I preached a sermon last Sunday that bothered me.
It is not that I disagree with what I said or regret preaching the sermon. It just bothered me. It bothered me because I did not want to listen to what I had to say.
The sermon was about the proper way in which one should read their Bible. It would have been easy to stand up and say, "You should read your Bible everyday for at least 30 minutes - 15 from the New Testament and 15 from somewhere else in the New Testament."
What I did was look at two ways we tend to read our Bible. The sermon was titled, "A Mirror and a Magnifying Glass."
Sometimes we use the Bible as a mirror.
We look into it to examine ourselves. We read the story of God redeeming His people and ask questions like, "How should this change how I treat my neighbor?" and, "How can God's forgiveness of my sins influence the way I forgive others?"
Other times we use the Bible as a magnifying glass.
We look into it to examine others. We read the stories of Jesus rebuking the Pharisees and say things like, "I have run into some Pharisees in my day." and, "I sure am glad I am not like the people I know who are like that Pharisee who said that he sure was glad he wasn't like that tax collector."
This sermon bothered me because I am good at the magnifying glass method. When I was young, I was very good at judging the flaws of others. I could tell you all the sins of my classmates and knew how they compared to my good qualities.
As I grew in my relationship with The Creator, I realized how wrong my attitude was. I then started to judge all those who still judged as I once did.
Satan used my holy momentum to flip me over his head.
I still wrestle with this.
Even while preparing this sermon, I thought about the people from my past that I knew had turned scripture into a giant magnifying glass. In preparing for my sermon I was convicted by my own message.
I have found that this makes for the best sermons.
When speaking about preaching without notes, Andy Stanley once asked, "How do you expect your congregation to remember your message if you can't remember your message."
I think that the same holds true when the preacher hopes to convict his audience. How can I expect to convict people with my sermon if I am not convicted by the study I have put into the sermon.
So read your Bible. Let the story convict you. And whether you are a preacher or not, share with others how that great mirror of scripture has convicted you to have a better relationship with The Creator.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
2 Sentences that change everything
“I have two uteruses.”
This is what a young woman told me while I was doing volunteer work at McDonald’s one summer. I do not remember her name. I do not remember ever having a conversation with her other than this one, but I remember the two uteruses comment very well.
This is what a young woman told me while I was doing volunteer work at McDonald’s one summer. I do not remember her name. I do not remember ever having a conversation with her other than this one, but I remember the two uteruses comment very well.
She told me this after she found out that I was going to college to learn more about God.
Contrary to what you might assume, my studies did not prepare me for this. I had no idea how to respond.
My first thought was, “Isn’t it uteri?” but I was sure she wasn’t looking for a grammar lesson. I didn’t know what to say. What was she expecting me to say? Was this a good thing or was it a serious problem?
We stood uncomfortably by the drive-thru window as I organized my thoughts in silence.
It was awkward.
My brain started to shout at me saying, “Benjamin, say something. Say anything. Do not let this silence continue another second.” So I opened my mouth and said something.
“You should be in a doublemint commercial.”
Yep.
That’s what I said.
She said, “What?” and I said, “Never mind,” and went back to filling drinks.
If I am not prepared, I do not do well. If I do not plan what I am going to say ahead of time, I panic.
As a minister, people say some heavy things to you. They share intimate information with you that you are rarely prepared for. You just have to accept it and trust that God will give you things to say.
However, there is one situation for which every Christian should be prepared.
We should all know exactly what we are going to say when someone starts slandering or gossiping about someone else. We should be prepared for these moments.
A wise man named David Nash shared with me what he says, and it has made all the difference.
“That is none of my business. I think you should talk to them about this.”
These two sentences help by deterring the gossip and suggesting the correct course of action.
You do not have to yell, “Sinner!” and pop them on the forehead. You simply have to be prepared.
You need to be prepared.
Because if we can stop the gossip and slander that plague our churches, we will be able to focus on the grace and peace that Jesus offers instead of the sins of our brothers and sister in Christ.
Contrary to what you might assume, my studies did not prepare me for this. I had no idea how to respond.
My first thought was, “Isn’t it uteri?” but I was sure she wasn’t looking for a grammar lesson. I didn’t know what to say. What was she expecting me to say? Was this a good thing or was it a serious problem?
We stood uncomfortably by the drive-thru window as I organized my thoughts in silence.
It was awkward.
My brain started to shout at me saying, “Benjamin, say something. Say anything. Do not let this silence continue another second.” So I opened my mouth and said something.
“You should be in a doublemint commercial.”
Yep.
That’s what I said.
She said, “What?” and I said, “Never mind,” and went back to filling drinks.
If I am not prepared, I do not do well. If I do not plan what I am going to say ahead of time, I panic.
As a minister, people say some heavy things to you. They share intimate information with you that you are rarely prepared for. You just have to accept it and trust that God will give you things to say.
However, there is one situation for which every Christian should be prepared.
We should all know exactly what we are going to say when someone starts slandering or gossiping about someone else. We should be prepared for these moments.
A wise man named David Nash shared with me what he says, and it has made all the difference.
“That is none of my business. I think you should talk to them about this.”
These two sentences help by deterring the gossip and suggesting the correct course of action.
You do not have to yell, “Sinner!” and pop them on the forehead. You simply have to be prepared.
You need to be prepared.
Because if we can stop the gossip and slander that plague our churches, we will be able to focus on the grace and peace that Jesus offers instead of the sins of our brothers and sister in Christ.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Church At Olive Garden
I love my family.
But every time I am in an Olive Garden, I can’t help but think how lame my family is compared to the families on the Olive Garden commercials.
“Shouldn’t I be telling more lame jokes and laughing at more lame jokes than usual?” I will often say aloud to no one in particular.
It actually gets a little embarrassing because I try to force the issue.
I will say something like, “Hey Rachel, You take the salad. I’ll take the breadsticks,” and then I will fake laugh obnoxiously for about twenty seconds as I look around at the other patrons.
It doesn’t work. I can’t even fake it. I want my experience at the Olive Garden to be as good as advertised but it just is not possible.
They promise too much. They cannot deliver on the experience that they portray on TV.
I think this is often the problem with us Christians.
We oversell ourselves.
When Christians come across as the happiest people on the planet, carefree and smiley-faced, people do not believe us.
And they shouldn’t.
When we act as though we have it all together, we are overselling ourselves. We are promising something on which we cannot deliver. We are the real life version of a dopey Olive Garden commercial, cheesy and incredible.
A side effect of overselling the people in the church is that we undersell the God that the church worships.
When we pretend to have it all together, it comes across that we are worshiping God because we are good and we are worthy to give worship.
Instead, we should let our faults be known. We should let the world know that we are weak and our God is strong because, while it is easy to oversell ourselves, we have a God who will always deliver on His promises.
He is exactly who He says is.
He will do exactly what He says He will do.
He fulfills all His promises and more, so let’s show the world what the church truly is.
We are not a group of people that one must emulate in order to get close to God.
We are a group of broken, sinful, unholy people who are gathered together to worship the God who has enough grace, love, and mercy to save a wretch like me.
But every time I am in an Olive Garden, I can’t help but think how lame my family is compared to the families on the Olive Garden commercials.
“Shouldn’t I be telling more lame jokes and laughing at more lame jokes than usual?” I will often say aloud to no one in particular.
It actually gets a little embarrassing because I try to force the issue.
I will say something like, “Hey Rachel, You take the salad. I’ll take the breadsticks,” and then I will fake laugh obnoxiously for about twenty seconds as I look around at the other patrons.
It doesn’t work. I can’t even fake it. I want my experience at the Olive Garden to be as good as advertised but it just is not possible.
They promise too much. They cannot deliver on the experience that they portray on TV.
I think this is often the problem with us Christians.
We oversell ourselves.
When Christians come across as the happiest people on the planet, carefree and smiley-faced, people do not believe us.
And they shouldn’t.
When we act as though we have it all together, we are overselling ourselves. We are promising something on which we cannot deliver. We are the real life version of a dopey Olive Garden commercial, cheesy and incredible.
A side effect of overselling the people in the church is that we undersell the God that the church worships.
When we pretend to have it all together, it comes across that we are worshiping God because we are good and we are worthy to give worship.
Instead, we should let our faults be known. We should let the world know that we are weak and our God is strong because, while it is easy to oversell ourselves, we have a God who will always deliver on His promises.
He is exactly who He says is.
He will do exactly what He says He will do.
He fulfills all His promises and more, so let’s show the world what the church truly is.
We are not a group of people that one must emulate in order to get close to God.
We are a group of broken, sinful, unholy people who are gathered together to worship the God who has enough grace, love, and mercy to save a wretch like me.
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