I will readily admit that I'm not the most seasoned public speaker, but I do know what I like about sermons and what I don't like. First of all, I'm a stubborn person. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. Sometimes I simply don't want to listen to particular sermons because it may address a personal issue that I'm dealing with. And that is just painful. However, the following are some no no's that I look at. (Remember, I'm just a person with a strong opinion and a computer, not an expert)
1) Bigshots: These type of ministers really crack me up. Who do they think they are? Just because they have a Masters of Divinity doesn't make them holier than thou. They may know more than I do, but that doesn't mean that they have the right to talk down to their congregation just because they have a pulpit. Pulpits are just made of wood, that doesn't make them special. Remember,
For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Romans 3: 23
This means that we're all on the same level, ministers included.
2)The unprepared: This one is annoying. I hate it when someone gets up to speak and they aren't ready to do so. Isn't it their job to deliver the message? Isn't it what they get paid for? Doesn't God expect more? I always feel pretty cheated because the pastor is too otherwise occupied to put together a well done sermon. Apparently there is a website called Sermons.com.
I'm not kidding, it really exists.
3) The formula: I think the standard is like three points and two illustrations. Now I know that sometimes that is unavoidable, but recently in the church I've been attending, I've got the pastor pretty pegged. I can usually tell when the poem or story is gonna come. The sermon should not have to be in the same format every week. The Holy Spirit should do its work and make each sermon its own.
The speaking style shouldn't be the same either. There is no one way to deliver a message. There are some definate no no's, but every person is different and each sermon should somewhat reflect the person who is giving it. In other words, ministers shouldn't try to be like each other in the pulpit. There's only one Billy Graham, one Louie Giglio and one Rick Warren. Ministers should try to be themselves.
All in all, my conclusion is this: Ppride and greed are the death of all sermons. It's never about the one in the pulpit, its about the One who they are supposed to be representing. I truly believe that you can have the least amount of public speaking skills, and God can be glorified. It's all about who is glorified.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Church Business: Who's business is it?
Church business meetings can be reality shows in the making. No matter how you slice it, every church has its politics. It's completely unavoidable; no church is without its own politics. It's how the politics of the church are handled that makes a church different from another.
Lately I've been going through Oswald Chambers' devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, and I came across this quote:
The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. (July 12 devotional)
The truth of the matter is this: the church belongs to God not us. When the church takes its vision away from God, then that's when things go wrong. At my local church here in Fredericksburg, our business meetings are famous for long winded discussions and a low productivity level. But one thing really bothered me in particular, the lack of prayer for the church. We have plenty of prayer time for the church's members, but not for the future of the church itself. After all, if it isn't our church, shouldn't we be seeking guidance from the One in charge? Paul says this,
Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
Ephesians 4:3
If we as a church are truly united in the Holy Spirit, then why don't we seek Him in all of our meetings? Why treat a church like a business, if its not our business after all?
Lately I've been going through Oswald Chambers' devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, and I came across this quote:
The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. (July 12 devotional)
The truth of the matter is this: the church belongs to God not us. When the church takes its vision away from God, then that's when things go wrong. At my local church here in Fredericksburg, our business meetings are famous for long winded discussions and a low productivity level. But one thing really bothered me in particular, the lack of prayer for the church. We have plenty of prayer time for the church's members, but not for the future of the church itself. After all, if it isn't our church, shouldn't we be seeking guidance from the One in charge? Paul says this,
Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
Ephesians 4:3
If we as a church are truly united in the Holy Spirit, then why don't we seek Him in all of our meetings? Why treat a church like a business, if its not our business after all?
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Big churches: why I'm not a fan
So I've been reading this book by Henri J. M. Nouwen. It's really good stuff. It's called
In the Name of Jesus. I found this quote and I wanted to post it:
When the members of a community of faith cannot truly know and love their shepherd, shepherding quickly becomes a subtle way of excercising power over others and begins to show authoritarian and dictatorial traits. (Pg 62)
In this passage, he's basically discussing the issue of Christian ministers and how they are just as vulnerable as their own congregations. Just because a minister has a M Div, does not mean that they are completely invincible. They are just agents of God's plan and their job is this:
Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12
They are to teach their congregations who God is, how to serve God, and to walk with them in that journey. I think the biggest word in this passage is God's, because its his church in the first place. He's the one in control.
What I'm getting to is this: There needs to be some accountability in the church. Ministers are just servants of Christ. They are not invincible people. Huge mega churches really bother me because of this. How are ministers suppposed to build up the church, and walk the journey with their flock if their church is so huge that they don't know everyone in it? If there are so many people in one area, why are they in one church? Why aren't they starting other churches in other areas of town to reach the people there? How is one minister serving an entire congregation that's in the thousands if they cannot reach them or get counseling with them? How is there accountability when the minister is too busy preparing for three services packed with thousands of people?
Why is success in the ministry measured by numbers? I don't think I'll ever understand this.
In the Name of Jesus. I found this quote and I wanted to post it:
When the members of a community of faith cannot truly know and love their shepherd, shepherding quickly becomes a subtle way of excercising power over others and begins to show authoritarian and dictatorial traits. (Pg 62)
In this passage, he's basically discussing the issue of Christian ministers and how they are just as vulnerable as their own congregations. Just because a minister has a M Div, does not mean that they are completely invincible. They are just agents of God's plan and their job is this:
Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12
They are to teach their congregations who God is, how to serve God, and to walk with them in that journey. I think the biggest word in this passage is God's, because its his church in the first place. He's the one in control.
What I'm getting to is this: There needs to be some accountability in the church. Ministers are just servants of Christ. They are not invincible people. Huge mega churches really bother me because of this. How are ministers suppposed to build up the church, and walk the journey with their flock if their church is so huge that they don't know everyone in it? If there are so many people in one area, why are they in one church? Why aren't they starting other churches in other areas of town to reach the people there? How is one minister serving an entire congregation that's in the thousands if they cannot reach them or get counseling with them? How is there accountability when the minister is too busy preparing for three services packed with thousands of people?
Why is success in the ministry measured by numbers? I don't think I'll ever understand this.
Resting in Jesus
Wow. This whole summer has been completely different for me. It's been so awesome and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But the biggest lesson I've learned is resting.
Psalm 91:1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
It's so easy to get caught up with busy schedules and habits. The biggest danger of a Christians are themselves. I don't want to worship my religion, I want to worship my God. I got so caught up with living the right life and obeying all the rules and expectations of me. God is not a God of rules and constraints. He's a God of freedom. All he wants of me is the right to myself. I surrender the right to make my own decisions and I give my life completely over to him. That's how it works. In theory. It's a daily struggle.
But the big thing is this, God doesn't applaud us when we follow all the rules or how much ministry we do. He doesn't say, "Oh, look how busy they are! That's just what they need to do"
Sometimes we need to just be his, and that's all he wants. He doesn't need us to do anything for him, because God doesn't need anything. He is God after all. All we are able to give him is ourselves, because that's all we really have. He doesn't want our time or our stress. He just wants us.
God is so much bigger than our own religion. He doesn't want religion, he wants us.
So yeah, that's a snippet of all that I've been learning and discovering this summer. There's more to come.
Psalm 91:1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
It's so easy to get caught up with busy schedules and habits. The biggest danger of a Christians are themselves. I don't want to worship my religion, I want to worship my God. I got so caught up with living the right life and obeying all the rules and expectations of me. God is not a God of rules and constraints. He's a God of freedom. All he wants of me is the right to myself. I surrender the right to make my own decisions and I give my life completely over to him. That's how it works. In theory. It's a daily struggle.
But the big thing is this, God doesn't applaud us when we follow all the rules or how much ministry we do. He doesn't say, "Oh, look how busy they are! That's just what they need to do"
Sometimes we need to just be his, and that's all he wants. He doesn't need us to do anything for him, because God doesn't need anything. He is God after all. All we are able to give him is ourselves, because that's all we really have. He doesn't want our time or our stress. He just wants us.
God is so much bigger than our own religion. He doesn't want religion, he wants us.
So yeah, that's a snippet of all that I've been learning and discovering this summer. There's more to come.
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