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I just returned from Tacoma, Washington, where I spent last week teaching a Doctor of Ministry seminar at Northwest Baptist Seminary. The seminar was on "Creativity in Preaching and Teaching," and it was an enjoyable week spent with a great group of pastors and church leaders. The seminary campus is right next to Puget Sound in a picturesque setting, but for most of the week the sky was overcast and you couldn't see much in the distance. (They tell me that's par for the course in the Seattle-Tacoma area.) But on Friday, the sun came out and the clouds went away, and there was Mt. Rainier in all its glory. It had been there all the time; I just couldn't see it before. So many of God's gifts are that way. They're right there all the time; I just have so much going on that it obstructs the view and I can't see clearly. Here's praying that this week the sky will clear for you, and you'll see God's presence in your life in a vivid and powerful way. Michael
Duduit, Editor A request to Dallas-area readers: We are looking for one or two churches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (or within driving distance of that area) that would be willing to provide a mini-bus or church bus for shuttle service during the National Conference on Preaching April 24-26. If you might be able to help us, drop me an email (michael@preaching.com) or give us a call at 800-288-9673. Thanks!
Is there anticipation for worship at your church? In this week's edition of his Tuesday Mornings newsletter, Tom Barnard writes, "A few days ago, under a cloudless sky and a toasty sun in Florida and Arizona, the 2006 pre-season for professional baseball teams began. As sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe said about the opening day of spring training, 'If you live for baseball, the first full squad spring workout is just about the best day of the season. It means that box scores -- one of the four basic food groups for seamheads around the world -- will soon be part of your morning breakfast again.' "It's called anticipation! It's an old ritual, but new every year. It happens with every professional baseball team in the universe. It happens at the same spring locations in the southeast and southwest. Many of the same fans will be there -- watching and screaming and eating hot dogs. It's called anticipation! "No games have been played yet this spring. No umpires have walked onto the field to announce, "Batter Up!" No strikes or balls have been called. No runs have been scored. No winners announced. Opening Day for major league baseball is around the corner -- April 2. And baseball fans everywhere are ready! It's called anticipation! . . . "Could there be any correlation between what happens in baseball parks in the spring and church services on Sundays where you worship? Probably not. There is a huge difference between baseball and church. I just thought I would ask. "Do you see anticipation on the faces of kids whose parents drop them off at the entrance to your church five minutes before the beginning of Sunday school? Do adults enter your sanctuary on Sunday with a look of anticipation and excitement that is anything like the expressions on the faces of baseball fans who enter your hometown ballpark this spring? When the choir (or worship team) begins singing the first words of their song . . . do you see anticipation on their faces? Do their bodies or hands move with anticipation at the sound of the drums and electric guitars that signal the start of corporate worship? Is this too much to expect when God's children gather? "Someone apparently forgot to explain things to the Psalmist. Here is what he had to say about worship:
"How about starting your eleven o'clock worship service next Sunday with those words? It won't happen where you worship, you say? It's too enthusiastic, you say? It's too emotional, you say? It's too noisy, you say? Too bad. Professional baseball is far ahead of most churches in terms of anticipation. And their season hasn't even started yet!" (For
a free subscription to Tuesday Mornings, write to barnard22@cox.net.)
Where they preached The new Oxford History of Christian Worship (Oxford University Press) is a wonderful and fascinating look at how Christian worship has developed from the first century to today. It's a hefty (916 pages) and well-illustrated tome that will offer hours if insights about the legacy in which we share as preachers and worship leaders. In his chapter on "The Spatial Setting," James F. White observes that the earliest worship took place in private homes, then by the third century AD it appears renovations were being made to better accommodate worship. By the late third century, church buildings were beginning to be constructed in many cities. White writes: "The greatest single change came in the fourth century, when under Constantine and his successors Christianity became respectable and then advantageous. Imperial architects built monumental churches in Rome, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. It is significant that the form chosen, the basilica, was a secular building used for law courts, not the religious architecture of the temple. The basilica enclosed the community; the temple excluded it. Basically the basilica was a large hall that might have side aisles with clerestory windows above and a semicircular apse at one short end. The Christian bishop and clergy simply took the place of the judge and lawyers in the apse . . . . "Originally the preaching was done by the bishop seated in his cathedra in the apse. Saint John Chrysostom, a great preacher with a weak voice, began preaching from the ambo so as better to be seen and heard, and most preachers since have followed this adaptation by going to the people to preach. The rest of the service was led from ambo, throne, and altar-table. The pulpit had become a distinct liturgical center in its own right and could be quite remote from the altar-table, wherever the people could see and hear best. "Many medieval pulpits stood on the north side of the middle of the nave, where listeners could gather to hear the preacher. This implied a mobile congregation such as still exists in much of the Orthodox world. The biggest single change in worship in the West came late in time, after the Black Death of the fourteenth century, when pews began to encroach on open territory. The congregation, hitherto mobile, sat down on the job and ended with a single orientation, facing the east end. For a thousand years or more they had been on their feet; now their attention was fixed in a single direction." (Click here to learn more about the book The Oxford History of Christian Worship) Not familiar with some of the architectural terms used here? Then you'll want to visit our Link of the Week (see below).
Are family-friendly movies successful? With the Academy Awards around the corner and the Hollywood press machine in full tilt, one might think that controversial. R-rated movies are driving the movie industry. Yet as Gene Edward Veith points out in the March 4 issue of World magazine, the most successful films are the family-friendly productions that tend not to win those gold statuettes. "Ever since 1992, the Christian Film & Television Commission has been surveying what kinds of films do best at the box office, finding that family-friendly movies consistently make the most money. The effect is especially pronounced in this year's study. The top 10 movies of 2005 were, in order: Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; War of the Worlds; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Wedding Crashers; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Batman Begins; Madagascar; Mr. & Mrs. Smith; and Hitch. "Of these, only one (Wedding Crashers) was rated R. Nine had at least some moral, Christian, or biblical content, as determined by the commission's content analysis as published in its journal Movieguide. Seven had no overt sexual content. None had any overt left-wing or anti-American politics . . . . Of the top 25, only three were rated R. Altogether, movies with little sex, bad language, and violence earned an average of $45 million per movie, whereas films with those elements raked in a little over $27 million. Thus, on the average, family-friendly films outperformed the others by 65 percent." (Click here to read the full article.) http://www.worldmag.com/articles/11582
ILLUSTRATION: Vision, Failure Edward Steichen, who eventually became one of the world's most renowned photographers, almost gave up on the day he shot his first pictures. At 16, young Steichen bought a camera and took 50 photos. Only one turned out -- a portrait of his sister at the piano. Edward's father thought that was a poor showing. But his mother insisted that the photograph of his sister was so beautiful that it more than compensated for 49 failures. Her encouragement convinced the youngster to stick with his new hobby. He stayed with it for the rest of his life, but it had been a close call. What tipped the scales? The vision to spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure. (Bits & Pieces, February 4, 1993)
Last
Chance to Save $55 on Registration for March 1 is the deadline to save $55 with the Early-Bird registration fee for the 2006 National Conference on Preaching, scheduled for April 24-26 at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX (suburban Dallas). "Preaching Creatively" is the theme of the 2006 NCP. (Visit the new and expanded conference website at www.preaching.com/ncp.) A remarkable team of speakers will be on hand for NCP 2006, including: Ed Young, Jr., Haddon Robinson, Calvin Miller, Dieter Zander, Jack Graham, Doug Pagitt, Steve Wende, Bryan L. Carter, Mike Glenn, Leroy Armstrong, Jr., Rick White, Timothy Warren, David Allen, Ramesh Richard, and many more. You'll draw insights and encouragement from the theme-related addresses on preaching creatively, plus great sermons and many practical workshops. Mark your calendar now to be part of the conference. Click here for additional information or to register (or call 800-288-9673). Don't forget -- register before March 1 and save $55 off the regular registration fee.
ILLUSTRATION: Prejudice, Bigotry Nat King Cole became a successful recording artist and was the first African-American to host his own national television program. In 1948, he purchased a beautiful home in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood. When the local neighborhood association confronted him and informed him they didn't want any "undesirables" to move in, Cole responded, "Neither do I. If I see any coming in here, I'll be the first to complain." He lived in that house until his death in 1965.
ILLUSTRATION: Stress, Worry A chiropractor was known for having a big sign on the wall in his waiting room that asked, "When you wear out this body, then where will you live?" On September 5, 2004, the New York Times reported that "workplace stress costs the nation more than $300 billion each year in health care, missed work, and the stress-reduction industry that has grown up to soothe workers and keep production high." As David Jeremiah asserts, "Whether $300 billion is accurate or not, everyone agrees that stress takes a high toll in personal and societal life. And Satan is likely behind a large part of that stress without being held accountable. The devil is out to destroy people any way he can -- physically, emotionally, or spiritually. And stress is certainly one way to wear people out and make them useless to God or themselves. The apostle Paul confessed that Satan hindered him "time and again" from being able to visit Thessalonica. Hopefully, Paul took such delays in spiritual stride and remained at peace. But do we? Watch for stress points in your day and make sure you're not falling prey to the devil's strategy to wear you out. "Trusting God means letting stress points become rest points in the road of life." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 2-3-06)
"Faith is trusting in advance what will only makes sense in reverse." (Philip Yancey)
ILLUSTRATION: Confusion, Signs A five year old boy went for a weekend trip with his grandparents. On the way home, they stopped at a country restaurant for lunch. The little boy left the table to use the restroom by himself. A moment later he returned with a confused look on his face. He says, "Grandpa, am I a rooster or a hen?"
A man rushed into the doctor's office and shouted, "Doctor! I think I'm shrinking!!" The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. You'll just have to be a little patient."
Signs
that the Starship Enterprise - Impulse engines stall when used in reverse. - Digital speedometer on helm console stuck at "88." - Shields fail to work on alternate Fridays. - Rust problem in engineering causes support failure: one corner of warp coil now held up by phone book. - Computer fails to process any instruction beginning with "w." - Booster cables become permanent fixtures in transporter room. - Captain's chair must be propped up against screen to keep image from flickering. - Guinan stops wearing large, heavy hats for fear of falling through squeaky part of floor in 10-forward. - Main sensor array unable to pick up anything except CBS. - Lower part of bridge falls even lower and ramps along either side become too steep for crew to climb. - Turbolift cannot climb past deck 5 when there are more than 2 people on board. - Holodeck becomes caught in an infinite loop: ship is overcome by ten thousand care bears. - Ship cannot enter warp while food dispenser is making Kraft macaroni and cheese. (from Cybersalt Digest)
And finally . . . First the Mother Teresa cinnamon bun is stolen, and now this. A hardware store employee in Manchester, CT, had a religious experience on the job recently: he found what he says is the face of Jesus on a $15.49 piece of sheet metal. Thomas Haley was unloading supplies at Hardy's Hardware when he made his discovery. Now, according to a Feb. 26 AP story, "Haley and a co-worker are hawking the holy hardware on eBay, hoping potential bidders will agree that the blurry oil stain on the sheet metal does, indeed, resemble Jesus." Haley and a co-worker have shown the sheet metal to several other people who agree with their judgment as to the identity of the image, though others think it looks more like deceased rock star Jim Morrison of The Doors. The online eBay auction runs until March 8. As of Monday afternoon, the bidding is up to $1,100. (Click here if you'd like to see the listing and place your own bid.)
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