Alive in Christ

I'm not particularly familiar with the work of Neil Anderson (although his books have been recommended to me by several different people), but I was interested in his list of who we are in Christ and adapted it for the congregational reading to end my sermon last Sunday.

Here's the link if you'd like to read the complete list of being in Christ: accepted, secure, significant.  http://www.ficm.org/whoiam.htm

Jul 30, 2010 at 8:07 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

ThanksLiving

"So what I got from your sermon is you're asking for money," someone said to me recently. Well, yes and no - my annual stewardship sermon this year was about money, but also our time and our abilities, and most of all about being thankful as the starting point for giving and good stewardship.

At one point, I quoted from Rick Warren who suggested that not only should we give money, but also the first part of our week to worship and the first part of our social time to fellowship with other Christians.  At the time, I said we might not agree with every detail of the quote--after all, there are many Christians who worship at some time other than the first part of the week--but I hoped it would challenge us to think.  In response, I received an email asking "wasn't it a big priority for Jesus to spend time with people on the edges, people not in the inner fellowship circles, people like Zaccheus and the Samaritan woman at the well?"  That's important for us to remember too.

For those who expressed interest in the George Herbert quote, here's the first and last part of the poem that I read as part of my sermon:

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more - a grateful heart.
Not thankful when it pleases me,
As if thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart,
whose pulse may be thy praise.
 

The entire poem is available at http://www.ccel.org/h/herbert/temple/Gratefulnesse.html
 

Jun 19, 2010 at 7:34 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

And God Said No. . . .

In my sermon on Learning to Pray last week, I read a short poem that I'm adding to the blog today since a few people have asked for copies.

It's actually an untitled poem that appeared unattributed on a pull-out poster in With magazine a number of years ago.  It's been sitting in my files unused for quite a while, until it seemed to fit so well in last Sunday's sermon.  I don't totally agree with every detail (esp the part about growing, since I don't think anything--whether carrot or human being--actually grows on its own apart from God's sustaining power and life-giving energy), but it's thought-provoking and a lot of it rings true, so here it is:

I prayed to God to take away my pride.
And God said, “No.
It isn’t for me to take away—it’s for you to give up.”
I prayed to God to grant me patience.
And God said, “No.
Patience is a by-product of tribulations—it isn’t granted, it’s earned.”
I prayed to God to give me happiness.
And God said, “No.
I give you blessings—happiness is up to you.”
I prayed to God to make my spirit grow.
And God said, “No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you and make you fruitful.”
I prayed to God for all things, that I might enjoy life. And God said, “No. I will give you life so you may enjoy all things.”
I prayed to God to help me love others as much as God loves me.
And God said, “Ahhhh! Finally, you have the idea!” 

May 21, 2010 at 10:02 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Xtreme Hope

I've received lots of comments from last Sunday's worship and message, and especially appreciate the one comment in the foyer after the service, "that was so uplifting - it really gives us something to go on for this week!" I felt/feel the same way, as I am still buoyed up by last Sunday's worship time even as I'm preparing for this Sunday. Whatever we face, we have Xtreme Hope!

Another comment was that the sermon could have gone on for another "5-10 minutes" without feeling too long, so I thought I'd list here a few things that I could have included in that time:

- in the New Testament, the robe is a significant piece of clothing - so e.g., when the lost son returns home (which I preached on during Lent), he receives a new robe not just so he would have something nice to wear, but also as a symbol of new life.  in the same way, the saints in Revelation wear white robes as a symbol of purity, forgiveness, new life

- at the beginning of Revelation 7, John describes the saints being "sealed" before their great trial; then in our text Revelation 7:9-17 he describes them after their tribulation as "the church triumphant."  He does not actually show their martyrdom

- the verb tenses change throughout the text, indicating that this is not meant to be a chronology, but different images that are meant to wash over us 

- "I know that trouble don't always last" is a gospel song that expresses the same xtreme hope as our Revelation text - whatever troubles we have in this life, they will not last since the time is coming where there will be no more hunger, no more tears   

Please feel free to add a comment of your own here, or send your feedback to Maria Wiens, Worship Committee Chair

Apr 30, 2010 at 8:51 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Planting Change - in worship

At Emmanuel’s annual meeting in January, we received a report from our Middle Age/Young Adult Task Force suggesting some kind of new church plant. Since then, others have been thinking more about what it might mean to plant change within the congregation.

There have been many changes since Emmanuel began as a congregation in 1981 – from rented premises, to building their own, to adding the sanctuary, and then adding a gym. From a single song-leader and pianist to the music teams we have today with piano, guitar, drums, and other instruments. From the occasional use of the screen to project a song to projecting all of our songs as well as an opening slide, sermon points, and illustrations. There have been many many changes over the years!

For this coming Sunday (April 25), some of us have been thinking about planting some change in our morning worship.  The intention is not to try something new just because we've never done it that way before, or just because some other church is doing it that way.  Instead, it's because we realize that many people come to worship distracted--for many, it's a challenge simply to get to church, and even when physically present, their thoughts may still be going in a million directions.  So the intention with these changes is to minimize distractions as much as possible, to help draw all of us into worship and to be prepared to hear God speak to us.

To this end, we're working with an overall worship flow that might be described as a crescendo, where everything builds toward the message.  Part of this flow includes:

- instead of verbally highlighting announcements during the service, there will be highlights projected on screen beforehand
- instead of listing all of the songs in the worship order, we will list some questions that relate to the sermon and leave some space in the bulletin so people can write their own notes
- the music team will begin our time of worship and stay at the front until the sermon to minimize movement to and from the stage - they'll call the children to the front to sing a song with them, and then have the children's feature take place in the Noah's Ark room
- instead of having the team come forward to lead us in a closing song, I will end my sermon with a prayer and words of challenge/sending/benediction to end our worship time
- there will be more music during transitions and also played softly underneath the prayers and Scripture to help provide continuity and keep people engaged

At this point, the plan is simply to try this for one Sunday, and then to reflect on our experience—how will these changes impact us?  will they help to (re-)engage middle- and younger-aged adults?  will they help us to be more focused, or will the changes themselves be a distraction? I’m excited to try something new, and look forward to what God is doing/will do among us!
 

Apr 20, 2010 at 9:22 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

I love Jesus better than ice cream

“I love Jesus better than ice cream” the children sang this Easter morning, and that line was in my mind all along as I prepared my sermon.

One of the ice cream stories that I thought of, but didn’t make it into my sermon in the end (and makes a better post script/commentary afterward anyway I think!) is a story I read about a man named John Harrison who tastes ice cream for a living. He’s the chief ice cream taster for Dreyers ice cream, responsible for developing new ice cream flavours (like Dreyers French Silk Slow-Churned Ice Cream that I’ve never had but would like to try some day), he trains ice cream tasters all over America, and his tongue is actually ensured for over $1 million. As an ice cream taster, he always tastes ice cream with a gold-plated spoon because wood, plastic, or other metals leave an after taste. He avoids caffeine, garlic, and spicy foods because they would interfere with his taste buds.

That got me wondering about our spiritual taste buds—whether we lose or damage our taste for spiritual things, whether we allow other things to interfere with our taste even for the good news of Easter. Just like eating too many chocolate bunnies dulls our appetite for dinner, maybe watching too much tv, or spending too much time on the internet, or just generally wanting to go our own way, can dull our longing for God and spiritual connection. That’s a good reason to be deliberate about giving up something for Lent or adding in a deliberate spiritual discipline. Just as John Harrison gives up caffeine so his taste for ice cream is at its best, we can give up something for Lent to sharpen our spiritual taste buds so to speak. And just as he deliberately uses a gold-plated spoon, we can deliberately use a daily quiet time or journaling or some other spiritual discipline.

So during--and now even after Lent--may our spiritual taste buds remain sharp so that we may “taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8). Happy Easter everyone!
 

Apr 4, 2010 at 1:31 PM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Sibling Rivalry?

Last Sunday's sermon on sibling rivalry got some interesting responses: I could see some nudging the person next to them on certain points; others told me stories about their own brothers and/or sisters after the service; some parents had questions about what it means to treat their kids equally since siblings have their own individual personalities and preferences, and treating them all the same isn't always fair either because the impact on each may be very different.

There are always more questions and more material than there is time for in a single sermon! That's why no sermon is ever really over when the sermon is over--instead, we need to mull things over, and talk about them, and do our own reading and research, and pray, and live things out, and allow God to continue to speak to us and guide us.

A few things that I had in my notes but that didn't quite fit in my sermon on Sunday:

- siblings impact one another and help to shape the kind of people we will be in adulthood

- gender, birth order, and the ages and number of children affect sibling relationships

- a healthy parent-child relationship can help to foster healthy relationships among siblings

- sibling rivalry needs good conflict resolution skills - respect; listening; sharing; positive communication instead of insults, yelling or hitting.  Start early to teach children how to settle disputes.   

Mar 17, 2010 at 6:19 PM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Following Jesus Changes People's Priorities

I loved this title for Shigali's sermon last week, because it was really a sermon in a title--following Jesus changes people's priorities!

Sometimes we're like the child who wanted to take too many toys and clothes and other things on the trip into outer space--we want to take many things with us as we follow Jesus.  But just like that child, we need to consider our priorities.

I guess that's why I blog, and why I don't blog every day--I make it a priority to communicate and to have an on-line presence, and to be present and communicate off-line too.  hope to see you soon!

Feb 11, 2010 at 10:20 AM

Permalink

Be the first to comment on this post

Timeless Worship?

I've sometimes wondered why there's never been a clock in the sanctuary--no clock on the back or side wall as I've seen in some churches, not even a clock on the pulpit (except for a very small timer that's never worked as long as I've been at the church).

Has it simply been an oversight all these years?  Is it because most people have their own way of keeping time with a wristwatch--or now by cell phone?  Or is it as I prefer to think of it, that not having a clock in the sanctuary says something about worship--unhurried, unregulated by the clock, timeless, totally immersed in and led by the Spirit.

Some might say we could have used a clock last Sunday since our worship went on longer than usual(!), but at the same time I'm glad that we took the time for all the sharing, prayer, and the Lord's Supper.  One email response received this week:  "I thought this past Sunday was one of the most meaningful to me since coming to Emmanuel definitely in the top 5 ! ....  I wish that prayer wall would stay a part of our service for a while. I think it has drawn me to focus more on the prayer concerns of my brothers and sisters at Emmanuel."

Jan 26, 2010 at 9:48 AM

Permalink

Comments (1)

Worship Stats

Every week, our ushers note our Sunday morning worship attendance, and their record reveals some interesting stats for us as a congregation.  

In 2009, our average worship attendance was 230.  In 2008, the average worship attendance was 228.  In both years, the average was calculated over 54 services--52 Sunday mornings plus Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

In 2009, Easter Sunday was the most well attended at 320.  In 2008, Easter Sunday was also the most well attended at 273.  Christmas Day attendance for 2009 was 134 compared to the 60 brave souls who attended last Christmas Day 2008 when there was so much snow!  The Sunday with the lowest attendance in 2009 was July 26 at 149, and in 2008 it was July 6 at 180.  Good Friday attendance was 265 in 2009; 258 in 2008.

One conclusion from these stats:  although Good Friday is no longer planned jointly with other churches (since our partners are involved either in planning a German Good Friday worship, or focusing more on their own Thursday evening and Easter Sunday celebrations), the strong attendance indicates a continuing interest from our own congregation and beyond, so I look forward to planning Good Friday worship again in 2010.  I also look forward to sharing these stats in more detail with the  Worship Committee at our next meeting. . . .    

Jan 13, 2010 at 2:27 PM

Permalink

Comments (1)