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I recently had the privilege of attending a gathering of the four major Black Baptist conventions, which had a joint gathering in Nashville. It was no surprise that the preaching was great, but this was one of those meetings where even the introductions were enough to get you stirred up! (It was also a reminder that the African-American church is the one place in contemporary American society where great oratory is still deeply appreciated.) The highlight, for me, was the closing sermon by Gardner C. Taylor, one of the great preachers of our day. The best idea I heard was during an offering, when the presiding pastor talked about giving a "shoe offering" — he said you tell each person to look down at the shoes on their feet and give as much as they spent on those shoes! (I'm looking forward to trying that some time!) One of the "fraternal messengers" shared a story of how his son once asked where he had been born. "I was born in Texas, son." Then he asked where his mother was born. "She was born in Louisiana." And where had he been born? "You were born in Oklahoma, son." The boy thought about it a bit, then smiled and said, "Aren't you glad we all got together?" Whenever brothers and sisters in Christ can reach across the lines that divide us, and can gather together in praise and service of our Lord, it's a time worth celebrating. Aren't you glad when we all get together? Don't
you think we should do it more often? Michael
Duduit, Editor Click here to visit "I Was Just Thinking" for insights and observations about faith and culture issues.
"I Thirst" In her slim volume of meditations, The Seven Last Words From the Cross (Eerdmans), Fleming Rutledge has these observations on Jesus' statement, "I thirst." "This mighty Creator God is the same that John's Gospel identifies at the outset: 'In the beginning was the Word . . . All things were made through him . . . and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:1, 3, 14). Jesus Christ, therefore — the Word made flesh — is the same One who commands living water, the water that wells up to eternal life. Following this promise to the Samaritan woman, in chapter 7 he stands up in the temple and proclaims to all who gathered there, 'If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water'' (John 7:37-38) "Reflect now upon the saying from the Cross, I thirst, and compare it to the saying Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst, and to the saying If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. . . . The One who gives the calm of lakes and pools, the freshness of brooks and streams, the majestic depths of seas and oceans, the glory of pounding surf, the might of Niagara and the tinkle of the garden fountain, the One from whose being flows the gift of the water of eternal life — this is the One who is dying of a terrible thirst on the Cross for the love of his lost sheep." (Click here to learn more about the book The Seven Last Words From the Cross)
Taking care of your voice Speaker/Voice Coach Joni Wilson shares some facts about our communication tool, our voice.
Spurgeon: Preaching is hard work "I
have heard of a brother who trusts in the Lord, and does not study;
but I have also heard that his people do not trust in him; in
fact, I am informed that they wish him to go elsewhere with his
inspired discourses, for they say that, when he did study, his
talk was poor enough, but now that he gives them that which comes
first to his lips, it is altogether unbearable. If any man will
preach as he should preach, his work will take more out of him
than any other labour under heaven. If you and I attend to our
work and calling, even among a few people, it will certainly produce
a friction of soul and a wear of heart which will tell upon the
strongest. . . ." (Charles Spurgeon, An All-Round Ministry)
What will NCP 2005 do for you? Here's the response of some who attended the 2004 National Conference on Preaching:
The 15th annual National Conference on Preaching is slated for April 18-20, 2005 in Nashville, Tennessee. The theme of NCP 2005 will be "Preaching With Passion," and an outstanding line-up of speakers will be participating, including William Willimon, Dave Stone, H. Beecher Hicks, James Earl Massey, Ray Ortlund, Jr., Robert Smith, Jim Shaddix, Mike Glenn, Bill Self, Carol Noren, R. Leslie Holmes, and more. The annual conference is sponsored by Preaching magazine. In addition to the plenary sessions and workshops for preachers, NCP 2005 will also have workshop tracks for worship leaders, student/youth pastors and ministry spouses. So plan to bring your entire leadership team! The
regular registration is $250, but if you register before March
1 the cost is only $225 — a $25 savings! Additional registrants
from the same church (and spouses) can register for just $100
per person. For more information or to register, call 1-800-288-9673
(outside the US call 615-599-9889), or visit us on the web at
www.preaching.com/ncp.
ILLUSTRATION: Moral Courage, Influence In his Tuesday Mornings newsletter for Jan. 25, Tom Barnard Asked, "Do you remember the legend of 'Molly Pitcher' and her heroism in the Battle for Monmouth, New Jersey in June 1778, during the War for Independence? Her real name, more likely, was Mary Hays McCauly. "According to the legend, Molly's husband served as an artilleryman under General Stirling. Their cannons were aimed at the British Redcoats as they attempted to cross a causeway. Stirling's cannons bought time for General Washington to take command and regroup General Lee's scattered forces. According to the legend, Molly accompanied William, her husband, in the fight against the British. While he helped reload the cannon to which he was assigned, Molly hauled an artillery bucket filled with water from a nearby spring to the troops. The men shouted, "Here comes Molly with her pitcher!" Thus, the nickname was given her — Molly "Pitcher." "It was a very hot summer day, and the issue of the battle was still in doubt. Neither side seemed able to gain an advantage. Victory was within the grasp of either army. During the fight, Molly's husband fell wounded. There was no one to take his place, and his cannon's crew prepared to abandon the field of battle. But without a moment's hesitation, says the legend, Molly laid the bucket aside and grabbed the rammer staff from her fallen husband's hand and began to swab and reload the cannon. She quickly mastered the technique and agility of a trained artilleryman. "The enemy is almost upon us!" cried one of the soldiers. "Stand fast," replied Molly. The cheers of her fellow soldiers rang down the line. The battle turned, and there in the ranks stood Molly Pitcher, a cannoneer. . . . "Morality is born in the hearts of men and women, and through them institutions are changed. And history is made. "It is unlikely that modern-day Mollies will be forced into battles like the Revolutionary War. But it is very likely that women and men of this generation will be called upon to take up the battle against tyranny, secularism, and moral corruption in our neighborhoods, cities, and nation. Every generation needs leaders with a true moral compass."
ILLUSTRATION: Loss, Excuses Morris F. Udall, former Secretary of the Interior, lost an eye in an accident when he was six years old. Children would tease him cruelly about the eye. In self defense he started poking fun at himself. He learned early on to compensate for that lost eye by working harder than other kids. In his Junior and Senior years in high school, he was editor of the yearbook, captain of the football team, high scorer on the basketball team, had his own dance band, and wrote a political column for the newspaper. Later he became a national leader. He traced part of his success back to that lost eye. It could have been his excuse for failure; instead, he made it a challenge to excellence. Each of us has some liability. It can be our reason for not trying or it could be our stimulus for success. (Bill Bouknight, "Just a Thought")
ILLUSTRATION: Commitment, Faithfulness A nurse shared this story of faithfulness: It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman, in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had a doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease. As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him. "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said. "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." (from Mikey's Funnies)
ILLUSTRATION: Health, Physicians A middle-aged man wasn't feeling well, so he went to the doctor for a check up. After a thorough examination, the doctor said, "Based on my examination, the best thing for you is to cut out all sweets and fatty foods, give up alcohol, and stop smoking." The man said, "Well, to be honest with you Doc, I don't deserve the best. What's the second best?" (from Pastor Tim's Sermon Illustrations and Inspirations List)
ILLUSTRATION: Generosity, Giving, Rewards Steve Eutsler, a pastor in Springfield, MO, sent us this story: Eight high school students who gave their senior class trip money to a teacher with cancer will be able to travel after all, thanks to donations from people who were touched by the students' generosity. The eight graduating seniors at Lima High School in southwest Montana gave $5,000 in December to Karla McGraw, a teacher and volleyball coach diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, to help her with medical expenses. When Lima resident Ben Yarbrough heard about the students' donation, he set up a fund that has since grown to more than $8,300. 'It's just been so amazing,' senior class president Tahnee Stosich told The Montana Standard. More that $3,000 in the fund came from high school students in nearby Dillon, who raised the money by selling cookie dough. 'It seems like every day we read about kids getting into trouble,' said Dave Marsh, a resident who told Dillon students about the generosity of their peers in Lima and suggested the fund-raiser. The Lima students — many of whom have never seen the ocean — wanted to visit a coastal Oregon town. A man donated airline tickets, a hotel cut $1,000 from the price of their rooms, and they received free tickets to a Portland Trail Blazers basketball game. Steve writes, "These students received a lot more in the end than they ever gave in the beginning. When everyone does their part, generosity often results in great rewards. And a great return is even more certain when we give to others out of our love for Christ." (Citation: Associated Press, "Students' Sacrifice of Senior Trip Is Rewarded" in the Springfield Sunday News-Leader (Springfield, Mo.), Sunday, 23 January 2005, p 6A.)
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ILLUSTRATION: Faith "Take
the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase,
just take the first step." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
ILLUSTRATION: Planning, Bad Day From a letter sent to an insurance company concerning a claim: "I am writing in response to your request for additional information. In block number three of the accident reporting form, I put 'poor planning' as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more and I trust that the following details are sufficient: "I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of bricks left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which fortunately was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor. "Securing the rope at the ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks. You will note in block number 11 of the accident reporting form that I weigh 135 pounds. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building. "In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains the fractured scull and broken collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain. "At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground — and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel now weighed approximately 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in block number 11. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. "In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles and lacerations of my legs and lower body. The encounter with the barrel, slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks and fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to move, and watching the barrel six stories above — I again lost my presence of mind. "I let go of the rope!" (from www.cybersalt.org)
"The secret of my success is that at an early age I discovered I was not God." (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.)
Characteristics of Great Leaders In the January-February issue of Leader Links (www.leaderlinks.com), Stan Toler shares five characteristics of great leaders. One of those characteristics he writes, is that "Great Leaders Are Learners. Leadership in any arena comprises two components. The first is technical expertise or the ability to get the job done. It is important for a leader to be proficient in the skills of his or her discipline, whether that's preaching or pounding nails. A leader must never stop growing. Leaders must continually seek the best methods to and most current information. "But there is another component of leadership. Leaders must be willing to pass the torch to a new generation. They must be teachers as well as learners, helping others learn what they have mastered." (Click here to read the rest of the article.) Leader
Links is a dynamic new resource for church leaders. Each
issue contains helpful articles, resources and more. Interested
readers can also go to the site (or just click
here) and subscribe to LeadingNow, a monthly e-mail
newsletter featuring ideas and resources for Christian leaders.
LeaderLinks is a publication of American Ministry Resources,
which is the publisher of PreachingNow,
Preaching magazine
and preaching.com.
ILLUSTRATION: Women, Men, Finding a Mate A woman was walking along the beach when she stumbled upon a Genie's lamp. She picked it up, rubbed it, and a Genie appeared. The amazed woman asked if she got three wishes. The Genie said, "No. Due to inflation, constant down-sizing, and fierce global competition, I can only grant you one wish. So, what'll it be?" The woman didn't hesitate. She said, "I want peace in the Middle East. See this map? I want these countries to stop fighting with each other." The Genie looked at the map and exclaimed, "Lady, these countries have been at war for thousands of years. I'm good but not THAT good! Make another wish." "The woman thought for a minute and said, "Well, I've never been able to find the right man. You know, one that's considerate and fun, likes to cook and helps with the housecleaning, is romantic, gets along with my family, doesn't watch sports all the time and is faithful. That's what I wish for — a perfect husband." The Genie let out a long sigh and said, "Let me see that map again."
ILLUSTRATION: Compliments, Timing After a particularly inspiring worship service, a church member greeted the pastor. "Reverend, that was a wonderful sermon. You should have it published." The pastor replied, "Actually, I'm planning to have all my sermons published posthumously." "Great!"
enthused the church member. "The sooner the better!"
ILLUSTRATION: Parenting, Children "I
have found the best way to give advice to your children is
to find out what they want and then advise them to do it."
(Harry S. Truman)
10 Reasons Not to Wash If you took the same excuses that people use for not going to church and apply them to other important areas of life you'd realize how inconsistent we can be in our logic. For example: Reasons Not To Wash 1. I was forced to as a child. 2. People who make soap are only after your money. 3. I wash on special occasions like Christmas and Easter. 4. People who wash are hypocrites — they think they are cleaner than everyone else. 5. There are so many different kinds of soap, I can't decide which one is best. 6. I used to wash, but it got boring so I stopped. 7. None of my friends wash. 8. The bathroom is never warm enough in the winter or cool enough in the summer. 9. I'll start washing when I get older and dirtier. 10. I can't spare the time (from Pastor Tim at www.cybersalt.org)
And finally . . . No good deed goes unpunished — at least in Durango, Colorado. That's where two teenage girls skipped a dance to bake cookies for their neighbors — and got sued in the process. According to a Feb. 4 article in the Denver Post, "The July 31 deliveries consisted of half a dozen chocolate-chip and sugar cookies accompanied by big hearts cut out of red or pink construction paper with the message: 'Have a great night.' The notes were signed, "Love, The T and L Club," code for Taylor Ostergaard, then 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitti, 18." But according to the Post report, "Inside one of the nine scattered rural homes south of Durango that got cookies that night, a 49-year-old woman became so terrified by the knocks on her door around 10:30 p.m. that she called the sheriff's department. Deputies determined that no crime had been committed. But Wanita Renea Young ended up in the hospital emergency room the next day after suffering a severe anxiety attack she thought might be a heart attack." When the girls found out about the situation, they sent an apology and their families offered to cover the woman's medical bills. That wasn't enough for Young, however, who took them to court. Last week, a Durango judge awarded Young $900 to recoup her medical bills. She received nothing for pain and suffering. "The victory wasn't sweet," Young said after the judgment. "I'm not gloating about it. I just hope the girls learned a lesson." I'm sure they learned one lesson: they have a really strange neighbor. (Click here to read the Post article in full.) http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2691638,00.html
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