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Yesterday I went through an experience that I was told would be beneficial by one of my supervisors. I had folks evaluate my sermon after I preached this Sunday. She was right, the experience was beneficial. Beneficial because I now know that I never want to have another sermon evaluated by a group of people ever again. As I have heard repeated often this summer, where two or three presbyterians are gathered together, you will have four or five opinions. Some people REALLY appreciate the pace at which I preach ( which has deliberately become pretty slow) some people REALLY didn't like that leave so much space inbetween thoughts. Ugh! The best comment I got: "A sermon should be like a miniskirt, short of enough to be interesting, but long enough to cover the subject." Nothing else, so I'm not sure if my sermon yesterday was too long, too short, or was in fact the perfect mini. Oh well. All I really gained from the experience is the reaffirmation that I can't please everyone. I knew that, but it is now abundantly clear.
Anyway, sorry I haven't been a very good blogger as of late. Blame my wife. She distracts me! (best distraction ever!) There has been plenty to write about and once I get out of here, I will begin the process of doing some hardcore reflection on this summer.
I can share a couple of things briefly. Despite the worry that being out here would push me more to the liberal side of things, I would have to confess that the opposite has happened. Getting away from SFTS has made me realize how seperated from mainstream religion the seminary is. It has also made me realize that I have not seperated from my evangelical roots nor do I wish to distance myself from the term "evangelical". After all, Jim Wallis (one of my few remaining heroes) still considers himself evangelical. The bottom line is I think people need to know Christ. That's what I'm in this for. I also think people need to be loved into that knowledge, not beat over the head with religion.
We had a discussion on the emerging church last Sunday with some congregants from the churches. One of the participants of the conversation made the comment that many of the emerging churches he has seen here in Portland tend to have a conservative lean to them. That is, conservative in terms of theology. I have no problem with that and that is probably why the emerging church appeals to where I am right now, it is "conservative" theology (you know, the whole Jesus was God's son, died and rose from the dead and the Bible's a good way to know what God is up to kinda thinking) coupled with a huge emphasis on social justice. So the conservative leaning in that sense doesn't bother me. There's also some emphasis in evangelism. Gee, that doesn't sound bad.
I've discovered (re-discovered) that I really enjoy talking about my faith with the unchurched (or the "Not-Yet-Christian" as Frost and Hirsch refer to them in "The Shaping of Things to Come") People in Portland are open to talking about faith if you're not gonna be all judgey about it. (That's right, judgey!) Evangelism, in my mind, is just about loving people enough to tell them about something that has made a huge benficial difference in your life.
I also like doing the whole incarnational thing. The fact of the matter is, I don't really like church and don't think it is the best place to do ministry. It's an okay place to worship God, but not a good place to do ministry. Pubs, coffee shops, gardens, worksites, hospitals, homes...those are good places to do ministry, in my humble opinion.
Ah, which brings me to the last thing I wanted to write about. I've come to the conclusion that most of us blog out of complete narcissism. I haven't been writing in my blog alot, but I have been reading a bunch of them. We're really quite egotistical, us bloggers. A bit self-absorbed, I would say. Note: I am including myself in that. This feeds my ego. And why not? On my blog, I'm right. You disagree? Post something and I can delete it! Fantastic!
Well, I need to go. If you wouldn't mind taking a second to tell me what you thought of today's post...nevermind.
Anyway, sorry I haven't been a very good blogger as of late. Blame my wife. She distracts me! (best distraction ever!) There has been plenty to write about and once I get out of here, I will begin the process of doing some hardcore reflection on this summer.
I can share a couple of things briefly. Despite the worry that being out here would push me more to the liberal side of things, I would have to confess that the opposite has happened. Getting away from SFTS has made me realize how seperated from mainstream religion the seminary is. It has also made me realize that I have not seperated from my evangelical roots nor do I wish to distance myself from the term "evangelical". After all, Jim Wallis (one of my few remaining heroes) still considers himself evangelical. The bottom line is I think people need to know Christ. That's what I'm in this for. I also think people need to be loved into that knowledge, not beat over the head with religion.
We had a discussion on the emerging church last Sunday with some congregants from the churches. One of the participants of the conversation made the comment that many of the emerging churches he has seen here in Portland tend to have a conservative lean to them. That is, conservative in terms of theology. I have no problem with that and that is probably why the emerging church appeals to where I am right now, it is "conservative" theology (you know, the whole Jesus was God's son, died and rose from the dead and the Bible's a good way to know what God is up to kinda thinking) coupled with a huge emphasis on social justice. So the conservative leaning in that sense doesn't bother me. There's also some emphasis in evangelism. Gee, that doesn't sound bad.
I've discovered (re-discovered) that I really enjoy talking about my faith with the unchurched (or the "Not-Yet-Christian" as Frost and Hirsch refer to them in "The Shaping of Things to Come") People in Portland are open to talking about faith if you're not gonna be all judgey about it. (That's right, judgey!) Evangelism, in my mind, is just about loving people enough to tell them about something that has made a huge benficial difference in your life.
I also like doing the whole incarnational thing. The fact of the matter is, I don't really like church and don't think it is the best place to do ministry. It's an okay place to worship God, but not a good place to do ministry. Pubs, coffee shops, gardens, worksites, hospitals, homes...those are good places to do ministry, in my humble opinion.
Ah, which brings me to the last thing I wanted to write about. I've come to the conclusion that most of us blog out of complete narcissism. I haven't been writing in my blog alot, but I have been reading a bunch of them. We're really quite egotistical, us bloggers. A bit self-absorbed, I would say. Note: I am including myself in that. This feeds my ego. And why not? On my blog, I'm right. You disagree? Post something and I can delete it! Fantastic!
Well, I need to go. If you wouldn't mind taking a second to tell me what you thought of today's post...nevermind.
you know, you might want to take an advanced preaching class because they do critique, but it actually is most often helpful. even coote has good things to say.
as for egotistical blogging - maybe. i think at least right now i am blogging out of isolation and lonliness more than anything else. hey, the blogsphere is the one place in my life (other than the phone) where i don't have to be anybody's pastor. good times.
Posted by
Kathryn Craven |
9:10 PM
Hey, Kat. Long time no post. That goes both ways though and is probably more my fault.
Anyway, I don't really want to take another preaching class. I have found that what is really helping me is just doing it (preaching) in front of congregations. Preaching to seven different congregations this summer has taught me a ton. Besisdes, with one year left, there is still alot of stuff at the GTU I want to take.
Isolation is a another legitimate reason to blog. I blogged way more before Marnie got here. It felt like my only connection to the real world. She leaves on Friday so I'll have another few days of that. Point taken.
Posted by
dlweston |
9:24 AM
I don't know about the narcissism charge. Only because I've dealt with true narcissists for some time, and I think the personal blogging people do is different.
In fact, I think it functions the same way therapy does. (And Narcissists rarely go to therapy and never stay in therapy if they go) You talk about what's on your mind, your stories, your realities--you put it out there and you hope other people will chime in. Not necessarily to agree, but as a way of truth testing. I'm not saying it IS therapy, or that it should replace it--but that the interaction is similar.
Personal blogging, (all those grimy little details of our lives) puts down in writing the stuff that can clutter our other writing. For me, it means that those details find an appropriate space--they don't show up in my articles, or my writing work, or my sermons. So, a part of me gets HEARD that needs to be heard--in an appropriate setting. Which, in my opinion, makes it far less narcissistic than just letting those details eek out into the world in ways they shouldn't. Sermons shouldn't be about my cute kid, no matter how cute he is. You know?
Additionally, I like reading other peoples lives because it reminds me of how connected we all are. I might not comment all the time, but I identify. I realize other people struggle like I do--and I pray for those people.
But, I'm a storyteller by birth and my theology works there as well--IF all the narratives out there in blog world are indeed narcissistic... then so be it. I guess I'll take their narcissism with their narratives. Because life is a story that should be told.
Posted by
Anonymous |
10:33 AM
Hey dog! I am stoked about the thoughts you are having, they are right on! Keep refusing to be boxed in and polarized! Keep striving for the middle ground, the third way and the tension of mystery. I heard a great phrase the other day via Tim Keel on the Emergent podcast, the Christian life ought to be orthoparadoxical. I think he was refering to the tension often created between othrodoxy and orthopraxis. Anyway I love it and it is what I this see in you post about emergent, the left/right, doing justice or evangelism and all the other unecessary polarizations. We are dying for something different. Keep your prophetic edge!
Posted by
bj woodworth |
7:13 PM