church will release a new songbook. It is called Worship & Song. I haven't seen it, but from what I gather it's a mix of old and new. I'm hoping to get a copy when it comes out.

You can get a glimpse of what is to come by checking out the Worship & Song website.

Would your church be willing to purchase this new resource? Why or why not?
Stay blessed...john

The twelve days of Christmas have come and gone.  Today is Epiphany, the ending of the Christmas season.  There is so much stress surrounding Wal-Mart's Christmas season.  I'm not picking on them; I worked there for five years.  Instead, I'm thinking about the whole commercial aspect of Christmas.

The church's Christmas?  Since Christmas Eve we've been celebrating God's light into the world.  No stress.  Our true love gave us everything we need to live faithfully in this world.  We don't have to worry about what to   get Sister Sally or Brother Bill.  We can just celebrate. Yes, now you have to take down the Christmas decorations.  If not, people accuse your neck of being a different color than most others.

But don't stop celebrating.  In fact, here is your how-can-I-keep-from-singing final Christmas 2010 celebration song.  Thanks, Henrietta and Merna for the joy. You enjoy this video; I have a Bible study to go to today. Stay blessed...john

This is an exciting story. Students at John R. Good, an Irving elementary school, have been working on something special since the beginning of the school year. Our church had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of that. Dallas Child shared this story: Higher Learning.


What a blessing it was for the students to think about us! If you know Oak Haven, you know the church member mentioned and pictured with the group.  We were so pleased to be able to visit and tour the garden at John R. Good.  They've done some good work.  FYI: follow John R. Good on Twitter (@JohnRGood).

Stay blessed...john

So, another first item of the year to scratch off--the first sermon of 2011. I can also scratch this year's first game of Ultimate Frisbee. We played two rounds with our youth yesterday. I'm playing the third round today...

Oh, my neck, my back, my neck and my back. Oh, I want $150,000, but we can settle out of court right now for twenty bucks.

Bonus points for those of you who didn't have to Google that line to know which movie it came from.

Yesterday's sermon was about our gifts. I didn't bring home the point like I think I wanted to, but only time will tell. Our gifts are those things God has made us good at that we can give/use to help spell out the mystery of the Gospel: organizing, listening, art, mechanics, communicating, reading, singing, etc, etc

When was the last time you took a "Gifts and Talents" survey? Well, that's too long. The UMC has one that you can make use of: Spiritual Gifts. These are like the MBTI of church membership, but they can be useful.

All that to say, "Here is the sermon from yesterday." Have a nice day. Stay blessed...john

Happy 2011!  Well, you did it--you made it through 2010.  Maybe you had your doubts or worries at some point, but here you are.  Thanks be to God.

Today's Music Monday is a reminder that music is great. It can be fun and uplifting.  It can help us express our worship to God.  It can help bring calmness and clarity.  So, I consider that a gift from the Creator.

For all you whipper snappers reading, if you think this next video is even remotely interesting, then you can understand what made/makes the pipe organ so fascinating for many of your older church friends.  Enjoy.