Reflections on Lenten Service

Last night, we had our second Lenten service. Again, we had a more informal worship time. I thought the service went very well. Instead of sermon, we had more of a Bible study. I felt that after awhile it turned into a sermon, but it was different. It was something like an...interactive sermon. I would ask questions, get some thoughts and preach on it. I liked the spontaneity of it. I could feel the Spirit working through me as people's heads were nodding as we interpreted and meditated on God's Word. I am still trying to find the right balance of straight preaching versus making it a Bible study...my guess is that by the final Wednesday service, I'll have figured it out.

More than anything, I am excited when I know everyone at worship comes away with something to think about. I am excite when I know folks come away feel more confident about seeing the meaning in God's Word.

I realize that as a pastor for two churches, my time is limited. But, I would really like to explore the opportunities in an alternative-type worship service during the week. I think we could rotate it between the churches and have a similar format. I think there is a real ministry opportunity here. We'll see what the future holds.

Another Thought
Wednesdays, for many churches, are a popular night for programming. It is a common night for choir practices. Some churches have a programming night. Some even offer a meal beforehand. At our churches, we have Confirmation on Wednesday evenings. During Lent, we had to move Confirmation, which has become quite difficult to re-schedule. In speaking with another pastor in the Fond du Lac area, he said they moved their Lenten services to Thursday evenings.

This may be a little non-traditional, but this is something that I may put out there as an idea for our Lenten services in the future. I am realizing that 2-hour Confirmation classes can test the attention span of both and the students and the teacher. I am envisioning classes that are 60 to 90 minutes. This would mean more classes. I like having the classes on Wednesday nights, so I am going to explore the possibility of moving our Lenten services to Thursday nights. That's a year away, so we can hold off on that for now :).

Leaving the Safety of Church

On Sunday, I will be delivering a message about Christians being perceived as hypocritical. Whether you like it or not, there is a perception that Christians are hypocritical. Specifically, folks in their 20s and 30s who are not Christians feel as though Christians do not live out the very things that they say the believe. Eighty percent of these folks know someone who is a committed Christian, but only 15% believe that those Christians live a lifestyle different from anyone else.

Our bible reading for this Sunday focus on right living. Our reading from James asks us to be doers of the word, not just hearers. In our reading from Mark, Jesus tells us that is from the heart that bad deeds come forth. Church can be a safe environment. Are we ready to take our faith out from the church and bring it into the community?

Post Service Conversation

After the 9:00am worship service at Tabor United Methodist Church, a gentlemen came up to me to talk about the message. My mind, of course, wanders to worries about him calling me out on my history or my theology. Instead, he shared with me two thoughts about my message this morning. They are great points that I wanted to share with you today:

1. What is wisdom? - I would argue that wisdom is applied knowledge. In that sense, books smarts is fine, but until you can discern how to apply it, it is not wisdom. This man took is a step further. He said that that may be true, but what good is wisdom until you've used it in the world. In a way, you can spout of wise sayings, but unless you use them to better the world, they really don't do all that much good. I liked that.

2. Visits by God - In the lectionary lesson about Solomon, he was approached by God in a dream. The gentlemen and I talked about how while that may not happen to us today, we are still called on by God. It is just a matter of whether or not we are able to discern that call.

I appreciated the conversation. At least people are listening!

Other Sunday Notes:

• Together with Fond du Lac community, Oakfield UMC did their part to help put together 700 book bags for area students.
• One parishioner told me that she wanted my sermons to be longer. Really?!?