Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
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Be Curious –Preaching Tip for 28 January 2018
Be curious. It sounds simple. But much of what it means to do image exegesis relies upon an avid curiosity, the willingness to chase bunnies into strange and unfamiliar places, and to open metaphors into all of their layers and colors until they reveal the hiddenness within their folds. Metaphors…
Pastor’s Prayer for 28 January 2018
Hail to Thee! True body sprung
From the Virgin Mary’s womb!
The same that on the cross was hung
And bore for man the bitter doom.
Thou Whose side was pierced and flowed
Both with water and with blood;
Suffer us to taste of Thee
In our life’s last agony.
O kind, O loving One!
O Jesus, Mary’s Son!
Amen.
–“Hail to Thee, True Body Sprung” by Thomas Aquinas
The Greatest Showman
The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, and Zac Efron, rated PG
–Review by Ashley Linne
*SPOILER ALERT*
If you enjoy musicals such as Moulin Rouge or Newsies, you will love The Greatest Showman. If you hate musicals, you will still enjoy The Greatest Showman, but you’ll have to suspend disbelief a little more than the rest of us. (Said with a smile!) Hugh Jackman shines in this adaptation of the visionary P. T. Barnum’s origin story.
The film is visually stunning from costumes to choreography, and the music is spectacular and moving. I am going to have the soundtrack on repeat for a while. A whole review could be written on the song lyrics alone!
The Greatest Showman tells a tale from the past but explores several pertinent and relevant themes to our culture today. The ones that stood out to me the brightest were those of belonging and being chosen. read more…
The Imperfect Disciple
The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together
Jared C. Wilson
-Review by Landrum P. Leavell III, ThD.
Yeah, I know… Both the title and the subtitle should pique the interest of any Christ-follower. Wilson begins the book asking, “What comes to mind when you hear the word “discipleship?” Usually people respond with adjectives such as “difficult, trusting, adventurous, obedient,” etc. The right answer for our context is following Jesus.
Other more desired answers would be along the lines of: “Believing God loves me even when I feel like nobody else does.” “Trusting God is doing something for my good even though my life has always been terrible up until now.” “Denying myself in order to do what’s right although I don’t really want to.” Those responses don’t suffice as a definition of discipleship like you’d find in a theological dictionary, but they all put more skin on the word. (12)
Wilson writes with candor and compassion, as a fellow stumbler. There’s no ivory tower perspective here. He served a church in a small town in Vermont prior to becoming the director of content strategy for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and managing editor of For the Church. He has written four other books: Unparalleled, The Story of Everything, The Prodigal Church, and Gospel Wakefulness. His blog is The Gospel-Driven Church. read more…
Faith is a River That Flows
Faith is a River That Flows Story Lectionary 21 January 2018 The Call of Abram (Genesis 12) The Call to Lot and His Family (Genesis 19:12-29) The Saving and Call of Moses (Exodus 2-3) A Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) Psalm of Praise to the Father: 68, 95, 100, 103,…
Make New Connections –Preaching Tip for 21 January 2018
The key to innovation is making new and unique connections or discovering connections you did not first see that were there. Such is the way we look at scripture. Sometimes it means reading the scripture closely over and over again, and thinking of it visually, dramatically, thoughtfully, personally, characteristically. For…
Pastor’s Prayer for 21 January 2018
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm on your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind always be at your back,
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home,
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the sky above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the ears that love you.
–Irish Prayer and Blessing
The Miracle of New Beginnings
The Miracle of New Beginnings Lectionary 21 January 2018 Third Sunday After Epiphany Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62:5-12 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 Text to Life Some books are known by their first lines. See if you know this one: “It was the best of times. It was the worst…
Musicians and Musical Thoughts
I can only think of music as something inherent in every human being – a birthright. Music coordinates mind, body and spirit.
— Yheudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin (1916 – 1999) was an American-born violinist, conductor, and writer. His international performances, recordings, and prolific letters, articles, and speeches, made him a household name, and established his reputation as one of the finest musicians of the 20th century.
“Music creates order out of chaos; for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent, melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed, and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous.” read more…
You Are Gifted
You are Gifted Story Lectionary 14 January 2018 The Visit of the Magi Joseph’s Brothers Bring Gifts to Him Along with His Brother Benjamin (Genesis 43) The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon (1 Kings 10) Psalm 45: Gifts for God’s King Psalm 72: Gold from Sheba Will Be Given to…