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Showing posts from 2011

Reformed and freed

--> This is my manuscript for the Reformation Sunday services. The actual sermon was pretty much like this.   Today we commemorate the Reformation of the church. We remember it’s beginning from October 31, 1517, when Father Martin Luther, a Catholic priest, nailed his 95 Thesis to the front door of the Wittenberg Castle Cathedral. Copies of those theses have been included in your bulletins, as well as attached to the doors of our church. I didn’t think it was a good idea to put them on the doors at St. Mary’s. If you read through Luther’s 95 Thesis, you will see that they have to do with the forgiveness of sins, and abuses he believed the priests in Germany were taking in requiring penance and selling indulgences, granting forgiveness for sins that you had not yet committed or purchasing the forgiveness of sins of those who have died. Luther was concerned that the act of forgiving sins was focused too much on the priest granting people forgiveness, and what the person d

Yet Another Sermon I Wish I'd Have Thought To Have Given

And here is the sermon I wish I would have given. From the Sarcastic Lutheran .

Pictures of God, Especially Some On A Not So Good Day

This is the manuscript I wrote for my sermon for Sunday, October 9, on Matthew's Parable of the Wedding Banquet and the Underdressed Guest, but also touching on the other lessons for the day ( Isaiah ,  Psalm 23 , and Phillipians 4. ) The final product resembled this, but I cut parts of the opening. On my computer, my screen saver is called “Best Pics.” It is a random slideshow of around 200 pictures that I have selected. Most of the pictures are from my time at Seminary, because I got a digital camera from the people I worked with as a going away gift. (Which says something – but that’s a different topic.) Now, I have a really good camera on my cell phone, so I can take picture almost anytime. In the slideshow, there are pictures of me at various events and locations, and pictures that I took. I’ve scanned in some pictures that were taken by cameras with actual film. Some people have their collection of pictures displayed on the walls and tables of their homes, or tucked a

You Know You're Gonna Live Through The Rain

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Bon Jovi - Keep The Faith (live)

I Don't Want Justice, I Want What's Mine!

For some reason, I've started writing my sermons as manuscripts, and then making outlines out of them.This week (for Sunday, September 18), I'm trying something REALLLLLLLLY different. My sermon took the form of six one-person monologues. The text is the Parable of the Vineyard Workers, ( Matthew 20.1-16 ) Worker Who Was There All Day (The person is on the phone, and waves to the congregation.) Hey yeah, c’mon in. I’m on hold. Did you hear? Did you hear what happened today? I’m calling the Labor Relations Board. About the vineyard and how unjust that man is? The landowner that’s who. You DID hear what happened? I get up early, like I always do, and go down to the marketplace to wait for the managers to come and hire people. The owner shows up … yeah, the big guy. He picks me and a bunch of other guys. We’re out there by 6 am, and we are working all day. And you know how hot it was out there today. Hold on, sorry, still on hold.  So every few hours some more guys keep com

Forgiveness is Dei -- On A Day When Forgiving Is Extra Difficult

  This is the manuscript I wrote on Saturday to create an outline from which to preach from on Sunday, September 11, 2011. I didn't stick to it. (I never do.) I've added in some of what I remember saying at the two services. Some of this I used, some I didn't but it all went into the stew, and each congregation got a different mix of veggies and meat in service today. Peter asks Jesus how often you must forgive someone who has sinned against you. This comes from the passage just before this, last week’s Gospel lesson, about what you are to do if someone sins against you. For those of you who weren’t here, let me recap: You are to talk to the person face to face so they understand what they did and how it affected you. If that doesn’t work, then you are to take a couple of friends with you and talk to the person again, again so they understand how what they did has wronged you. Should that not work, then bring the matter, and the person, before the congregation, again pres

Random Reading Material - Post-Labor Day

Spanning the world wide web to bring you a constant variety of stories and posts ... the thrill of something useful ... and the agony of #EpicFail. From Living Lutheran , by way of the ELCA Southeastern Synod Blog: Do We Love To Tell The Story? - Do we tell about how our congregation is tied into the work of the greater church and the work going on outside our doors and community? From Skating in the Garden ... : What the Church Can Learn From Gordon Ramsey - Ramsey may be the only chef on TV that I won't watch (besides the Barefoot Contessa) and it's for the same reason; they are both asses. He is verbally, she is for another reason . The way Ramsey talks to people who are holding sharp objects just seems headed for a bad end. But "Skating" uses him to make a great point. He is always saying that a restaurant won't be successful until they are giving customers what they want. She goes onto to make the connection that if we don't have enough young peo

So Honey Please, Don't You Fret, 'Cause You Ain't Seen NOTHING Yet!

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This video reeks of awesomeness! Sam of Sam & Dave backed by a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band with Sam Moore - Hold On / Soul Man from the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert

The Story of a Young Man from the Land of Cars Who Went to the Land of Milk, Cheese and Butter

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Here is the manuscript version of my sermon from today (September 4) based upon the Matthew 18:15-20 text.) Once upon a time, there was a young man who came from the land of cars, who decided to wander about. He went from the land of cars to the land of where a great battle was fought, then he went and lived on a mountain in the South for a while, then wound up in the land of milk, cheese and butter. And he enjoyed himself in the land of milk, cheese and butter. The people in the land of milk, cheese and butter were nice to the young man from the land of cars. They even let him be their leader one day a week. But then they found out something about the young man from the land of cars. He didn’t pay honor and tribute to the rulers of the land of milk, cheese and butter. He did not bow in reverence when their name was called. “The Green Bay Packers.” He did not ritually wear the Green and the Gold. He did not tremble at the name of Rodgers; he was not in awe of the golden locks of

Let's See How Long This Will Last

I'm going to try to make this blog functional again. The key part that was missing ... my motivation. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. PREVIOUSLY ON PREPARE YE: Since the beginning of March, when I had my last "real" post, ( The In Between Times ) I did get the call, and was assigned to a synod in the northwest part of Wisconsin (you can figure it out if you try really hard), flew out to meet the Bishop and his staff, received profiles for a two-point parish (two churches that work together to call a pastor and do other ministries). When I was preparing to come out to meet with the call committee, my mother had a heart attack. Instead of coming for the interview, I went back home to Michigan. I wound up spending the last two weeks of my Senior year with my mom in the hospital or recovering at home. She was bound and determined to come out to Gettysburg for my graduation, and made sure her doctors knew that. We drove out and she saw me graduate. W

Go - Go - Goal USA!!! What A Day!!

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OK, that was the call for the Donovan goal last year versus Algeria, (see below), but the Rapione to Wambach last second thriller was the 2nd most exciting thing to happen to me today. Today's goal in the 122nd minute. A year ago, in stoppage time. OBTW, I have been called to be the pastor to a two church combination in Wisconsin.

Imagine What Is Behind That Wall

Just a copy of Today's Prayer (June 27) from the Church of Scotland's Pray Now site. I love the Prayer Activity. Hope Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... 1 Peter 1:3 Prayer There! There, between the moment I call ‘now’, and the moment that comes next, sits hope , between the days whose weight has borne down on us, in lack of movement, lack of change, the lumpen oppression of the ‘aye been’ and the sheer terrorism of ‘and what’s going to change?’ – there hope sits. For Hope is the possibility that should not be, that to this eternal, hopeless ‘now’ linked by steel chains to what was, and what shall be, ‘same old same old ...’ there is a beyond . Whether we recognise it or not, Lord, hope is the mark of your sovereignty, and our liberation. Hope is your gift. There, between the faith that is trust, and the love that is s

#Rapture Fail

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U2 - Until The End Of The World on May 21, 2011 at Denver's Invesco Field. Bono dedicated the song to Harold Camping after Camping's prediction of the Rapture had come and gone. One of my life lessons this past year, and one of the reason's I have not posted here a great deal is because I am realizing that my initial reaction to situations I disagree with should be at least tempered, if not ignored. I have found that my ability to respond gracefully is a "growing edge." Politically and theologically, I tend to be liberal and progressive. People who think the opposite of what I think tend to cause my stress level to shoot up. I can feel the muscles in my neck and shoulder tense up. My initial response is to lash out and try to inflict the same discomfort in them as I feel. Now, I don't believe that anyone at Fox News, or in the Fundamentalist Church gives a rat's behind what I think, but it doesn't mean I don't want to fire back.

The In Between Times

So, the last real post was Wednesday (the 23rd of February) when I put up the Tom Petty video, "The Waiting Is The Hardest Part." At that point, I, and my fellow Seniors at The LTS, were waiting on our seminary rep to get back from Chicago to find out what of the 9 ELCA regions we would get assigned to. (BTW, here is a great view of what happens from the Bishop's perspective ) People in 2 of the regions were told their bishops were going to meet on that Thursday and they should know what synod they were assigned to shortly thereafter. But for some reason that I haven't felt the need to pick at, many of them didn't find out until Monday, and some on Wednesday. That earned them a weekend of hell that I can only appreciate. Today, bishops of several other regions are meeting for the Council of Bishops. Today, they were to meet to decide which people who are assigned to their region will be assigned to what synod. Of the synods who were meeting today, all of my fe

Let Me Comment On This

While I'm waiting to learn my synod assignment, I thought I'd share some wise advice. Of course it isn't mine. Here at the LTS, we had our Seminary Weekend, and prospective seminarians came to visit the campus. My apartment was one of the ones shown. (Made me clean things up.) One of the visitors noticed that I had all of the New Interpreter's Bible Commentaries for the New Testament, and asked if they were required. I told him they were not required, but many were recommended by our NT professors. That got me thinking about what some of the other seminary professors may be recommending. So, a few minutes later, (thanks Google) here are links to recommended commentaries by some professors at some ELCA Seminaries. (For those of you of a my conservative/literalistic perspective- this can be a don't buy list.)   Trinity Lutheran     Luther Seminary   LTS Gettysburg NT   OT   If the other schools have a suggested commentary list, put it it the comments, and I&