Monthly Archives: April 2014

In a weeks time I will be taking some days off.

I’m not quite sure what the agenda will be yet.  Certainly finding a way to put distance between work and myself.  The consuming nature of a job you love makes time off a difficulty.

Difficult, not in the sense of others who are willing to step in and step up.  That can and will be done.  Difficult in the sense that my own heart feels the need to cover just a few more things.  A protection needs to be in place for all the efforts that are currently being undertaken.

That is my heart.  On one hand this is a compassionate gesture.  On the other hand there is a need to trust those to whom things are delegated.

And so, for the next few days I will see what can be done to blend compassion and delegation.  And next Monday I will begin days that are set aside (holy) days.

I have lived in the church for 60 years.  Since I was born, I have been taken to church.  I expect I will be taken to church in my old age.

The church calendar sees today as Palm Sunday.  I remember that palm branches that children waved on “the way.”  They are lined up at the back of the church and process, with some ohs and ahs, to the front.  An appropriate song about the little children is sung.

I wonder, now that I am older, if there were not older people waving palm branches as well.  What would a Palm Sunday service look like if it was just the seniors?

Or, more rightly, as some churches have done – the procession is filled with all generations.  Mothers scolding children for getting too close to the pews on either side.  Teens looking at each other to be sure they “were doing this right”.  Seniors being pushed in wheel chairs, directing their helpers to watch out for the person in front.

And then we realize this is about Jesus and not us.  And the whole thing becomes chaotic.  Shouts erupt and we don’t know where else to look – because there is only one look and that is to Jesus.

Maybe, just maybe . . . that’s not too far off the first triumphal entry.

I came across a blog that asked the question – what will presentations look like in the future?  Of course, this is given in a business context.

This relates to preaching.  For many, the sermon is the presentation that links a church meeting together.  A sermon is just a presentation.  An important presentation, but a presentation nonetheless.

Many of the comments are helpful as we consider how people will be listening in the future.  The very unusual person is able to capture an audience for a long period of time.  Most of us will appreciate what is said, that presentations will be shorter and fewer words.

Bui, here is the comment that I found most interesting:

Amy Veltman, Principal at On Your Feet: Improvisation for Business

"Information and facts will be so readily available that the primary measure of a great presenter will be the depth of the relationship she creates with her audience."

I am seeing this already.  In fact, any good presenter has always recognized this.  We tell jokes on ourselves.  We use homegrown illustrations.  We let people know who we are.

In the end the content must be true and compelling.  But the presenter will need to spend time establishing their presence in another person’s life. 

Not a bad thing – Jesus had great content – but notice that he often asked people what they wanted, or enquired about their lives, or had a God given sense of what was happening in their lives.  In that way his speeches were present in people’s lives. 

Yes – not a bad thing!

The sun is up as I arise.  Not that that is unusual.  This is sign of God’s faithfulness.  God hasn’t missed a day so far!

On the advice of others and my own recognition, I am taking today as a day of rest – a sabbath.

As a pastor there is always another thing to do, another person to contact, another activity to be involved in.  I watch our oil patch workers and see the same pattern of too many days work, not enough rest.  I watch our society and wonder how long constant days running a business, town or country without some form of rest will last.

Thus the proliferation of Christian books regarding the Sabbath and rest.  I don’t remember hearing of books on sabbath when there was a “Lord’s day” and even, in our small town, Wednesday afternoons retail stores were not open.

Of course, this has meant a lot of scheduling and preparation.  And a mental attitude for today.  I will jot down thoughts pertaining to work and leave them until tomorrow. 

If I do need to pull an animal out of a well, I will do that – but I’m hoping that doesn’t have to happen!  I remember the last time I was around someone who pulled a cow out of a well, the animal was dead and bloated, and the water was not drinkable for some time.  Good reason to rescue the animal before death occurs.

So, off to work, . . . oops, rest I go!