Just thought I'd share a few personal reflections on this week's message.
This was a tough prep week. I didn't have as much study time as I would have liked. I usually use half of Friday and all of Saturday to study, but our Upward Bound changed my rhythm. Lora drove home from the retreat so I could work on my laptop. I usually get up around 5:30 AM, but I got up extra early to put the finishing touches on it.
One of the things that helps me prep for messages is thinking about individuals who are going to be there. I knew that some unchurched friends were coming today so it gave me a little extra motivation. But I have to say, nine years into this gig, I honestly try to give every message everything I've got.
Not sure if any other pastors out there experience this, but I'm usually white hot when we kick off a new series. And sometimes I feel like the flame is a flicker by the time the series ends. I really didn't feel that way with this series. I feel like we ended as strong as we started.
Next week we'll shift gears. We often have a buffer week between series. We're going to make communion the focal point of the service next week. We'll actually hand out communion bags with a vial and tin inside. We like mixing up the way we celebrate communion to keep it fresh. Having the bread and juice in your possession the whole morning makes communion a more thought-full experience.
Then we'll kick off our next series, The Wild Goose Chase, on October 16.
This was a tough prep week. I didn't have as much study time as I would have liked. I usually use half of Friday and all of Saturday to study, but our Upward Bound changed my rhythm. Lora drove home from the retreat so I could work on my laptop. I usually get up around 5:30 AM, but I got up extra early to put the finishing touches on it.
One of the things that helps me prep for messages is thinking about individuals who are going to be there. I knew that some unchurched friends were coming today so it gave me a little extra motivation. But I have to say, nine years into this gig, I honestly try to give every message everything I've got.
Not sure if any other pastors out there experience this, but I'm usually white hot when we kick off a new series. And sometimes I feel like the flame is a flicker by the time the series ends. I really didn't feel that way with this series. I feel like we ended as strong as we started.
Next week we'll shift gears. We often have a buffer week between series. We're going to make communion the focal point of the service next week. We'll actually hand out communion bags with a vial and tin inside. We like mixing up the way we celebrate communion to keep it fresh. Having the bread and juice in your possession the whole morning makes communion a more thought-full experience.
Then we'll kick off our next series, The Wild Goose Chase, on October 16.
14 Comments:
Mark... new subscriber to your RSS feed here. Listened to you on Terry Storch's podcast the other day and loved it. I look forward to everything you'll be writing.
Just a quick comment about the "mid-series blues" you were referred to. I experience the same thing quite often, and I thought it was just me.. ha! I love the prep time as much as anyone, but it seems like it takes a little more effort to keep the "purple cow" purple (to steal an idea from Seth Godin) the longer the series lasts. At the beginning, everything is fresh and new to the church, so its a bit easier to keep attention. Unfortunately, you can't really ride that wave for three weeks or a month (funny how people's attention spans are so limited, huh?), but you also can't deviate too much because you've already set the stage for the series.
I'd love to hear any ideas you have that help keep things fresh in a series that is already at that "near ending" stage.
I want you to know that your sermon yesterday was incredible! I'm not a very vocal person in church...but if I were I definitely would have been yelling out "Amen!". I left church yesterday feeling challenged to explore what's sitting on the throne in my life. To be honest, it didn't take long to do. For years I've let other people's opinions of me control my life! I would love to truly allow Christ back onto that thrown. But how do we de-throne that which sits in Christ's place? Do you have any suggestions?
PM: Your sermon was totally on fire. We talked about it at lunch and dinner last night at length. It spurred me to even study it again this morning. I am thankful to the Holy Spirit for having you finish strong. Heidi
How do you de-throne that which sits in Christ's place? Wow. That's a great question!
I think it starts with a radical decision. Not sure what's on the throne, but I see what they did to idols in the Old Testament. They destroyed them :)
I think enthroning Christ usually involves burning scrolls (Acts 18)or dropping nets (disciples).
I think change starts with a radical decision. And then you've got to live it out day-by-day.
One of the things that has helped me is using the calendar to my advantage. I'll often do a "month long vow" or a 10 day fast or I'll set a spiritual goal with a specific timeline.
Get specific.
One other key. You've got to dethrone what's on there, but I think the key is enthroning Christ. Don't just play defense--don't do this, don't do that. Play offense. One way to do that is to get into the Word.
Hope that helps some.
"We like mixing up the way we celebrate communion to keep it fresh"
Didn't Jesus already give us the pattern to follow when celebrating the Lord's supper?
We obviously use the same elements, bread and cup, each week. But if you study the New Testament it's surprising how "undefined" communion is. I think it was probably more of a meal in the 1st century. We actually did more of a "communion meal" at our Upward Bound retreat this week.
The long and short of it is this, too many people "go through the motions" when they celebrate communion. I try to take a unique biblical angle on communion each time we celebrate to keep it fresh.
For example, check out the Reagan video in the "eye candy" section of our website, www.theaterchurch.com. It'll give you a feel for how we mix it up.
We'll also set up a cross and had people write out a confession and nail it to the cross.
Another way of doing it is to change the way people are served.
One of the keys to effective ministry is a "change up" pitch so you keep people from getting into spiritual ruts.
Hope that helps.
Mark
NO SCRIPTURE REFERENCE ZONE
Only Scriptures in context :)
In three years of blogging I've only removed a few comments. And I don't think I've ever removed a comment that had a name attached :)
I love genuine difference of opinion. I think it's healthy and I think wisdom tends to be two-sided (Job 11:6). But every once in a while I question the spirit behind the comment.
I welcome honest disagreement of opinion, but I tend to draw the line if I feel like the "Spirit" behind the comment isn't redemptive or genuine. In other words, someone is just trying to stir up dissension :)
It's a judgment call on my part.
That's part of blogging :)
Just thought I'd explain why comments are removed once in a blue moon :)
I think it's a byproduct of the quantity of hits evotional.com is getting right now.
Blog On :)
I think your readers would be able to recognize a voice that is "causing trouble". It makes one think that you are really not interested in what your readers have to say if it doesn't align with your ideas. Especially if its hitting too close to home. After all, you deleted a verse in the Bible!!!! That must have been tough. Is it wrong to hope that the "The Lord's Supper" does not fall under the umbrella of "Everything is an Experiment"? I don't think the context of that verse could be any clearer.
Wait I really don't understand. If we do communion in "rememberance of" Him and if we mix it up with "experiment" why does that imply that we are taking out the rememberance? "Let a man sanctify the Lord in his heart and he can thereby do no common act." (Tozer). Jesus makes a good point when he says "where your treasure is -that's where your heart will be." Isn't communion a heart issue? Heidi
Anonymous: have you ever celebrated communion at National Community Church? I can tell from you comments that you haven't. Because you wouldn't be able to cite anything in the way that we practice communion that is unbiblical.
I'm not sure what you're afraid of or why you seem so troubled. My sense is that your trying to cause controversy where there isn't any :) But I'll post one more comment and we'll call it quits.
This Sunday we'll do a message on the meaning of communion. We'll hand out communion bags with the elements. We'll have a vial with juice and a tin with bread. The message and worship will set up the communion experience. And we'll celebrate the Lord's table. I can't imagine how that would be problematic to any bible-believing follower of Christ :)
I only respond to what I read, now maybe I have learned not to take what I read too seriously here. I was responding to your quote
"We like mixing up the way we celebrate communion to keep it fresh."
I envision that being said to the Apostle Paul and can see the steam coming from his ears. Hey, you say "Your Focus becomes your reality". I have a certain focus, I won't bother this blog with it anymore.
You probably shouldn't criticize something you haven't experienced :)
Man, you really read alot into "we like mixing up the way we celebrate communion."
No worries :)
For what it's worth, I think Paul would get steamed at stale, lifeless "celebrations" of communion that are all form and no substance. Paul was creative. He was an experimenter. I think he'd be all over creativity within biblical boundaries.
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