Accidental Teaching Advice

I subscribe to a blog called lettersofnote.com. And you should too.  It is an amazing site because it has actual potential to add value to your life… not just be a convenient time waster when you’ve run out of work you are willing to do before lunch.

In the letter published on Thursday (you can find it in its entirety at the above link), John Steinbeck is writing to his old short stories professor and includes what is to me, the best sermon/talk prep advice I have ever heard so succinctly:

The basic rule you gave us was simple and heartbreaking. A story to be effective had to convey something from writer to reader and the power of its offering was the measure of its excellence. Outside of that, you said, there were no rules. A story could be about anything and could use any means and technique at all—so long as it was effective.

As a subhead to this rule, you maintained that it seemed to be necessary for the writer to know what he wanted to say, in short, what he was talking about. As an exercise we were to try reducing the meat of a story to one sentence, for only then could we know it well enough to enlarge it to three or six or ten thousand words.

Those two short paragraphs are better and more useful than any collection of preaching or speech courses I ever took in college (sorry Dad… it turns out you could’ve just bought me internet access instead of paying tuition).

Seriously, if you lead a small group, teach your own kids, teach a class, or speak in public ever- this is sound advice.

There is no secret formula.  Different pastors and teachers have different formats they prefer.  I was taught a specific formula in college- but the truth is, all that did was spit out predictable sermons.  Any format works fine as long as it communicates the main point.  And its also true that if I can’t tell you in one sentence what I’m talking about… I don’t yet understand what I’m talking about.

Just for the record, this is not a totally new idea.  It is perhaps most pointedly explained in the best book on teaching I’ve ever read, Communicating For A Change by Andy Stanley (he’s a pretty good speaker, I guess).

So, thanks Mr. Steinbeck and lettersofnote.com, for that accidental advice on teaching.  You may not know it, but you potentially just made sermons, presentations, lessons, and small groups every where just a little bit better.

Confessions of a Pastor

I get jealous.  Often.

Now, I don’t get jealous about lake houses or nice vacations or big homes (I do get jealous of people with new mini-vans because mini-vans are the single most practical vehicle ever invented… and they’re awesome).

I get jealous of other people’s success.  Particularly success in ministry.  How awful is that?  But if I’m being honest, sometimes its hard to celebrate the success of my peers or other churches or to celebrate the opportunities that others have and I don’t.  I know that’s ugly, but its true.

I have friends who get to do some pretty cool things or get to be used in some awesome ways by God.  I have friends who have written books and started foundations… and I think, why can’t I do that, God?  Why haven’t you given me those opportunities?  How come people I know are asked to speak at different places across the country and I just get invited to do the occasional wedding?

I’m happy for my friends- sure.  I am genuinely happy that God is using them to build his kingdom and that God is building his kingdom at all.  But my happiness is muted by a wet blanket of straight up envy because I want to be the one that God uses… I want to be the axe he picks up to chop the wood… not those other guys.

But here’s what God has shown me:  I’m jealous because I’m selfish.  Bottom line.

If I truly cared about God and his kingdom with all my heart, then I would only care that he got the glory.  It wouldn’t make one bit of difference to me which person he chose to carry out his will.  If my focus were only God’s kingdom, then I would celebrate openly and zealously whenever any of my peers saw success or opportunity.

But that’s not how it is for me right now.  I still want my own glory- and that is ugly.  That is, most likely (other than severe lack of actual talent), the greatest reason why God doesn’t give me more opportunity… he knows my heart and knows that sometimes I still seek my own glory.

I don’t know if you struggle with envy as well.  I think we all do in different ways… maybe you’re not jealous of sweet swagger wagons like me… whatever.  But if you do struggle with envy, maybe you’ll be encouraged to know that you’re not the only one.  And maybe you’ll also be encouraged, like me, to have a heart to heart with God and ask him to clean yours up.

The Body is a Temple…of health?

For some reason, perhaps because I look for things to get all worked up about, I get exceptionally frustrated when I believe someone in misinterpreting the Bible.  Especially when the person incorrectly applying that scripture is a pastor or teacher… and ESPECIALLY when someone is using that scripture incorrectly to support a rule that it simply does not support.

I understand that this is a tenuous position because I teach the Bible regularly and I have certainly been guilty of misusing or interpreting God’s word.  But, I will press on and share with you one verse that I feel is misused constantly:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
1 Corinthians 6:19

I most frequently hear this verse as the foundation of an argument for why the Bible condemns smoking or drinking.  The idea goes that if the body is a temple, then you should not put unhealthy things in it.  So kids are brow-beaten with this idea that the body must be kept as pure and as healthy as possible, because it is a temple and must be kept in tip-top shape for the Holy Spirit.  On it’s face, this sounds reasonable enough, I guess.

But here’s the problem with that interpretation: if you’re an out-of-shape pastor/teacher/parent, you can’t possibly make this verse have implications towards bodily health unless you admit you’re a hypocrite.  Because if I need to keep my body healthy and pure from pollutants, shouldn’t I clip butter and fried foods out of my diet?  If you’re a football fan, you can’t interpret this verse that way… playing football is dangerous and if I am to support the health-driven purity of the temple, then I couldn’t possibly endanger it by slamming it against other temples.

You get the point?

See, I think the verse is so much bigger than just staying healthy and pure.  To be clear, I think it is absolutely imperative that we stay healthy and pure.  Staying healthy is being a good steward of the body God gave us- which is our Biblical responsibility with all of God’s blessings.  And maintaining purity is emphasized again and again in scripture.  I completely agree that being addicted to smoking and drinking are sins… I just don’t think this verse teaches that in the way that we think it does.

Here’s what I think this verse teaches:

Think about what the temple was in the Old Testament (the culture to which this verse was introduced).  It was a place of WORSHIP.  This means, that if our body is now a temple, then it is a place of WORSHIP.  This makes the verse So. Much. Bigger.

Now we understand that we are not to do anything with our bodies that will prevent it from being a place of worship at all times…. we cannot take it certain places, participate in certain activities, wear certain types of clothes, get certain types of tattoos, etc.  As Christians, our bodies are not our own (this idea is in the context of the verse in question), so we are to be stewards of them and realize that they are places of worship and should be treated that way….

This verse is not a call to health!  That’s too small!  It’s a call to live lives set apart set apart to worship our creator.

That is all.

Friday Rant… slow drivers

Now listen, I know I’m a pastor and I’m not supposed to get angry with other people and I’m certainly not supposed to speed.  But, confession time…

I do both of those things.  I don’t get too angry (I mean, I’ve never flipped a bird at another driver or anything) and I don’t really speed.  I just do 5-10 mph over the “limit.”  But we all know the limit is negotiable, right?

But I like to think that we all need to rant sometime… about something.  Here are 3 types of drivers that really chap my butt:

1. Parade Leaders.
Hey, selfish, do you really not notice that you have 12 cars stacked up behind you because you feel like you need to do the speed limit?  Are you just pretending to be a Grand Marshall or what?  If you’re so scared to drive 50 in a 45 like a normal person, then please pull over and let us pass you.  I know you think you’re being a good citizen, but you’re just being selfish.

2. Go Aheads
You know these guys.  The ones who are 4th in line at a red light that has a line 30 cars deep trying to make the next green light.  These Good Samaritans like to stop and give the “go ahead” sign to the one person waiting to turn into the flow of traffic.  We know you think you’re being kind by letting this 1 person in.  But when your “kindness” causes 15 people behind you to miss the light… it’s not kindness, it’s another word that pastors shouldn’t use on blogs.

3. Direction Following Creepers
I see you slowing down at every road until you can clearly read the street sign to determine whether or not its the one you need to turn on to.  I know you don’t know where you’re going and you just don’t want to miss your street.  In the mean time, I also see the traffic jam you are causing with your incessant braking.  Please just do the courteous thing and travel at a normal speed- be content to fly by your road as you identify it and simply turn around once you see it.  Inconvenience yourself when you are following directions, not the 10 drivers behind you who know where they are going.

There are, of course, 2 exceptions to all of these rules:  Old people and 15 yr olds.  It is never alright to become angry with an old person- they’ve earned the right to do what the heck they want.  And we are just happy when new drivers stay in their lane and don’t hurt others… consider it a grace period.

What about you?  What ticks you off in the car?

Here’ to the Coaches!

Coaches hold a unique position in our culture.  I’m not talking about “life coaches” (when I grew up we called those “parents…”).  I’m talking about old school coaches of actual sports.  I love those guys.  Here are  reasons why:

1. They can yell at you and you will take it.
This isn’t true of any other adult.  If a teacher yells at you, you bad mouth them to your friends and hate that teacher forever.  If a parent yells at you, you storm into your room and play video games.  But if a coach yells at you… you take it like a man or you find a new team.  Plain and simple.

2. They don’t care if you like them. 
I think they would prefer that you did, but your affection for them has zero impact on their day.  And this is a good thing.  Especially in a time when parents don’t discipline kids because they may “harm the relationship.”  Coaches just say; “Relationship?!  What relationship?!  Go cry to your momma about relationships!”

3. They talk to punk kids like they deserve,
not how political correctness asks them to.  This may be my favorite.  You know what a 16 year old kid with a chip on his shoulder needs?  A football coach to put him in his place, that’s what.  He needs a tough old man in his ear telling him to get his head out his rear and start using it for what the good Lord intended.  He doesn’t need another detention he doesn’t care about… he needs a coach to make him throw up and smile about it.

4. Good coaches care about the character or their athletes and winning ball games- in that order. 
So if they have to pull a great player out of a game to teach him/her a lesson about character, they’ll do it.  Coaches can hit us where it hurts the most- playing time.  Sitting out of one quarter of one game is worse than a month of being grounded to any athlete worth his salt.

5. Coaches turn boys into men.
They teach you things like responsibility and self respect.  They teach you to be unselfish and to be committed to a team.  They teach you to persevere even when you are treated unfairly or when you are in pain.  They prepare young men and women for life.

That’s why coaches are the best.  Did I miss any reasons?

The View From The Stage

Yesterday I had the opportunity to preach in the main service at our church (So let me offer a public thank you to our Lead Pastor, Jonathan Howes, for being unselfish with his stage and providing his staff with opportunities to grow… that is a big deal and one of the dozens of reasons I feel blessed to be placed at Graystone).

Whenever I am watching someone speak, I always wonder what that person is thinking about…  If they are bad, do they know it?  If they’re great, are they getting a bigger ego every time I laugh?  Is it distracting to him when people get up and leave?  Can they not hear that guy coughing?!  They need to call that dude out.  Are they looking at people on purpose, or just swiveling their head a lot?…  You know, the typical stuff.

So, I thought I would share with you a few things that occurred to me yesterday as I was preaching: (allow me to qualify all these observations with the fact that this is only like the 10th time or so that I have preached in the main service… so my thoughts will probably sound ridiculous to seasoned vets)

1. Yes- to all the above questions.  When you’re terrible, you know it (and its a lot worse for us then it is for you, I promise).  We do hear people cough, and yes, it is difficult not to recommend a water break for that guy.  And yeah, I just swivel my head indiscriminately.

2. An older couple walked out during one of the services yesterday.  This made me sad.  It honestly distracted me for a few minutes.  I had just told a funny story (I mean, people were laughing, so I guess it was funny) and the couple just got up and walked out.  In my head, they left because I wasn’t preaching the word and didn’t value scripture (…or maybe they were just hungry).  But I was so disappointed because I was about to launch into the scripture portion of the sermon.  I wish they would’ve stayed.  So, in case that nice couple reads this blog…. I really like the Bible a lot and I promise I always use it when I teach.

3. In one service there was a kid (maybe 5 yrs old?) who was sitting in the front row and making a pained “I have to pee real real real bad” face- which was accompanied by pressing his hands into his groin area and rocking back and forth while looking pitifully at his mom.  When permission was finally granted, he sprinted down the center aisle… pretty funny stuff.  Then when he came back in, he didn’t want to be a distraction- so he literally tip-toed back up the aisle Elmer Fudd style while staring at me to see if I noticed.  I did… and it was all I could do not to laugh and empathize with this poor kid.

4. I don’t know how senior pastors do it.  Preparing and presenting a sermon is a huge ordeal.  I believe that to do it right requires total emotional and spiritual commitment and investment.  The whole process, from creation to presentation is pretty exhausting, honestly.

5. I’m never more aware of my own sins and faults than when I am on stage, preaching.  I think God does this to help me out.  It’s kind of hard to talk down to people when you feel pretty low your self- and I think that’s the way God likes it.

Wait for the sound of marching

I was reading in 1 Chronicles yesterday and came across a verse that I had never paid attention to before.

David is king of Israel and he wants to attack his arch-enemy, the Philistines (for those unfamiliar, think Auburn/Alabama… and the Philistines would be the classless jerks who poisoned the trees. Goliath=Harvey Updyke).

But, before David attacks, he asks God whether or not he should do it…. there is a great lesson here too.

This is God’s response, in 14:14-15-
You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees.  And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out for battle, for God has gone before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.

Woa!  Can you imagine?!  God told David to wait until he literally heard the marching of the heavenly army of angels march above the trees into the battlefield.  Can you imagine the confidence of the men in that army?  I bet they’ve never been less afraid of a battle in there life.  They probably worried more about going home and wrestling with their daughters than they did about whether or not they would defeat the Philistines.

What a stinkin’ cool story.  Then I got to thinking…

What if we lived our lives patiently waiting for the sound of marching?

So often (as in everyday) I don’t wait for God’s army.  I fly it solo.  And that generally gets me to a place of failure or humiliation or both.  How confident could we be about life if we simply waited for God’s Angelic Army to precede us?

That’s one of the reasons I love my church, Graystone.  God is marching there.  No one knows exactly why, we are just grateful that he is… we simply march behind his army and we are experiencing victory.  How great is that?

This question is stuck in my head- I’ve been chewing on it for a day and I get more and more excited.  I hope this idea excites you to, because when we patiently wait for the sound of marching, my guys in Rage Against The Machine are right when they chant: “All hell can’t stop us now!”