Ministry is like most occupations: there are times when, in the immortal words of Johnny Paycheck, when you want to take this job and shove it. So what do you do when you're a pastor and Mr. Paycheck is singing to you? For you? Well, as a survivor of a few of those...
The “Making Sure Your Tongue Doesn’t Tie You Up” Sermon Rewind
I'm not going to lie. I liked yesterday's message a lot. I liked the set up for the sermon -- a song by Don Henley & Trish Yearwood called Words Can Break Your Heart. Don and Trisha weren't with us in person, mind you, but their roles were filled more than...
From Heart To Screen And Back
I was speaking recently with a colleague about preparing and delivering remarks for a memorial service when we came up with a formula for the whole process.If you write out whatever it is that you're going to say (and I usuallly do), here's what we pray happens:What's...
Three Points And A . . . Tie?
Yesterday was a different experience for me at Good Shepherd.For one, I wore a jacket and tie. The most frequently asked question was "what's the deal with the tie?" A few people even suspected that my Methodist "boss" would be in the service -- perhaps having heard...
Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Preachers’ Voices
I once attended a church where one of the pastors suffered larynx damage that slowly but surely robbed him of his voice.A preacher without a voice is like a car without a gas pedal. Doesn't work.Which gets me thinking . . . who are some preachers with voices of...
Preaching Lesson From A Politician
I heard portions of Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress yesterday.I have to say, it was stunning. I pulled over in my car and began writing as much of it down as I could.Even if you disagree with Netanyahu's politics and its implications,you...
How The Sausage Gets Made
On two different occasions last week, I shared with people here how I prepare sermons.I'd never done that even once before, and yet here I was giving detailed explanations two times in three days to folks in the process of growing their own preaching skills.I talked...
An Unusual Applause Line
Every so often, something I say in a sermon elicits spontaneous applause from the people of Good Shepherd. I can't generally predict when this will happen . . . usually it follows a bold-ish comment about the unique-ness of the Risen Christ.It's certainly most common...
An Experiment Gone Wrong. And Then Right.
I had it all planned out. As part of yesterday's sermon, I was going to do an "experiment" demonstrating that a) oil and water don't mix; b) there is a product made up of primarily oil & water -- mayonnaise; and c) the reason mayonnaise works is because eggs are...
Files, Files, Files
I have an entire file drawer dedicated to sermon illustrations.Beginning with one for "Abortion" followed by one for "Addictions" and then continuing on to places like "Grief," "Healing," "Methodism" (over which I have some grief and is in need of healing!), then into...