Another big day at the Festival of Homiletics today.
Lillian Daniel preached about Noah's Ark, asking an interesting, complex question. When we think about Adam and Eve (I know...this isn't Noah's Ark--bear with me) we have considered that they were exiled out of Eden. What if we reconsidered the situation? Could they have been, instead, relieved? Freed? Released? Consider then, Noah's family. Was getting off the ark an act of rescue or were they stranded? Her point? The kindom of God is within you--not in Eden or out of Eden, on the Ark or on the dry land.
Her lecture was about changing how we preach so that we begin to preach to the "nones" (people who do not claim a religion when asked on a survey). There are four kinds of "nones": those who are furious with the church; those who have drifted away from church and don't feel they are lacking anything; those who never had experience with church; those who are open and curious, but haven't experienced church. How do we start to talk about what church/God/Jesus means to us? Do we express our willingness to learn about Jesus and share how much more we want to know about God?
Mike Slaughter wakes up each day asking, "Lord, what is it you want me to do?" This question goes to his belief that his allegiance to Jesus supersedes all other allegiances--to country, to work, to anything but faith in the Triune God. With these two principles, Slaughter has learned, with the help of others, that success is marked in everything that leads to the glory of God, nothing more, nothing less.
And then there was Yvette Flunder. Our worship with her was lively gospel music and was filled with amazing grace. Her sermon focused on why Jesus spent so much time healing the blind. Did you know that statistically about 50% of the population in Jesus' time suffered from some form of eye problems? Of those, 20% were actually blind. Blindness meant that the person could not participate in daily living without the help of others. There was a stigma and people often wanted to blame someone or something for the blindness. Each of the many stories of Jesus with the blind are broader stories than we may understand. For some, healing requires a process, but that process serves a purpose. One of the most important questions to consider: "Do you WANT to be made whole?"
The last lecture I attended today was with Lauren Winner, who talked about the craft of sermon writing, particularly using poetry. Why poetry? We need to "find art and meaning in the everyday and feel beckoned beyond it." Why poetry? Because it "re-imagines truths and invites a different perspective."
Festival of Homiletics Day One
It's been a fulfilling day at the Festival of Homiletics in Minneapolis. The morning began with worship at Central Lutheran (CLC) and a sermon about the importance of the content, not the vessel by Walter Brueggemann. He told of a Canadian diocese that went bankrupt. The bishop's response? "A Book, a Towel, a Table and a Cup are all we need."
Then a quick walk over to Westminster Presbyterian (WPC) to hear a talk about digression as a way to create sermons with Wil Willemon. He said that digression is just a form of imagination and that our daydreams just may be when God is getting to us when our defenses are down. And "pay attention to the seemingly insignificant details in scripture" when asking the age-old question, "How does God want me to use this text?"
Back to CLC for worship and a sermon that reminded us that "God dwells in deep darkness" and that "some of God's best work happens in the dark" by Barbara Brown Taylor. She reminded us that though "dark" has a bad connotation, we do have dark chocolate and dark beer! A bonus: getting to sit with a couple of my peeps, and then out to the food trucks for lunch and good conversation.
We headed back to WPC to learn more about Darkwood Brew's unique television/internet (darkwoodbrew.org services at 5 p.m. CST on Sunday nights) ministry; a great message based on Philippians 1-18a and a Q&A with Anna Carter Florence who told us "you cannot preach to people you don't love."
One last stop for the day at CLC for a lecture on preaching the Blues by Otis Moss III who said, among other fantastic things, "sermons are built at the intersection of Life Avenue and Biblical Boulevard."
In a little while I will head down to Brit's Pub to learn more about Lydia's Place, enjoy bluegrass music by the Fleshpots of Egypt and spend a little time with my guy!
Tomorrow will be another homiletic adventure!
Then a quick walk over to Westminster Presbyterian (WPC) to hear a talk about digression as a way to create sermons with Wil Willemon. He said that digression is just a form of imagination and that our daydreams just may be when God is getting to us when our defenses are down. And "pay attention to the seemingly insignificant details in scripture" when asking the age-old question, "How does God want me to use this text?"
Back to CLC for worship and a sermon that reminded us that "God dwells in deep darkness" and that "some of God's best work happens in the dark" by Barbara Brown Taylor. She reminded us that though "dark" has a bad connotation, we do have dark chocolate and dark beer! A bonus: getting to sit with a couple of my peeps, and then out to the food trucks for lunch and good conversation.
We headed back to WPC to learn more about Darkwood Brew's unique television/internet (darkwoodbrew.org services at 5 p.m. CST on Sunday nights) ministry; a great message based on Philippians 1-18a and a Q&A with Anna Carter Florence who told us "you cannot preach to people you don't love."
One last stop for the day at CLC for a lecture on preaching the Blues by Otis Moss III who said, among other fantastic things, "sermons are built at the intersection of Life Avenue and Biblical Boulevard."
In a little while I will head down to Brit's Pub to learn more about Lydia's Place, enjoy bluegrass music by the Fleshpots of Egypt and spend a little time with my guy!
Tomorrow will be another homiletic adventure!
What's in your hand right now?
Irony. I was on
Facebook just now and someone posted this link:
Before you go on reading this post, go ahead and watch the
video, this can wait.
[cue the Jeopardy theme…]
I’m having trouble breathing right now. The guilt of the reality of this video shakes
me, deeply. It’s easy to justify social
media as a way to connect with people we would otherwise miss on a regular
basis. I know that my reach back to many
of my childhood and college friends would be non-existent without Facebook, and
for that I am truly thankful. But I
wonder how often I rely on Facebook to inform even those closest to me? I’ll admit, it is too much. Way. Too.
Much.
And when I look at our kids and watch them using their smart
phones to text and access Facebook, not comfortable with the aspect of using
those phones as, well, phones, I cringe, wondering if they will ever be
comfortable talking to people either face to face or on the phone. I get mad at the convenience of texting
because it sometimes is an excuse to not talk to someone because of busy-ness
or the ability to drag a conversation on for days because the banter has no
sense of urgency.
I “need” a new cell phone.
Mine isn't smart. Its outdated
software does not allow me to do much more than make a call, text, calculate or
set an alarm. I can take photos, but my
memory card isn't installed correctly (so it says), so I can’t easily save
photos or send them. But you know
what? Most of the time I don’t care that
my phone is limited. I can be present in
community without being tethered to my device.
Even when I think I want a better camera on my phone I realize that I
get to SEE without looking through a small lens. I get to experience a broader view.
After viewing this video, I think I’m even less inclined to
search out the perfect phone for me.
When I was young, my parents loved the ability to go on vacation and
completely disconnect from the corded telephone and all the responsibilities it
tied them to. Now, I am often afraid to
run to the grocery store without my phone, in case I miss something. Most of the time, I miss nothing. So why do I take those few extra seconds to
find the phone?
Back to the irony. I
found this video on Facebook. A video
that is telling all of us to get off and get out! Go out into the world. Look up, look forward. See what’s ahead of you. Smell the flowers. Make a new friend. Call someone and meet them, phone free, to
reconnect and redefine your relationship.
Put your phone away and don’t let
it interrupt what is right in front of you.
Because, what or who is right in front of you or right beside you is the
most important thing right now. Let go
of the security blanket you call your phone.
Spit out the pacifier that sucks the social life out of you. Go, be, do, live. That’s what it’s all about.
Now, I think I’ll head outside and enjoy some sunshine, move
some logs and grill some meat. It’s a
glorious day!
Dear God, thanks for the reminder to enjoy the people and
critters around us. Amen.
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