Browsing Tag

Pentecost

Millennials

5 phrases that frustrate Millennials in church

A-woman-puts-her-hands-ov-007

In an age where Millennials in church are a scarcity, long term church members often find trouble with how to relate to newer church goers. No matter if the young people are Millennials, or Gen-Xers,  younger church goers and members must be encouraged and allowed to take leadership roles. With 66% of Millennials in church say that churches are hypocritical, church leaders need to understand that cultural church language and behavior are important.

With all of these considerations, here’s what send Millennials in church running from churches in frustration:

Continue Reading…

Pentecost

Great Pentecost Resources

image

Looking for some great Pentecost resources? The folks over at http://bluetruckpublishing.com got you covered.

“Anything but Ordinary – readings for worship during Ordinary Time (Pentecost to Last Sunday of June)”

This collection of liturgical helps is the second worship resource from Don Durham. Each of the pieces are tied to the lectionary readings for the day and every Sunday includes:

Invocation/Call to Worship Responsive Reading Benediction

There is also a free stock image included inthe purchased download. You can preview a sample of this product for free on the Blue Truck blog here. Don also wrote “Lenten Liturgies” and it received 5 stars and this review from a worship pastor: “A well written RCLliturgy resource. A steal at 99 cents even if you don’t use all of the resources. The Palm/Passion Sunday resources include both thematic elements to allow for Holy Week flexibility.

Download here.

Pastoral

A Taste of My Own Pastoral Medicine

As I write this blog post I’m traveling on a plane heading to 37,000 feet and living in fear. I wonder when I will become dizzy, experience vertigo, pass out, lose my breakfast, or if my head is going to explode. Gross, I know. I have never been a woozy air traveler, but everything just changed.

After waking up one morning last week with maddening ringing in my head and unable to hear in one ear, I found myself sitting in a doctor’s office. “Well, we don’t know what you have but we have some good ideas. We need to run some more tests. Until then, I would not recommend loud places or air travel.” My doctor said.

Gulp. “I have to fly next week and I’m leaving the country the week after that.” I said. The doctor rolled his eyes and asked, “Do you have to fly?”

As I sat and listened to the extended directions on medications, tests, dangers of flying, and theories into sensory hearing loss from my physician, I could not help but think of the sermon I just preached to my congregation:

Continue Reading…

Pentecost

Pentecost? Whatcha talkin’ bout?

The 1980’s a sitcom, “Diff’rent Strokes” chronicled a family life of a wealthy white industrialist who adopts two African American children. This show gave us  one of the classic lines of that decade.  One of the show’s main character, Arnold, played by Gary Coleman would often say, in a deep voice, “Whatcha you talkn’ about Willis?” to his television brother with a confused look on his face.  Check out the video clip here:

As we celebrate Pentecost this Sunday, we often want to run past the details because they are so crazy!  Fire, wind, xenoglossia, prophesy, dreams, and tongues!  Whatcha talkin’ bout?!?  This is crazy!  What the heck is going on?

Most Christians take the “Whatcha talkn’ bout” approach to this whole business of Pentecost, speaking in tongues, and the out pouring of the Holy Spirit.  Do we need to speak in tongues in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit?  What can we make of this event in scripture?

Here is what you need to know about Pentecost:

Continue Reading…

Pentecost B

Pentecost: On Fire, Literally

man-on-fireHave you ever been on fire?  I know it is kind of a crazy question.  One time, I was filling an oil lamp and I spilled the oil on my hands.  I wiped off the oil on my hands using a cloth thinking that I had prevented any calls to the fire department.  I put the cloth down, sealed the oil lamp, and then proceeded to light the lamp.  Smart, I know!  I should have washed my hands.  When I lit the lamp, the left over oil on my hands caught on fire.  I was literally on fire!  The good olde stop, drop, and roll did not really help because my entire body was not on fire, just my hands.  My hands were burning and I ran like heck because it hurt.   I did not know where I was running, but I ran.  As I ran, I tried to pat the fire out on my body, which ended up burning my shirt.  I quickly ran to a sink nearby and poured water over my hands.  Ahhhh, crisis averted.

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday.  It is the remembrance of how the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples and others gathered and experienced flaming tongues of fire, rushing wind, and the ability for everyone to understand people in different languages.  There were those who believed it was God acting, as foretold by the prophet Joel (see Joel 2:28-32) and there were those who thought these men were drunk with new wine.  Peter stands up to make sense of what was happening.  They are not drunk!   But, they are experiencing with God promised would happen, that His Spirit would be poured out on Israel’s sons and daughters.  Jesus told the disciples in John 15: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the father, He will testify on my behalf… He will guide you to truth…He will glorify me.”

Literally, those gathered at Pentecost were on fire, in the Holy Spirit.  Figuratively, they were on fire for God.  They desired to share this experience.  The direct affect of the coming of the Holy Spirit enabled people to repent, believe, and be baptized.  They had a burning desire to live in community (Acts 2:42) and to serve God.  Being on fire, for God, in the figurative sense means that we must experience the Holy Spirit’s life giving presence.  How do we do that?  By worshiping, praying, believing, serving, and deepening our faith in Christ.  Being on fire for God means that we share that Pentecostal power of God’s Spirit changing our lives.  The Pentecostal experience was meant to be shared with others and not meant to be kept hidden.  This Pentecost, may you be on fire for God.  May you be on fire with the presence of the Holy Spirit, who comes to bring the sustaining power of God.  May you be on fire for God, who enables miracles to happen.  May God burn within you, giving you the warm love of grace in your heart.

So, next time you catch on fire, make sure you catch on fire for God…er… figuratively.

On Facebook