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I just read about the Doomsday Seed Vault, being carved out of frozen rock on an island near the North Pole. (Apparently a new neighbor for Santa's workshop.) According to a report from LiveScience.com, "The Global Crop Diversity Trust is helping to fund the vault's operations and pay for the preparation and transport of seeds to the Arctic isle of Svalbard. The island was chosen for the vault in part because its ground is perpetually frozen permafrost. This means it can provide natural backup refrigeration to help preserve seeds, should electricity fail." Concerned primarily with the effect of climate change on biological diversity and future food production, the sponsors say that the remote vault "will act like a Noah's Ark for nearly every food crop of every country, to safeguard the agricultural heritage of humankind in the face of increasing global environmental changes." I'm sure this is a worthwhile project -- though why anyone would want to protect broccoli and collards is beyond me -- and it prompts yet another idea: a permanent repository for the safekeeping of excellent sermons. Given the constant threat to preaching and the potential that each great sermon could be the last, we at Preaching magazine have decided to step up to the plate and create the Doomsday Sermon Vault, which will be carved out of frozen kudzu on a farm near Bucksnort, Tennessee. (This should be considerably cheaper than moving into Santa's neighborhood, and there's also a steady supply of roadkill for the staff.) In addition to preserving sermon manuscripts -- an endangered species in and of itself -- the Doomsday Sermon Vault will also provide a vital last line of defense protecting sermons on DVD, CD, cassette tapes and more. (The rare "Benny Hinn Sermons on 8-Track Collection" is an example of a near-extinct species that will find a permanent home in the vault.) Some time in the future, if the day arrives that we face a Sunday with nothing but mediocre preaching in store, we'll all be glad to know that there will be a source of great preaching available to repopulate the homiletical fields. So be sure to send along your gift for the Doomsday Sermon Vault. Operators are waiting. Michael
Duduit, Editor Click here to visit "I Was Just Thinking" (Michael's blog) for insights and observations about faith and culture issues. Recent topics: Anglicans stand firm; Looking at ourselves. Visit
www.preaching.com/icop
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April 17-19 in Cambridge, England, sponsored by Preaching
magazine.
Ten Deadly Sins of Preaching This was my first year to attend the National Pastors Convention. (OK, San Diego weather compared to Nashville's freezing temperatures was a helpful consideration!) One of the speakers was John Ortberg, who shared his own 10 deadly sins of preaching. (As John observed, there are only seven deadly sins, but preaching just offers too many opportunities for temptation!)
Church needs more 'gutsy' leaders Writing for the February edition of the Catalyst Monthly newsletter, pastor Mark Batterson writes: One of the most under-appreciated dimensions of great leadership is guts. Great leaders are gutsy! It takes different shapes in different arenas. But gutsy leaders dare to be different. They challenge the status quo. They refuse to play it safe. And no one was more gutsy than Jesus! He wasn't afraid of offending Pharisees; touching lepers; washing feet; defending prostitutes; or befriending tax collectors. In the words of Dorothy Sayers: "To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies." I used to have issue with the episode recorded in John 2 where Jesus threw a Temple tantrum. It didn't fit my Sunday School caricature of Jesus. But I've come to appreciate that side of Jesus. He was the lamb of God, but He was also the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It took guts to turn the Temple upside-down and inside-out. The church needs more gutsy leaders who follow suit. (Click here to read the full article.) http://www.catalystspace.com/content/monthly/detail.aspx?i=1209&m=02&y=2007
Real sermons are about God, not me In a meditation for Christian Century based on Luke 6:17-26, William Willimon comments: "Most ministerial speech these days tends to be in the affirmative mood. We pastors are, in the acerbic words of Stanley Hauerwas, a 'quivering mass of availability.' Give me an activity or attitude that appeals to you and I will -- after some sensitive, caring, pastoral reflection -- find theological justification for it. Still, after that unpleasantness in Nazareth, with Jesus rhetorically slashing and burning through the congregation, it's good to hear him in a more affirmative mood two chapters later. The dust settles, Jesus at last gets down on our level and speaks. It is a wonderfully self-revealing moment. Jesus did not get to finish his sermon at Nazareth a few weeks ago. Now, with everyone attentive, and Jesus himself calmed down, he will no doubt lay out his program in detail. Matthew remembers this sermon as being much longer. But despite the brevity of Luke's version, he adds four woes to the Matthean blessings -- woes that negate the opening affirmations, reversing our systems of value. Those woes are a key to Jesus' homiletic. Whereas my most 'prophetic' sermons are in the imperative mood -- do this, do that, you should, you ought -- Jesus preaches in the indicative. The sermon is a picture of who's in and who's out in God's kingdom. I tend to begin sermons with anthropology: descriptions of what we are doing or should do, who we are or who we wish we were. I do this because I assume that most people are more interested in themselves than in God. As Luke says, the huge crowds from all over Judea came not only to 'hear him' but also 'to be healed,' to plug into the therapeutic 'power' that 'came forth from him.' We tend to ask not 'What is God really like?' but rather, 'Jesus, what have you done for me lately?' Narcissism is a hard habit to break. Jesus is more theocentric in his preaching. A sermon is a sermon when it's about God. We learn implications for human behavior only after we learn who God is and what God is up to. . . ." Willimon concludes, "Jesus' sermon is a repeat of Mary's song (Luke 1:45-57.) God takes sides and loves with a love that is not impartial. If we are going to be with this God, the sermon implies, we've got to get down on God's level. Is this anyway to preach? It's certainly not how I learned to preach. In Not Every Spirit, Christopher Morse demonstrates that the early Christians were persecuted not for what they believed (Jesus Christ is Lord) but for what they refused to believe (Caesar is Lord). We pastors are distinguished not only by what we graciously support, but also by what we condemn. Any homiletic that seeks to make peace with hearers cannot be faithful to the gospel. Ralph Wood pointed out that in the great Barmen Declaration of the Confessing Church in Germany, every credimus, 'We believe . . .,' is followed by a damnatis, 'We reject . . .' Alas, when it came time for the rest of the German church to say 'Nein!' it had lost the theological means to know there was even something about the world worth rejecting, as well as lost the courage to say 'No!'"
ILLUSTRATION: Truth, Faith In his sermon "What if Christmas is Really True?," Ray Ortlund, Jr. says, "In the film Crimes and Misdemeanors, Woody Allen goes back in his memory to his boyhood. He sees his atheist aunt ridiculing his uncle for believing in God here in this world where the Holocaust occurred. And his uncle answers, 'If I have to choose between truth and God, I'll choose God every time.' "That is not the kind of faith the Bible is asking for. That is a modern concept of faith, because the modern world, having rejected the Bible, has lost any hope of objective truth about God. So the modern way of thinking tries to solve that dilemma by allowing for two kinds of truth -- hard truth in 'the facts,' which leave us cold, and soft truth in religion, which warms our hearts. But do you see what that does to us? It separates God from the real world we live in. It relegates God, the one we need so much every day, to pious fuzzies that can't stand up to reality. "The Bible never does that. It never tells us to take 'a leap of faith.' It tells us that 2000 years ago the Son of God leapt down into a smelly stall in a third world village because of what a tyrant in his Roman palace demanded, and Christ did that out of love for us. That is the gospel. We don't have to choose between truth and God, because God has come to this world you and I are stuck in. Christ wants to step today into your world." (Click here to read the Acrobat PDF file of the full sermon.) http://media.christpres.org/cpc/pdf/sermons/sermon_Ortlund_121706_Lke2.pdf
ILLUSTRATION: Witness, Courage The father of Origen, a third century theologian, was arrested for being a Christian. Origen, then only 17, was aflame with the desire to follow his Dad and share in glorious martyrdom. His mother pleaded with him not to go, but the headstrong boy did not want to listen to reason. His quick thinking mother did what she could -- she hid his clothes. Though Origen stormed and protested, she wouldn't reveal where they were hidden. He couldn't leave the house, and so he was unable to volunteer for martyrdom. Isn't it interesting? Origen was brave enough to be martyred, but not brave enough to go outside naked. Stepping outside without clothing would have sped up his arrest and imprisonment, but it was a step he was unwilling to take. In a sense, I suspect that talking with a friend about our faith is, for many of us, the equivalent of going outside naked. It makes us uncomfortable. We feel exposed. We declare that we will give our lives for Christ if he should ask it, but to risk a bit of embarrassment for him seems to be beyond our level of discipleship. How sad. The disciples were willing to forsake everything including the esteem of their friends. (King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com)
ILLUSTRATION: Prayer In his book Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? (Zondervan), Philip Yancey writes, "I have learned to see prayer not as my way of establishing God's presence, rather as my way of responding to God's presence that is a fact whether or not I can detect it. My feelings of God's presence -- or God's absence -- are not the presence or the absence. Whenever I fixate on techniques, or sink into guilt over my inadequate prayers, or turn away in disappointment when a prayer goes unanswered, I remind myself that prayer means keeping company with God who is already present. "A friend of mine, an attractive young woman of mixed race, goes each day to visit the most violent prison in South Africa. Her efforts there have shown remarkable results in calming the violence, twice prompting the BBC to produce a documentary on her. In trying to explain those results, Joanna said to me, 'Well, of course, Philip, God was already present in the prison. I just had to make him visible.' "I have come to see prayer along the same lines. God is already present in my life and all around me; prayer offers the chance to attend and respond to that presence." (Click here to learn more about the book Prayer)
ILLUSTRATION: Urgency George was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" and he said no. Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available. George said, "Okay," hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again. "Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now cause I've just shot them all." Then he hung up. Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up at George's residence. Of course, the police caught the burglars red-handed. One of the policemen said to George: "I thought you said that you'd shot them!" George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!" (from Mikey's Funnies)
"Mediocrity thrives on standardization."
What you'll see in Cambridge #4 in a list of sites you'll enjoy when you attend the International Congress on Preaching, April 17-19 in Cambridge, England: Great St. Mary's Church is the University Church in Cambridge. The late Gothic facility was built between 1478 and 1519. Until 1730, all degrees were awarded here; the University Sermon is still preached here each term. The chimes on the clock (built in 1793) were later copied by the builders of Big Ben in London -- they are now called "Westminster Chimes" but they were in Cambridge first. The church is open to visitors, and if the high tower is open when you visit (just 123 steps to the top), you'll enjoy some terrific views of the city. By the way, just outside the church is the oldest bookstore in Britain -- books have been sold on this spot since 1581. If that's not enough to get your blood stirring, what will? Plan to be part of the third International Congress on Preaching in Cambridge, England. You'll enjoy stimulating addresses on the Congress theme, "For Such a Time as This: Preaching Truth in an Age of Idolatry." You'll hear challenging sermons, and you'll participate in practical workshops on a variety of preaching-related topics. You'll hear an amazing lineup of speakers, including: N.T. Wright, Alister McGrath, David Jeremiah, Calvin Miller, Dave Stone, J. Alfred Smith, Gordon Moyes, Michael Quicke, Robert Smith, and many more. (Click here to see a complete list of speakers.) There's still time to register, so make your plans now to be with us. To learn more (and register online), go to www.preaching.com/icop or you can call 800-527-5226 (toll free inside U.S.) or 615-386-3011 (outside the U.S.)
ILLUSTRATION: Missing A wife went to the police station with her next-door neighbor to report that her husband was missing. The policeman asked for a description. She said, "He's 35 years old, 6 foot 4, has dark eyes, dark wavy hair, an athletic build, weighs 185 pounds, is soft-spoken, and is good to the children." The next-door neighbor protested, "Your husband is 5 foot 4, chubby, bald, has a big mouth, and is mean to your children." The wife replied, "Yes, but who wants HIM back?"
"Prayer is a subversive act performed in a world that constantly calls faith into question." (Philip Yancey)
Pave Paradise . . . Below are actual suggestions and comments received by the National Forest Service from visitors to our nation's parks. "Need more signs to keep the park pristine." "Escalators would help on steep uphill areas of the hiking trails." "More families would enjoy the parks and city children could learn more about nature if the Parks Department would provide services that include arcades, water slides and child care." "A big hotel with a golf course and even a convention center would attract more people to this natural beauty." "Instead of a permit system or fees, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to the wilderness." "Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands." "All the mile markers are missing this year." "We found a smoldering cigarette left by a horse." "Many trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building ones that go uphill." "Too many bugs and leeches and spider webs. Please spray wilderness areas to rid them of these pests." "Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow in the winter." "Chair lifts need to be in some places so that we can get to the wonderful views without having to hike to them." "The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals." "It would be nice to have the Kodak scenic markers so we could identify the photographic sites." "I like all the trees but you need to plant some flowers. Flower gardens would be so pretty in the forest." "The giant trees are spectacular but there are too many of the same kind; you should plant different types, for variety." "Reflectors need to be placed on the trees every 50 feet so people could hike at night with flashlights." "You should have a petting zoo here so that the children could touch the squirrels, deer and bears." "I was stung by a bee; you should have warning signs." "A McDonald's would be a nice sight at the trailhead." "The places where trails do not exist are not well marked." "Too many rocks on the mountains." "A deer came into my camp and stole my bag of chips. Is there away I can get reimbursed: Please call . . . . ."
And finally . . . Apparently the cabin fever finally got to James. That would be James Mell, 32, of suburban Detroit, who decided that it would be a fun prank to put a 6-foot-long boa constrictor inside his mailbox as a way to scare his mail carrier. (How big is this mailbox, anyway?) A Feb. 16 AP story reports that the mail carrier was less than amused, as was the federal judge who sentenced Mell to six-months probation for obstructing delivery of the mail. (He could have gotten up to six months in prison.) He has also been sentenced to additional delivery of junk mail for 12-24 months.
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